For the past few years, Iceland has been attempting to redirect travelers away from the Blue Lagoon, as well as other major sites, to relieve some of the pressures of overtourism. (You may have noticed that the black-sand beaches in the once-underexplored Trollaskagi Peninsula are now all over your Instagram.) But given that the Blue Lagoon is a mere 15-minute drive from the airport, it's unlikely its visitor numbers ever thinned out, despite the tourism board's best efforts. Still, the spring opening of the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon means travelers there will now get to experience the previously impossible: getting those glowingly blue waters all to themselves—sort of.
The resort, which was slated to open last fall but will finally open its all-glass doors in April, is built into a private 800-year-old lava flow on the southwest side of the lagoon, far enough away from the public areas that you won't hear—or see—those New Yorker stopover tourists slathered in silica. It's a four-part complex, with the Lagoon, a private swimming hole that's an extension of the Blue Lagoon; a subterranean spa with a lava rock-heated steam room, fire pit, and sauna; a 62-suite luxury hotel with a cozy lounge and library; and restaurant, where guests can sample the local cuisine over a seven-course chef's tasting menu. Better still, the complex will be sustainable, and powered by clean geothermal energy.
The hotel may be built into a lichen-coated lava flow that traces its origins to the 13th century, but it'll be far more modern in design. Judging by the renderings, guest rooms will have a spare, Nordic aesthetic, using colors and textures that mimic the surrounding environment—think walls the shade of wet pebbles, fresh white linens framed in dark wood, and the occasional splash of icy blue. The main attraction, though, is really what’s outside. Each room will have at least one wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and standalone bathtubs that look out to the horizon, plus a balcony or terrace; those on the first floor have direct, private access to the lagoon's famed healing waters, rich in silica, algae, and mineral salt and meant to ease stress and increase circulation.
Another draw? The subterranean spa, which will be cut down into the lava bed and feature a steam room built into the rock; interconnected chambers where guests cover themselves in silica, algae, and seawater; and treatment rooms for massages and facials. Still, the treatment to book is the in-water massage, where you'll lay on a floating mattress lightly submerged in the lagoon while a therapist treats you with salt glows and algae wraps before a full-body massage. Treatments go until 7 p.m. each night, so book it late in the day during winter, and you may see the Northern Lights dance overhead. Which may just make this the most epic spa anywhere on the planet.
This article was originally published in 2017. It has been updated with new information.
