The Traveling Widower

Tag: adventure

  • The Blue Lagoon and Lava Everywhere

    A geothermal spa with people relaxing in blue water, surrounded by rocky terrain and steam rising from the landscape.

    June 23, 2026

    The Blue Lagoon is likely (and arguably) the most popular tourist attraction, along with the Golden Circle, in Iceland (I doubt if the Penis Museum is in the top 10). Every tour agency has advertisements plastered around town, and it’s easy to find one to get you there and back. You can even find tours that take you directly from the airport to the Lagoon, and then on to Reykjavik to your hotel – not a bad way to unwind after a long flight. Maybe I’ll do that next year.

    I  was never very interested in visiting the lagoon  – I’ve been to a couple of geothermal pools before, but sharing crowded locker rooms and a huge spa with hundreds of strangers was never high on my list of places to visit. And this one is gigantic. But, a dip in the pool and dinner was part of the Nat Geo tour, and I was still really sore from the volcano hike so what the heck….let’s give it a try.

    The history of the lagoon is interesting – given that Iceland exists due to it’s proximity over an oceanic rift zone, it’s not too surprising that there’s a lot of hot water in the ground. Most of Iceland’s electricity is generated by geothermal plants – cheap power for people and industry. A power plant was built at this location, and dumped the water from the turbines into settling ponds, where the water filtered back into the lava fields. The water in this area had a very high silicon content, and locals who started bathing in the ponds discovered that the water had some medicinal qualities for skin diseases. Sounds like a good reason to create a spa resort and attract international visitors. And that’s what happened.

    One minor problem with this location – there is still volcanic and seismic activity. A few years ago, a new fissure opened and a huge lava flow headed towards the Blue Lagoon. A huge berm was built to try and redirect the lava away from a town, the power plant and the Lagoon – it was mostly successful. The town was evacuated (a few house were destroyed, and the parking lot for the resort was buried. The lagoon was opened and closed frequently during this eruption for obvious reasons. You can see the new lava fields, and the long fissure, as you approach the resort – fortunately, it’s been inactive for a while. 

    OK, enough history. You can look it up on Google if you want to know more. 

    This was the first event on the National Geographic tour – the tour leader is a native Icelander (he can trace is family back to Viking days), and is a walking encyclopedia of Icelandic history. And a really nice guy as well. He pointed out the fissure and recent lava fields as we approached the resort. The berm that was built to protect the geothermal plant was obvious – it’s huge. You cannot stop a lava flow, but you can direct it, so it did work. You park in the new parking lot and then walk through a path carved through the lava that covered the old parking lot. Very strange.

    A group of people walking on a pathway surrounded by rocky terrain under a cloudy sky.
    An empty parking area with gray paving stones, featuring black shipping containers, signposts, and a rocky hillside in the background under a cloudy sky.
    A rocky landscape with a walkway, featuring a wooden fence and a group of people in the background. Large volcanic rocks are scattered around, with a waste bin and a utility box visible.

    The resort is pretty much everything I dislike about these types of tourist traps, but it is well run. It would have to be with the hundreds of thousand tourists who visit each year. You get a wrist band with a chip, which you need to open/close a locker – the locker rooms are a maze of sections of lockers, and private shower stalls. The signage is good, and there is a device you can use to find your locker if you forget the number. Once you find your way through the maze, you exit out to the pool, and wade in from a ramp. It is not very deep, just 3 or 4 feet at most, so you either float or crab walk to stay covered. The water is actually light blue, and there is so much particulate matter (mostly silica) that you cannot see beyond an inch from the water surface. Don’t drop anything, you’ll never find it. 

    There are all kinds of pool-side stands to visit – a drinks bar, a steam room, and the facial bar where you can get different concoctions to smear on your face. The pool surface is compacted silica mud – a little slippery, but hard packed so nothing sticks to your feet. The water temperature varies – I found the hot spots and just floated – it felt really good on my sore legs.

    I lasted a little over an hour, talking with some of the other NatGeo tour members, and just paddling around the pool. Once my hands were completely wrinkled, I figured it was time to get out. 

    Our evening included dinner at the resort restaurant which was excellent – a beautiful dining room, surrounded by lava walls. No surprise there.

    Interior of a restaurant featuring a large natural rock wall, with diners seated at tables below and large windows providing natural light.

    After dinner, our leader gave us a guided tour along the lava field and berm, to the town that was abandoned after the last eruption. The lava reached the edge of town, and burned out a few homes. There are also cracks in the earth throughout the town, so the government bought out all the home owners and condemned the entire town. It’s just not safe to live there. 

    View of a demolished structure surrounded by a fence, with debris and rubble in the foreground and a hillside in the background under a cloudy sky.
    A construction site with a fenced area containing piles of debris and rubble, set against a cloudy sky and a distant hill.

