Is the Blue Lagoon a Wonder of the World? The Blue Lagoon: why is it so special?
In 2012, National Geographic published a list of Wonders of the World, which they subtitled ‘Earth’s Most Awesome Places.’
National Geographic bestowed honors on 25 natural wonders divided into three categories: Sky, Land, and Water. The Sky category featured such beauties as California’s soaring redwood trees and majestic Mount Everest. The Land category gave plaudits to Arizona’s Grand Canyon, North Africa’s Sahara Desert, and Hawaii’s volcanoes.
The Blue Lagoon was included in the Water category and shared this recognition with esteemed company, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the Norwegian fjords, Lake Baikal in Siberia, and Victoria Falls in southern Africa.

Blue Lagoon Iceland
The Blue Lagoon: a wonder for its water
Want to know why National Geographic awarded The Blue Lagoon a place on such a list? The answer lies in the category in which it was included: Water.
The Blue Lagoon’s geothermal seawater is 70% ocean water and 30% freshwater, enriched with silica, algae, and minerals. Not only is it a delight simply to soak in, it heals, rejuvenates, and nourishes.
We’ll give the official word to National Geographic, as it describes the wonder of The Blue Lagoon’s water:
Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart. Upwelling magma built the island and heats its vast reservoirs of water, creating a geothermal paradise. First among the country’s many simmering geothermal pools is the Blue Lagoon, a turquoise vision in a black basaltic moonscape. The geothermal spa is fed by seawater 6,500 feet (1,981 m) beneath the surface, where it reaches a searing 464⁰F (240⁰C). Capturing silica and other minerals on its way to the surface, it emerges from the ground at a balmy 100⁰F (38⁰C), just right for pampering visitors.
National Geographic Wonders of the World, 2012