Blue Lagoon Gotland

The quarry at Bläse worked limestone and was abandoned, after which groundwater filled the pit; the white limestone floor reflects light back through clear water and turns it an intense turquoise on a sunny day, which is why the place became a photograph before it became a destination. It is not managed as a bathing site: there are no lifeguards, no marked depths, and the edges drop away suddenly from shelves into deep water. People swim there anyway in numbers through July. The rock is sharp underfoot. The colour depends entirely on sunlight - under cloud it reads grey and the whole effect disappears.

What's there

• A flooded limestone quarry - white floor under clear water.
• Turquoise in direct sun - grey and ordinary under cloud.
• Shelves dropping to deep water - no marked depths.
• An unmanaged site - no facilities, no supervision.

When to go

June to August, on a sunny day. Two hours.

Things to know

The colour only appears in strong sun. There are no facilities, no lifeguards and no safe marked entry. The limestone is sharp. It gets crowded in July for what is a small pit.

Nearby

Farosund is north; Faro is over the strait.