Pretty much the most touristy thing you can do in Iceland, Blue Lagoon is still a must-experience stop. The lagoon is tucked into a part of town that looks positively post-Apocalyptic with piles of black volcanic rubble. The drive out there is a bit spooky, but you didn’t come to Iceland to see anything banal, did you?

The lagoon is bit pricey at over $50 per person, but you can stay all day to soak up the geothermal waters and slather on white clay that makes you look like you belong to an African tribe. As you steam in the baby blue pools, you’ll feel like a red-faced snow monkey. A swim-up bar gives the place more of a pub vibe than a spa feel, but you can also get a massage right there in the lagoon. The white table-clothed restaurant is pricey with beautifully composed, but a bland Icelandic delicacies. Service was friendly but incredibly slow.

The lagoon has showers, changing rooms, a cafe, restaurant, and even a hotel with renovations in progress. The mechanical thud of construction echoing in the near distance only made the scene more weird. We couldn’t help feeling like we were in Logan’s Run, being ceremoniously prepared for Carousel.

Is Iceland on your bucket list?