Spa Profile: The Retreat Spa at Blue Lagoon Iceland Is a Relaxing Geothermal Paradise Built Into an 800-Year-Old Lava Flow
The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland is an award-winning luxury resort surrounded by Iceland’s natural beauty.
Surrounded by endless views of milky blue ethereal waters and centuries-old moss-covered lava fields, The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland is an award-winning luxury resort that offers visitors a unique getaway in the midst of scenic natural beauty. The property includes a hotel with 60 private modern suites with views of the lagoon, historic lava fields of moss terrain; a luxury spa, several elevated culinary offerings including a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a private Retreat Lagoon sourced from the same healing waters as the world-famous Blue Lagoon.
People travel from around the world to soak in the mineral-rich waters of the Blue Lagoon, which includes algae, silica, and various minerals that offer various skin-nourishing and relaxation benefits. Guests staying at the award-winning hotel enjoy unlimited access to the Retreat Lagoon and The Retreat Spa. The Retreat Lagoon is a mineral-rich waterscape that flows from the same wellspring of geothermal seawater as the Blue Lagoon, offering guests a more secluded way to experience its waters.
Surrounded by the Retreat Lagoon, the spa is a subterranean sanctuary that combines the powers of geothermal seawater with nature and design. The Retreat Spa features multiple indoor and outdoor experience areas and a wide range of amenities including a sauna, lava spring, steam cave, cold well, and more.
Treatments include massages, facials, float therapy, and the signature Blue Lagoon Ritual—a cycle of well-being that takes place in a spacious sanctuary of three interconnected chambers with Blue Lagoon’s trio of natural wonders: algae, minerals, and silica.
We interviewed Íris Reynisdóttir, Manager, Retreat Spa at Blue Lagoon Iceland, to learn more about the unique amenities, treatments to try, insider tips, and more.
Guests stay at the hotel enjoy unlimited access to the Retreat Spa and Retreat Lagoon.
Why You’ll Love It: The Retreat at Blue Lagoon was designed for guests to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. The entire Spa setting is tranquil and allows for guests to truly unplug and de-stress. Our guests enjoy experiencing the different areas of the Spa, as well as the private Retreat Lagoon.
The spa’s amenities include a relaxing sauna.
Key Features: The Retreat Spa was built into an 800-year-old lava flow and covers more than 43,000 square feet. It provides guests with three private treatment rooms, a sauna, steam cave, nest chairs with magnificent views of the Retreat Lagoon, a cold plunge well, a fire room, a refreshment room, a viewing deck, the Blue Lagoon Ritual, a room designed to highlight the soothing sounds of water, and a restaurant offering fresh seasonal dishes.
The Spa is also surrounded by the intimate Retreat Lagoon, which is an expansion of the Blue Lagoon and provides the same healing and relaxation benefits.
The Blue Lagoon Ritual is a rejuvenating cycle of well-being based on the Blue Lagoon’s trinity of transformative elements: minerals, silica, and microalgae.
Insider’s Tip: I’d say that guests should really indulge in a full day of relaxation. They should take their time to fully enjoy our offerings as there are so many different experiences within the Retreat Spa. I’d also recommend dining at the Spa Restaurant before check-in or after check-out to really complement their day at the Retreat Spa.
Snacks Served: Guests of the Retreat Spa can indulge at Spa Restaurant before, during or after their time in the Spa. At the Spa Restaurant, our culinary team highlights the best in Icelandic ingredients with a menu that is light and refreshing. Beer, wine, coffee, juice, and a selection of teas are also available.
The spa’s Steam Cave offers a relaxing earthen chamber of heat and moisture.
Bonus: We value the privacy of our guests at the Retreat Spa and therefore phones and other devices are not permitted in the Spa or the Retreat Lagoon. However, we do realize that guests want to capture their memories so our staff will go into the lagoon, take their photos, and send to them via email.
The other surprise element can be found in the Blue Lagoon Ritual. The Ritual is our signature, self-applied treatment where guests are able to use the elements that make up the Blue Lagoon—minerals, silica, and microalgae—in their purest form.
We also offer day guests of the Retreat Spa a complimentary drink that they can enjoy at any point during their stay.
Flowing from the same wellspring of geothermal water as the Blue Lagoon, the Retreat Lagoon is surrounded by lava, moss, and Icelandic landscapes, offering a secluded setting for relaxation.
Splurge Treatment: The Blue Lagoon is best known for its exclusive in-water massage. Designed almost 20 years ago after a guest innocently asked for a massage, the in-water massage combines the benefits of traditional massage, the healing powers of Blue Lagoon Water, and the sublime beauty of the surrounding landscape.
The Signature In-Water Massage is a 120-minute treatment where guests receive a 30-minute silica salt scrub in the Lagoon, followed by a 30-minute microalgae body wrap while they float on the soothing warmth of a secluded area of the Lagoon, before finally having a 60-minute relaxing massage.
The Retreat Spa’s outdoor relaxation areas include an elevate terrace with views of the surrounding terrain.
Favorite Treatment: I have two favorite treatments at the Retreat Spa—the In-Water Massage and the Signature Facial. The In-Water Massage is truly special and a unique experience to the Blue Lagoon, and the Signature Facial is pure luxury. It’s a 90-minute treatment combining an upper body hot stone massage with a revitalizing facial using the Blue Lagoon Skincare line. This treatment leaves your skin glowing and your body in a completely relaxed state.
Spa guests can also take a plunge in the invigorating Cold Well.
Unique Treatment: Our most unique treatment is a self-applied experience called the Blue Lagoon Ritual, a rejuvenating cycle of well-being based on the Blue Lagoon’s trinity of transformative elements—minerals, silica, and microalgae.
Each of these elements unlock a dynamic array of benefits: the minerals exfoliate the skin and stimulates circulation, revitalizing the mind and body; silica deep-cleanses the skin and strengthens the barrier function, providing a healthy, radiant appearance; and the Blue Lagoon microalgae—a species unique to the Lagoon—nourishes the skin from within, reducing collagen breakdown, increasing collagen production, and leaving the skin nourished and youthful.
The Ritual culminates with one of the cornerstones of Blue Lagoon Skincare—Algae Bioactive Concentrate, a restorative face oil designed to protect against environmental aggressors and produce a smooth, vibrant complexion.
A swim through the Retreat Lagoon offers the chance to explore hidden corridors and lava canyons while becoming one with the mineral-rich warmth and volcanic earth.
Featured Products: We carry our own line of skin care at the Retreat Spa. Blue Lagoon Iceland Skincare, born of the bioactive elements of geothermal seawater, combines the purity of nature and the power of science. Developed by researchers at Blue Lagoon's R&D center and launched in 1995, it has grown to encompass three distinct lines:
The Spa line allows users to experience the skin-nourishing wonders of the Blue Lagoon from comfort of their homes.
The dermatological line provides therapeutic relief from chronic skin conditions including psoriasis.
BL+ targets signs of skin aging and optimizes skin health through high-performance formulas created from cutting-edge biotechnology.
The Spa Restaurant serves a variety of light and nourishing dishes with views of the lagoon and lava terrain.
For more information on The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @retreat.bluelagoon. For special deals on your next stay, click here.
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[Photo credit: Blue Lagoon Iceland]
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Blue Lagoon Iceland
Norðurljósavegur 9
240 Grindavík
Iceland
+(354) 420-8800