Luxury retreat encircled by a natural seawater lagoon in Iceland
The lagoon is located in a sprawling, 800-year-old lava field in the Reykjanes Peninsula, a UNESCO Geopark(*). Opened in 2018, the Retreat is encompassing a 62-suite luxury hotel, a subterranean spa, a terraced lagoon, and a restaurant with views of the volcanic horizon.
Situated in a lava plain, the lagoon holds nine million liters of geothermal seawater, covers of 8700 square meters area and has an average depth of 1.2 meters. The water recirculation interval is 40 hours.
The wellspring of lagoon's powers lies 2000 meters within the earth, at the boundary of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. In this subterranean frontier of porous lava and searing heat, seawater and groundwater converge, giving rise to a hybrid fluid known as geothermal seawater. Under immense pressure, this fluid surges to the earth’s surface, integrating the elements through which it passes and emerging enriched with high concentrations of silica, algae, and minerals.
In light of the profound healing potential encompassed by the mineral and microbial endowments of geothermal seawater, research & development is one of the firm's core mandates. Scientists at the research center have pioneered innovative methods for harvesting and cultivating the properties of the geothermal environment. These discoveries have led to a number of patents and a better knowledge in the fields of biotechnology, dermatology, and marine cosmetology.
(*) UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.
Photos © Blue Lagoon
Wednesday 28 September 2022, 05:18