    This was our last night in Reykjavik – on to new and exciting adventures.

    Peace

  • Inside the Volcano – Crossing the River Styx

    View looking up at a colorful rocky cavern with textures and lighting from above.
    A long way up from the underworld

    June 22nd, 2026

    Way back when I was figuring out what to do with my two free days in Iceland, I had seen a few advertisements about the tour of an empty volcanic magma chamber – Inside the Volcano. My inner geologist said “Go for it”. And since I have been doing tourist cave tours for the past year or so, this seemed like a good adventure. I’m getting used to being underground. There was even some easy hiking involved with the tour. Perfect. Well, other than being crippled afterwards from the easy hike, this turned out to be one of those incredible experiences that you remember for a long time. Yes, I did have a good time today.

    The tour begins at a ski area, located about a 30 minute drive from Reykjavik, in a high volcanic ridge named the Blue Mountains. These are nothing like the Sierra or Rocky Mountains – just a high, steep plateau. And they are not blue. The volcanic rocks are covered in green moss – very pretty. Maybe Iceland should be named Greenland, and vice-versa. Just saying.

    Once the 10:30AM group was checked in, we met with the guides, who described the tour – a two mile hike across the lava fields to a base camp, where we would be outfitted for the descent to the magma chamber. He described the hike as moderate, and we would do it at a casual pace. I’d hate to be on a hike at his fast pace. I used to have a 5 speed transmission for hiking. I’m down to just 1st and 2nd gear. I’m slow but steady. I think the best term for my speed is “plodding”. He did stop once on the hike to talk a bit of geology on how this particular feature was created, since it is the only known empty magma chamber in the world. I won’t bore you with the details, but it is interesting to some people. 

    A winding gravel path through a rocky landscape with volcanic hills in the background under a cloudy sky.
    A winding gravel path through a barren, rocky landscape under a cloudy sky.

    The trail heads out from the ski lodge across the extensive lava fields – the trail is mostly gravel and with a few hard lava sections,  with a lot of ups and downs, plus a few small bridges crossing collapsed lava tubes. The photos above are from the start of the trail – the little lumps in the distance are the destination.

    A view of rugged volcanic terrain with a prominent lava tube entrance in the foreground, surrounded by rocky ground and distant volcanic hills under a cloudy sky.
    You do not want to fall in one of those (lava tubes)

    You definitely do not want to wander off trail. The view of the surrounding volcano cones is impressive – not quite as bleak as the younger lava fields in Hawaii. The trail runs for about 2 miles to the “base camp”, a rustic building at the base of the volcanic cone and entry point, where you can rest for a bit, and then get fitted with a helmet and harness. There was also an outhouse – no peeing allowed in the chamber. We also got to see their pet arctic fox. Really cute, but still a wild animal.

    I was a bit tired by the time we reached the base camp, but doing OK. There was still a very steep trail to climb to get to the chamber entrance at the top of the cinder cone. I was nervous about that last climb, but it turned out to be relatively easy, with a heavy rope posted along the edge – it helps to have something to haul yourself along with, sort of like the Half-Dome cable route. 

    A person standing in front of a volcanic landscape, wearing a dark jacket, an orange helmet, and a safety harness. They hold a trekking pole and pose confidently with one hand on their hip. In the background, a rocky hill and an Icelandic flag are visible.
    A hiking trail with a metal railing leads down a rocky and rugged landscape, where several people are walking in the distance under a cloudy sky.

    Here is where the River Styx reference comes from. You get in (and out) of the chamber on a highly modified window washer lift, which drops over 400 feet to the chamber floor. Not a good ride for anyone afraid of heights. The bottom where the lift ends is called the iPhone Landing – some folks just have to lean over to take a picture I guess. It’s a pretty amazing engineering feat to have built this contraption on top of a volcano. They disassemble it every winter, and ship the components to a firm in Germany for repairs. A good thing for sure. At any rate, the lift is located over a relatively small hole, and you have to cross a short catwalk over this gap to board the lift. You are clipped to a safety cable to get across, and the operator then clips your harness on to the lift.  Thankfully, they are very safety focused. 

    A metal walking bridge extending over a rocky canyon or cave entrance, surrounded by rugged terrain and earthy tones.

    As I crossed the catwalk, for some strange reason, I was reminded of Greek mythology, and how souls crossed to the underworld, paying a skeletal ferryman, Charon, to cross the River Styx. The guy running the lift was our ferryman, lowering us down to the underworld. He was much nicer though, did not require payment with special coins, and told a lot of jokes on the way down.

