Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik (pop: 170,000) is the capital of Iceland, and most of the people residing in Iceland, live in Reykjavik or it's suburbs.

We felt we had two main choices to spend our day in Reykjavik:

1. Swim in the Blue Lagoon
2. Take a "Golden Circle" tour

To do the swim involves a 40 minute trip southwest, however long the swim takes, and likewise a return trip of 40 minutes. The "Golden Circle" requires a minimum of 5 hours to see by private taxi (the ship tour is 8 1/2 hours with lunch). Since our next port day would be spent in Akureyri, and we had already decided to go the scenic route there, we decided to make this an activity day, and leave enough time to walk around the city of Reykjavik in the afternoon. To learn more about an alternative to the ship's version of the Golden Circle tour, click HERE.

We hired a private taxi for 8 people, which was $250, right at the dock. These taxis can be pre-reserved, but obviously aren't terribly cheap. They do take dollars. The four of us got together with another couple, so our taxi fare was split six ways, but it was more spacious within. The outskirts of Reykjavik are very attractive but quickly dissolve into a volcanic desert landscape which reminded us of the Big Island of Hawaii. After the 40 minute drive, we arrived at a thermal energy power plant, whose water is pumped into the Blue Lagoon, a high tech swimming pool known to cure many ailments, including psoriasis, although it didn't do much for mine. But I only had one swim!

As the sign says, adult admission was 1400 ISK, or about $22 each, not including towel (credit cards are accepted)! Since we didn't bring our own, and since we forgot to pay for a towel up front, we....made do. A better plan would be to bring a towel, or even a robe if you can smuggle one off the ship.






As some of the shy folks on the ship told us, you are expected to shower, sans towel/suit/etc., before entering the pool. Several on the ship decided to go on the Blue Lagoon tour where you didn't actually swim, due to this requirement.

When you pay your admission, you are given an electronic wristband which can open and close lockers and electronic gates, and which you can wear in the pool (to exit the facility, you stick your wristband in this little compartment where it is eaten, and then the door opens!). Racks outside can hold towels, robes, and even cameras!

The water temperature varied around the pool, from about 90 degrees F, to a purported 104 F, although in some places it felt hotter than that. They have the silica mud you can rub on your face in one area, a waterfall in another, and a sauna too. The Blue Lagoon is like Raging Waters for adults. After about 90 minutes of swimming, we exitted the pool and took another shower, and by this time, the cruise busses were pulling in. By the time we were ready to check out the gift shop, the place was mobbed, and again, most were not swimming! If you decide to do this activity independent of a ship's tour, make sure you get off the ship as early as possible to beat these tours.

On the way back to Reykjavik, we took a detour through the 'burbs and saw the president's (a ceremonial title, we were told) house, which is behind this church. You could walk right up and, I suppose, talk Icelandic politics, if there are any.







Our last stop before downtown Reykjavik was an outlook of sorts called "The Pearl". Those are tanks containing the city water supply, with an observation platform and restaurant built on top. Very clever!



You can see for miles from up here, especially on a crystal clear, and sunny day, like the one we were fortunate enough to get.

You can see both cruise ships in port in this picture. In other views you can see the airport, and everything else, with a 360 degree view of the city.

Our last stop was downtown. Above is the view of Laekjargata, a mostly pedestrian street with cafes, shops, etc.

I've also provided a map of the city center. We were docked 5 minutes from the main section, which made returning to the ship after a nice lunch, very easy. Sadly, the Phallic museum was gone, but we enjoyed walking around and shopping.

Reykjavik is a very nice place. We would love to return some day to sample the famous nightlife, and maybe go see all of those geysers on the Golden Circle!

For that, our advice is to rent a car, if you are able. It's the least expensive and most flexible way to journey from Reykjavik, and the roads are good too. The way we did the Blue Lagoon, it wasn't any cheaper than the ship's tour, but it was a lot less crowded in the pool, and we swam longer.

NEXT: Akureyri, Iceland

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More Reykjavik Pictures (mostly of interest to family and friends)