Sky Lagoon — a newly opened in-city alternative to the Blue Lagoon.

Sky Lagoon opened in 2021 in Kópavogur, a town part of the Reykjavík city area. It takes 10-15 minutes to get there from the city center by car.

And boy it was worth it. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect a lot. Despite hearing good stories from friends, I didn’t expect it to compete in a class with the Blue Lagoon, a world-renowned natural bathing experience.

On arrival, you’re greeted by a lonely building by the shore featuring a traditional Icelandic turf house look. On the inside, there is a modern twist and more concrete to the style.

The magic starts when entering the lagoon. You’re thrown into a different world, wearing your swimsuit, surrounded by steep cliffs and open horizons by the sea.

This world feels authentic to Iceland and reminds of many shores that are usually only accessible by seabirds or aquatic animals that swim in the cold sea.

For us humans, the water in the Sky Lagoon is heated with geothermal energy, which keeps the water temperature at approximately 38°C (100° F). Warm and cozy.

There is also the SkyBar. We came on a Saturday night and mingled more than expected with people that had opened up with slight alcohol support from the bar. It just made the evening more fun.

On top of it, there is a paid option called the Rituals. You enter a turf house by the lagoon, where you experience cold baths, warm saunas, salty skin treatments, and other extras. I’m personally all about these types of experiences and found it worth the extra pennies.

Kudos to the makers of Sky Lagoon; they did a fantastic job of architecting an authentic Icelandic experience, unlike anything I’ve seen before.

It used to be simple to always recommend the Blue Lagoon to guests coming to Iceland. Now I’m torn because the Sky Lagoon offers such a cool bathing experience.

If you have to pick one, Sky Lagoon is closer to town, has a very relaxing vibe (despite what I said about the bar), and offers Icelandic traditions. The Blue Lagoon is bigger and more famous, with a white mineral bath in a field of lava that is good for your skin and taking pictures for Instagram.

To try both would be my best advice.