The Secret Lagoon:

We had been having some action packed days with tours to the Golden Circle, Reykjanes Peninsula, and South Coast, so we were in need of a chill day. So that is exactly what we had. After a lazy morning hanging around the hostel, we boarded a shuttle bus through Sterna Travel to take us to The Secret Lagoon. For $70 they provide round trip transportation, the entrance fee to the lagoon, and a towel. Supposedly they have an agreement with The Secret Lagoon and are the only travel company that provides transportation there (at least as of this writing). Of course, you can always drive there on your own if you have a car. There were only 3 of us on the shuttle, so I was a bit surprised that they still kept the tour as it was a 1.5 hour drive each direction. The driver wasn’t a tour guide but he was very friendly and eager to share knowledge of his country with us. And, since there were only 3 of us, we had the opportunity to ask him all the questions we wanted. One such question was “how do you afford to go out drinking on the weekend?” He informed us that Icelanders don’t actually spend that much money at bars. They have pre-parties at home where they drink, then they just dance in Reykjavik, and then have after-parties with more drinking. [Secret Lagoon cost including entrance fee, transportation, and towel rental = $70]

After a beautiful drive, we finally arrived at the Secret Lagoon. Our driver checked us in, handed each of us a towel (was included in our price), and pointed us to the locker room. The locker room was much more basic than the Blue Lagoon, but it still had all the necessities. There were lockers with key on a wrist strap, one private toilet/changing room, open showers, body wash, and hair dryers. Once you exit the locker room, there is a short hallway that passes by the men’s locker room, and then there is an exit to the outdoors. Luckily for me since I forgot my flip flops, you barely have to walk outside at all before you are greeted with the warm waters of the lagoon. This lagoon is much much smaller than the Blue Lagoon, and the water isn’t that gorgeous light blue color, but I enjoyed it just as much. For one thing, there weren’t very many people, maybe 15 – 20, giving it a more peaceful and serene atmosphere. And they had noodles to float around with which was just awesome! There was also a small geyser which erupted every 10 minutes or so nearby which was fun to watch. I definitely recommend visiting the Secret Lagoon because it is such a different experience from the Blue Lagoon, but don’t skip the Blue Lagoon! You should really experience both. The Secret Lagoon is rustic and peaceful whereas the Blue Lagoon is the ultimate spa experience with a swim up bar, face masks, and blue waters.

Find the Secret Lagoon packing list at the bottom of the post. 

KEX Hostel:

Because we had such a relaxing day and felt refreshed when we arrived back at our hostel, we decided to make the walk to the other side of Reykjavik to eat dinner at KEX hostel. There were two reasons I wanted to check this place out. (1) I wanted to see what the KEX hostel was like because we debated between it and the hostel we ended up staying at (Reykjavik downtown hostel) (2) I read the food was delicious at a great price.

KEX Hostel is on the opposite side of the downtown Reykjavik area but still within easy walking distance of all the attractions. It was set a few blocks off of the main shopping road, and the entrance wasn’t exactly welcoming (but then again, most hostels don’t have the best entrance). I’m glad we were following walking directions on my phone or we probably would have missed it. There wasn’t a large sign on the building, and the only indication that we were at the right place was small words printed on the door and a bunch of youngsters with backpacks leaving the building. We entered and were immediately greeted with a flight of stairs before coming to the large pub area and reception. The reception area was swarming with people leaving and checking in. It was much busier and louder than the Reykjavik Downtown Hostel and they had a large bowl of earplugs sitting on the desk which is never a good sign. While the atmosphere was super hipster-ish, young, and fun, I’m glad we stayed where we did because our days were so busy that I needed the quiet sound sleep at night.

The pub area of the hostel had a central bar area and was surrounded by lots of tables; some small and personal while others long and more communal. We didn’t order any drinks, but i found the beer list rather funny because along with a list of Icelandic brews, they also served a beer from the Founders brewery in Michigan, USA. The menu included several very Icelandic dishes, but it also had a large vegetarian section which was very refreshing to see since I hadn’t exactly been eating my daily servings of fruits and veggies on this trip. So, I ordered one of the most hipster-ish dish of roasted cauliflower on a bed of wilted kale and topped with Isbui cheese and a poached egg. It was scrumptious and made me feel like I was at some trendy bar in Chicago. (It can be a bit hard to find food like this where I live in Florida). [Cauliflower dinner at Kex = $14]

The Secret Lagoon Packing List:

• Bathing suit
• Towel (can rent)
• Flip Flops
• Face Wash
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Comb/Brush
• Hair tie to keep hair out of water
• Underwater camera
• Plastic bag for wet swim suit
• Body wash and hair dryers are provided at the Secret Lagoon for no additional charge
• Don’t take jewelry! You will never find it if you lose it!