2024 Iceland 

The road to the Blue Lagoon was blocked by a recent lava flow

But we got there on a footpath through the lava.

Ah - The Blue Lagoon.  Overpriced and full of tourists - but not to be missed. The lagoon is man-made. The water is a byproduct from a nearby geothermal power plant where superheated water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and used to run turbines that generate electricity. After going through the turbines, the steam and hot water pass through a heat exchanger to provide heat for a municipal water heating system. Then the water is fed into the lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon gets about 700,000 visitors a year.  A ticket costs around $72, which gets you a towel and a drink (see one in the photo).  Yes, a ripoff, but not to be missed.

The entry, with two lifeguards making sure nobody misbehaves.  They are also useful for taking pictures with your camera.

Next, to the "Bridge Between Continents", the boundary of the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates.  We look kind of funny because the wind was blowing so hard.

Next. Stampar: Two volcanic fissures on the western side of Reykjanes form a series of craters. These crater series have been named Stampar.

Brimketill Lava rock pool