Iceland's Blue Lagoon temporarily closed following volcanic eruption: When will it reopen?

Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon is temporarily closed following the volcanic activity that began Monday night on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The eruption is roughly 2 miles northeast from Grindavík, a town on the southwest peninsula of the island and where the human-made geothermal pool Blue Lagoon is located. Grindavík, population around 3,400, was evacuated as a precaution.

The Blue Lagoon will remain closed through Dec. 27, the attraction's website says, at which point the situation will be reassessed. All guests with confirmed bookings in the upcoming days will be contacted.

The Blue Lagoon had initially closed Nov. 9 after a swarm of more than 1,000 earthquakes in 24 hours, then decided to reopen again Sunday, before quickly closing again for the volcanic eruption Monday night.

Iceland volcano:See livestream, photos of lava erupting on Reykjanes Peninsula

What is Blue Lagoon?

The Blue Lagoon is a popular tourist destination in Iceland, located around 30 miles southwest of Reykjavik, the country's capital. It receives more than 700,000 visitors annually, or around double Iceland's population, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Its water comes from the nearby Svartsengi power station, where water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and used to generate electricity, then fed into the Blue Lagoon. The power plant opened in 1976, and the Blue Lagoon's bathing facilities opened in 1987.

Beyond a soak in the geothermal pool, the Blue Lagoon also offers a spa, hotels and a number of restaurants for visitors.