Iceland is so hot right now! I mean “hot” in the way designers describe Hansel the model in Zoolander; its popular and fashionable to do a #stopover in Iceland. It’s not on the other hand hot outside. It’s a quite brisk 9C in the month of July, but when you step into the milky blue water that is the Lake Myvatn nature baths, hot takes on a whole new meaning!
Heated by the natural geothermal waters that flow beneath the lava rock, the Myvatn nature baths are a relaxing 39C. Some parts of the pools are hotter than others allowing you to heat up and cool down depending on where you place yourself. The bottom of the pools are a mix of sand and gravel but are soft and easy to walk on. The most extraordinary thing is the water itself. The color is an opaque pale blue because of the high mineral content it contains. The sensation of the warm, milky water on the skin is very soothing. The minerals have all kinds of health benefits including skin softening, but it’s the experience itself that is surprising. Neck deep in the warm, soothing waters surrounded by nature, stress melts away and I get the impression that this beauty ritual may just be the secret to the Icelander’s happiness.
Living in Iceland with its extreme weather and only 3 hours of daylight during the winter is not for the faint-hearted (20 hours of daylight in the summer!) Judging from the plethora of geothermically heated pools, soaking in one may be one of this country’s favorite pastimes. Even the owner of the Airbnb that I rented on my Iceland #stopover, recommended I stop by the nearby pools to start off my day!
I chose to visit the Lake Myvatn Nature Baths instead of the famous Blue Lagoon because it was supposed to be less crowded in the summer as it is much further away from the capital Reykjavik. It is also located in the picturesque Lake Myvatn area where you can visit a lake, a volcano, bubbling mud pools in a lunar landscape and the Krafla geothermal plant all in one day. The baths were the perfect finish to a sightseeing packed day. They are open until 11pm everyday and I imagine that in the winter, with the night sky’s spectacular northern lights on display, it must be just amazing.
On my return to Reykjavik, I decided a trip to the Blue Lagoon before taking my flight home would be perfect. You need to make a reservation and pay a quite high 50 euros for the standard package that includes entrance to the pools and a silica mud mask, but I was willing. Only problem was that it was fully booked! For the entire weekend! I had to console myself with a trip to their boutique in downtown Reykjavik where I bought a tube of Silica Mud mask and Rich Nourishing Cream. Maybe back in Miami, I could wear the mask while cooking outside in the 35C heat! (not quite the same experience!)
The silica mud mask is great! The white mud dries in about 15 minutes and after rinsing my skin feels softer and cleaner than it has in weeks.The mud does a very good job at cleaning out the pores. The cream is thick but penetrates well and leaves my skin really well hydrated. It contains algae to help stimulate collagen production and silica to help protect against environmental stress.
Lake Myvatn nature baths remain one of the highlights of my #stopover in Iceland and I hope to return one day to explore the Blue Lagoon and the ever-elusive secret to happiness!
Lake Myvatn Nature Baths
Myvatn Nature Baths- Jardbadsholar, 660 Myvatn Tel: +354 464 4411 info@jardbodin.is
Hotel Reykjavik
Skuggi Hotel– Hverfisgata 103 ,101 Reykjavik Email: skuggi@keahotels.is
How about you? Have you been to Iceland? Would you like to go? Leave a comment below and follow me on Instagram @colleen_stone to see more Iceland pics!