Of course the next morning Pokin wanted to get up for sunrise photos.

At least since it was October, sunrise was later and breakfast was already open.

They had a pretty good breakfast spread. Best one I’d seen in Iceland, in fact.

I actually enjoyed myself over breakfast, watching the sunrise.

A little while later, Anna and Adam joined my bud and Pokin for breakfast. Then they went into the Retreat Lagoon while I went back up to the room to chillax.

The Retreat Lagoon side is much more cozy, I’m told. The pools are nestled between chasms in the natural lava, and there are many more private nooks. For a while, my bud and Pokin had the waters all to themselves, before they were joined by one more person and then Anna and Adam. This is a much more secluded place to be. They said it was a nice juxtaposition to the main large lagoon.

There was one rude couple they said who disregarded the rules and walked around with a camera, but everyone else respected the rules.

After a quick dip, it was already time for checkout.

Too bad, I liked it here. I guess we’ll just have to come back.

Till next time!

My bud explained to me that, even though we were done with waterfalls, we’d be going somewhere very wet.

We were to spend the day with my bud’s sister Anna and her boyfriend Adam, and they had planned the day to be at the Blue Lagoon.

And since they booked a night there, we did too.

So here we are, going to The Retreat Spa at the Blue Lagoon for almost a day. I say almost a day because you don’t get to spend a full day there. You are only allowed to check in at 3pm and you have to check out by 11am the next day.

The origins of Blue Lagoon stemmed from 1976, when the Svartsengi geothermal plant was built. The plant needed a place to deposit its runoff, and decided the nearby 800+ year old lava field would suit. Instead of draining away though, the muddy runoff formed a large lagoon.

Some soul at some point in 1981 decided to try bathing in it, and discovered, oh! It helps with skin conditions! And behold, in 1992, the Blue Lagoon company was formed.

The Blue Lagoon today has 3 parts. The Blue Lagoon which is the large public lagoon that you can visit during the day, the Silica Hotel which features its own swimming area a little away from the Blue Lagoon, and then in 2014, they started work on the ultra luxury Retreat Spa.

The Retreat Spa was conceived by Sigríður Sigþórsdóttir founding partner of Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia. The designers apparently scoured the fields to find just the right spot to construct the retreat, and the whole construction process took over 3 years as they had to find the right fields with the right characteristics.

As you look around the retreat, you can see the full integration with the environment. The retreat was built right into and around the lava fields, and every lookout appears as though it’s a picture.

I was impressed. This is fit for me to stay at. In fact I want this for my bear home! Nicholas, take note!

On arrival, we were greeted at reception with a welcome drink. My bud opted for sparkling tea.

After a few minutes, we were presented with an agreement we had to read and sign. Among the terms were that there was no photography allowed in the Retreat Spa.

Once that was signed, we were given a tour of the retreat before being shown our rooms. Since most of the place is no photography allowed, well, I had no photos.

But here’s my room! It was pretty nice. I only wish I got a ground floor unit. Pokin was worried about privacy, but it turns out the waters in front of the suites are only for looks. Next time!

Ahh, this is the life.

While I stayed behind to enjoy my suite, my bud and Pokin went out to explore the rest of the faciliites.

At 4pm, they served tea in the lounge. Bathrobe lounge attire encouraged.

The main lagoon can be accessed at the end of the Retreat Lagoon, and is only open till 8pm whereas the Retreat Lagoon was open until 10pm, so everyone decided to go into the Blue Lagoon first.

This was the entrance from the Retreat Lagoon into the main lagoon.

My bud and the gang stayed out in the main lagoon through sunset.

While I enjoyed the sunset from the room.

They had 8pm reservations at the Lava Restaurant after which they meant to go into the Retreat Lagoon, but apparently everyone was too tired and went to sleep right after dinner.

Good night!