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Attractions
Iceland's most famous
geothermal pool, the Blue Lagoon, is the country's
top tourist attraction. It might be crowded and expensive; but there's
nowhere else like it in the world. Hidden in black lava between the
airport and Reykjavik, this huge,
milky blue spa is fed by mineral rich heated sea water. Add to this
weird scenery the silvery towers of the nearby geothermal plant,
rolling clouds of steam, and people daubed in white silica mud, and you
might be on another planet. When you've finished floating round the spa
with a silly smile on your face, you can investigate the extras: hot
pots, saunas and steam rooms, and a piping hot waterfall that delivers
a powerful hydraulic massage (imagine being pummeled by a troll). If
you want proper spa treatments, professional masseurs can knead out
your knots (book well in advance). There's a bar restaurant with
spaced seating and a shop selling Blue Lagoon products. The largest
nationwide festival of the year is Independence Day
(17 June), a time of colorful parades, street music and dancing,
outdoor theater and general merriment. Other nationwide celebrations
include: Sjómannadagurinn (first week in June), which is
dedicated to seafarers and has participants competing in swimming
contests, tugs-of-war and sea rescues; Midsummer (24 June) -
tradition has it that Midsummer Night's dew possesses magical healing
powers and that to roll in it naked will cure 19 different health
problems; and Sumardagurinn Fyrsti (the third Thursday in
April), a carnival style celebration of the first day of summer. Among
the local festivals is PjóðhatíðVerslunarmannahelgi
(August) is celebrated with barbecues, horse competitions, camping out,
family reunions and excessive alcohol consumption.
(August), an earth-shaking event of immense bonfires, outdoor
camping,
dancing, singing, eating and getting uproariously drunk. Elsewhere in
Iceland