    A man in a green t-shirt holding coins stands by a boat, facing a skeletal figure in a hooded cloak reaching out with a bony hand. The background features foggy water and ghostly figures, creating a dark, mysterious atmosphere.

    The lift drops down over 400 feet, most of it sort of free fall since it is not attached to the sides – this is not something you want to do if you are afraid of heights. The ride is a bit bumpy at first, as the opening is very narrow, then suddenly expands outward – the chamber is shaped  like a wine bottle.

    A view inside a dimly lit mine shaft, showcasing rough rock walls with some illumination from overhead lights and a metal track system.
    Interior view of a deep rock formation with a bright light shining from above, highlighting various textures and colors of the rocks.
    View looking down into a deep cave or pit, showing rocky walls and a metal ladder leading down.

    It’s hard describing the ride down to the bottom, and what it’s like once you get there and wander around for a while. The images I’ve posted do not come close to doing justice to the experience. The chamber is just so enormous, with bands and patches of colored volcanic rock along the walls. There are a few points as you descend where you can see what was the surface of the volcano, which was then covered by further eruptions. Very interesting if you are into geology. There are flood lights throughout the chamber, so you are not descending into a black hole – there is a lot to look at on the way down.

    Landing pad for the lift (and dropped phones)

    Once you hit bottom (maybe not the right term, more like gently stop), you are unclipped, and told to be careful as you follow the marked trails. And told not to wander off the trail.  The bottom is very rocky, and the trails are difficult to traverse if you have balance issues. The helmets they give you have headlamps, which do help on the trails. I made it down to one of the viewing stations, then found a good rock to lean on, with a good view of the chamber, for the remainder of our time on the bottom. After a while, I stopped taking pictures, and just gazed around until it was time to pay Charon once more to get back to the surface. Here’s a bunch of photo’s:

    A colorful cave interior with a textured ceiling and rocky ground. Small figures can be seen exploring the area, with safety barriers marked by red posts.
    A dramatic view of a cave interior with colorful rock formations illuminated by artificial lights, showcasing a variety of textures and colors in the stone.
    A climber stands in a colorful cave, illuminated by artificial light, showcasing textured rock formations in shades of orange, brown, and black.
    An aerial view of a rocky cave with illuminated areas and textured orange and yellow walls, revealing mineral deposits and a narrow passageway.
    A group of six individuals wearing helmets and headlamps inside a dark cave, exploring the colorful rock formations illuminated by artificial lights.
    Inside a colorful cave, featuring illuminated rock formations and a silhouetted person observing the scene.

    You can get a sense for how enormous the chamber is, when you see the little figures with orange/white helmets further away (expand the photo’s). I did not have the urge to explore too much – too risky walking around, and I was just absolutely enjoying just looking around from my comfortable rock.

    I had wondered why the Web site makes reference to “lamb soup” provided after the magma chamber exploration – what’s the big deal? After 2+ miles of hiking, and an hour wandering around underground, just about anything resembling food you put in front of me would taste good. The soup was excellent though. And it was fun sitting with the group and some of the staff. But unfortunately, the rest period ended, and we all had to hit the trail back to the ski lodge, and the bus waiting to take me back to Reykjavik. Somehow, the two mile hike seemed a lot longer, and the group was split into the 4th, 2nd and 1st gear walkers. I was the only 2nd gear, so I got to hike the entire way by myself. Sniff. By the time I made it back to the lodge, the first group was already gone – I was surprised that no one on the staff was counting heads to make sure everyone returned – what if someone fell into a lava tube? Too bad for them I guess.

    A narrow metal staircase leading down from rocky terrain, with hikers walking along a winding path in a barren landscape featuring mountains and patches of snow.
    A panoramic view of a volcanic landscape featuring mountains and a cloudy sky, with two individuals walking on a rocky path in the foreground.
    A group of hikers walking along a rocky path in a vast, open landscape with mountains and clouds in the background.

    I was pretty exhausted after the hike back, and my goal was to drop my stuff at the hotel, and then consume large quantities of gelato at the shop I discovered the night before. I figured I deserved it…but then that’s my excuse every time I have gelato. 

    A modern black wooden building featuring large windows and a colorful sign reading 'GGEALEATTAO'. The storefront showcases gelato offerings and has an ice cream cone decoration on the wall. Nearby, there is street art on adjacent buildings.

    I was quite successful on the gelato phase of my adventure. Two scoops eased much of the pain.

    The rest of the National Geographic tour group shows up on Tuesday, so I’m not planning on doing much until our group meeting. A day off sounds good – it seems like I’ve been here for a week. I’m glad that we have the Blue Lagoon scheduled – I really need a good soak in a giant hot tub. Not too sure about the mud facial though – I’ll pass on that.

    Peace