Connected by Energy and History
A New Path Between The Blue Lagoon and Grindavík village officially opened
The fishing town of Grindavík and the world famous Blue Lagoon have been linked together by geography, geology and history from the beginning, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that they were connected by an actual path. Last May the five kilometre long two-part path was given its official name, giving visitors and locals a chance to travel between the two locations, while enjoying the fantastic surrounding scenery.
The township of Grindavík put up a contest to find the best names for the paths and the winning suggestions are well fitting. The path from the Blue Lagoon right up to the Selskógur forest is aptly named Energy Lane, due to the harnessing of the rich geothermal energy in the area on which the Blue Lagoon is based.
From Selskógur to Grindavík village, the path was given the name Ingibjörg Lane. Ingibjörg was a local woman and a community leader who, at the age of sixty, decided to utilize a fund dedicated to her to plant a forest at the foothills of Þorbjörn Mountain. In 1957 she planted the first tree in an area she called Selskógur. The area has since become a cherished nature resort for the local people and leads up to several hiking paths on Þorbjörn Mountain.
Grindavík is one of the true Icelandic fishing towns, where the harbour area is the life of the town and worth a visit in its own right. Around the harbour area you’ll find cafés, museums and a chance to see the everyday work of Icelandic fishermen as they bring in the day’s catch. For the gourmands, there is no lack of exciting culinary experiences to be found and, as is to be expected, the fish doesn’t get any fresher than in the quality restaurants of Grindavík.
In addition, there are plenty of exhilarating activities available in Grindavík, such as Quad-bike tours, cave exploring and horseback riding tours in the nearby lava fields. Then, there is the informative House of Culture and Natural Resources named Kvikan where you can learn all about how the Blue Lagoon came into being and the area’s rich cultural history.
With Ingibjörg Lane and Energy Lane, the Blue Lagoon has now become a part of a much bigger journey that takes you closer to the heart of the area’s immense energy, history and culture.
