One thing I learned quickly about Iceland, was that you should not be quick to apply what is true about one part of Iceland to the other. I had no idea we would encounter such a diverse set of landscapes. I knew, before coming, that Iceland was the land of Fire & Ice, but somehow that hadn’t sunk in.

On our way to the Blue Lagoon, we passed fields and fields of volcanic rock that would have destroyed any stray vehicle. Most of the roads were pretty well paved, but it didn’t calm our unease after declining all the insurance on our rental car (our credit card covered all accidental damage to a rental car – Thanks Chase Sapphire Visa). It was only a few hours drive to the Silica hotel, which was not easy to spot from the road. The only thing that gave it away, was the giant plumes of hot steam rising up from the hot springs. Fun Fact, apparently, Iceland’s main source of energy is actually thermal.

When I had booked our stay at the Silica Hotel online, the woman let us know that we could check in early so that we could get to our in-water massage appointment in time. However, when we arrived, the young, very curt, hotel receptionists politely told us it was another 150.00 Euro to check in early. We decided to go to lunch at the Northern Lights Inn, and try again a little later.

When we returned, we were greeted with a lovely Irish receptionist instead, Barbara. She was about my height, must have been in her early 50’s, with a delightful mess of thick gold curls, and beautiful bright eyes that were slightly magnified by her spectacles. I’m pretty certain she was the one I had spoken with that day, as we learned she was the manager of reception. She happily checked us in early without any additional charges. While she was getting us sorted, one of the earlier curt receptionists came back, with a face that clearly displayed her distaste in how we weaseled out of any surcharges. Also, Barbara stuck a nice fruit basket in our room after hearing we were there for our honeymoon, so sweet!

The Silica Hotel was nothing short of AMAZING. It was just what I pictured when I thought “honeymoon in Iceland”. The rooms are modernly furnished and well-lit thanks to the enormous windows from the private patio that overlooked the basalt fields and mountain range. We weren’t able to enjoy our stay long in our room. Soon we rushed off to our massage appointment. Thankfully the hotel is less than a km away, because we didn’t have a second to spare. This was partly because we didn’t leave early enough, and also their way-to-nifty tech that malfunctioned. They give you an NFC-enabled type bracelet, that is registered to you temporarily so you can do stuff like; purchase drinks out on the lagoon, access your locker, and all kinds of cool things. Cool, that is, if it works. I cannot remember if it was mine or Isaac’s that didn’t work, but we were just short of sprinting to our appointment, but it ended up not being a big deal.

Let me preface our massage experience, by saying it was PHENOMENAL! Our two masseuses were incredibly professional, despite how awkward it is to massage someone, in water, on a large floating-ish yoga mat, with a cloth over your eyes… Funny mental picture I know. Honestly, at one point I thought maybe they were magicians for knowing how to apply pressure and keep me on the semi-floating yoga mat. I will never forget the secret laughs Isaac and I had later. Both of our masseuses were men. Isaac’s was less muscular than him (it should be noted it did not decrease the massage’s efficacy), and I had a big burly Icelandic man. Apparently, Isaac said the guy sort of made “mmmmmm” noises that one might make, if they themselves were receiving the back massage. I, on the other hand, could hear every breath drawn through the Colossal Icelandic man’s nose, filling his lungs with the power of the Norse Gods. All jokes aside, it was the most amazing and unique massage I’ve ever had and was a huge credit to the Blue Lagoon Staff’s talent & professionalism.

The rest of the Blue Lagoon was beautiful. There are several pools around that you can dip in, small caverns, stations for silica masks/scrubs, a swim up bar (alcholic & healthy opts), sauna, etc. They were expanding while we were there as well (new hotel, new traditional spa, and opening up more hot spring pool areas). We spent almost 3 hours there. Tip for when you go, leave in heaping amounts of conditioner before you go in and DO NOT get your hair wet! I swear it took a month before my hair didn’t feel like straw. Isaac had to listen to me threaten to cut my hair off for a month, before I actually did 3 months later. Trust me, the 3 hours of icky conditioner feeling is way better than a month of dry, scratchy, velcro-like hair (something to do with the silica in the water). Yes the water is really that icy aquamarine color. No it doesn’t smell. And absolutely an unregretable, unforgettable experience.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we showered and ventured out to dinner at a nearby harbor town. There was an Indian/Icelandic restaurant there, and we thought it would be romantic to sit there. Since we went in May, the sun doesn’t set until like 3 am or something, so we got the pleasure of a sunset dinner for about 2 whole hours. It made the bay so picturesque and romantic. It wasn’t a factor we had thought of, or planned to have, but it made our dinner on our honeymoon very very special. The food was also amazing. We ordered a huge fish platter, and the subtle indian spices on the freshly caught fish was ingenious. Everything was perfectly cooked. We even got to have some marinated minke whale, which tasted like fillet mignon to me. Also, I insisted on a slice of caramel cake, which did not disappoint.

Overall the still setting sun over the rocks outside our patio made the most stunning shape. Reminds me of a reclining female nude.

We retired back to our hotel with a tiny bottle of bubbly and sat in their secluded yoga room in our robes, as we looked out over the Blue Lagoon. We slept amazing, and enjoyed the modern spacious shower (when I realized what silica does to your hair) before going down to breakfast.

Breakfast was an eclectic mix of cured meats, cheeses, olives, fresh breads, cereals, yogurts, crepes, fruit, and juice. I honestly have never had a breakfast like that from a hotel. Though I cannot say I’ve ever stayed in a hotel that was 400.00 USD for 1 night either. We left the Silica hotel with a game plan and a map to our sussed out list of natural attractions. Isaac had a bit of work to do, so on the way, we ended up stopping at the cutest little bookshop for a hot chocolate and wifi. I ended up buying an adult coloring book from an Icelandic artist, and kept Isaac company while he sorted a few things out for his US freelance client.

Next time, I will post lots of photos of our exploration around Iceland to see all the natural wonders; melting glacier, waterfalls, geysirs, and hopefully some turf houses. What an adventure!

All Images copyright 2016 by Kelsey Lakia & In LACE Photography. For reproductions/enlargements, or for commercial inquiries please contact me today