Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on Earth and Mývatn is a great place to experience firsthand some of the changes a volcanic eruption can have on a landscape. Located in Northern Iceland just off the Ring Road, Lake Mývatn sits in a valley full of craters and pseudo-craters. I have never seen anything similar.
The word Mývatn means “midge lake”. In the Summer months, the lake has tons of midges that will fly around an bug the heck out of a weary traveler. Luckily, I visited in March and did not have to experience the midges. The word “vatn” means water, so when you see “vatn” at the end of a word, you know that it is likely referring to a body of water.
I’m sure that I have said this of everywhere I visited in Iceland, but Mývatn is one of the most incredible places that we explored. The geothermal areas, massive craters, spas, and food here are absolutely incredible. Mývatn should be one of your stops along the Ring Road for sure!
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Hverir and Krafla Lava Fields
East of Mývatn just off the Ring Road you will find Hverir, a geothermal area that I would compare to my imagined version of the planet Mars. Walk around bubbling pits of mud and fumaroles that release eggy steam.
Let the burning scent of sulfur fill your nostrils. Once you get used to it, the experience is much easier. I noticed that the farther I got from the parking lot, the fewer people were around. I think the scent warded some people away. Only the strong remain.
This area has basically no vegetation due to the high acidity from sulfuric acid. There isn’t enough to harm you, but be careful around those steam vents and mud pots. They are hot, hot, hot!
If you are feeling a hike, you can walk to the top of Námafjall, which is just behind Hverir. I imagine it gives a great view of the area. We decided to stay warm and keep on moving, but if you have time and good weather, go ahead and explore a little!
If you continue East on the Ring Road past Hverir, you will take the next left to find Krafla Lava fields. Krafla is a caldera or large volcanic crater caused by an eruption. You will find lava flows, fissures, and more. We didn’t make it to Krafla due to the road looking icy and not so inviting, but I would recommend checking it out if the roads are looking clear!
Mývatn Nature Baths
Just down the road from Hverir, you will find Mývatn Nature Baths, a geothermal spa, similar to the Blue Lagoon on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Mývatn Nature Baths price for adults is 4500 ISK in the Winter and 5000 ISK in the Summer. That is around $38 USD and $42 USD respectively. Unlike the Blue Lagoon, there is really no need to book in advance. It is much less crowded, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting in.
Make sure that you bring a bathing suit, towel, and shoes you don’t mind getting a little wet. You will have to shower naked. There were two private stalls in the locker room and several shower heads in the open. I wore my suit into the private stall, took it off, showered, then put it back on. I’m shy, okay.
Once you are all cleaned up, get ready to run (i.e. walk really fast) out the doors and into the baths. There are different pools at different temperatures. As I dipped into the warm water, I felt all of my worries melt away. I actually want to move to Mývatn so that I can do this every day.
You can also head into the steam baths to heat things up a bit. They sit directly over a geothermal area. Temperatures reach 50 degrees Celcius (or 122 degrees Fahrenheit), and 100% humidity.
My number one tip for you is to DRINK WATER. There is water just inside the door by the locker rooms. Also, know your limit. While you may want to sit and soak all day, staying in hot water for too long could lead to your fainting. No one wants to be dragged out of a hot steamy pool while everyone else watches.
Sit back, enjoy the view, and relax in the steamy blue waters of Mývatn Nature Baths. You can find more information on their website.
Grjótagjá Cave
This cave located on private property is famous for the role it played in Game of Thrones. The scene of Jon Snow and Ygritte jumping into the steamy water in a cave North of the Wall is so memorable. It is a moment that people remember because we all think, “I want to swim in steamy water in a cave with my lover, too!”. Just note that they made it look bigger and added a waterfall inside with CGI, so it does look a bit different.
Grjótagjá Cave has gotten some attention lately for tourists being the worst and vandalizing the area, which I will repeat, is on PRIVATE PROPERTY. This means that the owners are nice enough to let us GoT nerds come and check out the cave where a steamy love scene took place. Be respectful.
Grjótagjá Cave was used by locals as a hot spring up until the 1970s when the volcanic system of Krafla erupted nine times in nine years resulting in boiling water (which is not so nice for swimming). The temperature has since cooled down, but it has been known to rapidly increase in temperature, therefore swimming is no longer allowed for safety reasons. The cave is also less stable and has been known to drop rocks, which would not make for a romantic experience.
We did see some silly tourists run into the cave for a swim while we were there. I know how tempting it is to do this but DO NOT. Follow the rules, or this place will be closed off for good. The owners have already added bars to some of the cave entrances to keep people out.
It is also worth noting that the road that Grjótagjá cave is located on is narrow, and we almost got stuck in the snow. Thank goodness for four-wheel drive and a lack of other cars. The snow gets DEEP.
Hverfjall
This amazing tephra crater is thought to be one of the largest of its kind on planet Earth at 3300 feet or 1000 meters in diameter. You can see Hverfjall from pretty much anywhere around Myvatn. It is an amazing crater that was formed by massive volcanic eruption thousands of years ago.
Now, we can walk up to the outer rim and around it to see incredible views of Myvatn and the surrounding volcanic valley. Smaller craters dot the valley surrounding Hverfjall.
The hike up to the rim would not have been overly strenuous had it not been for the piles of snow. We waded our way up the side of the crater and prayed that we would not fall. I started imagining myself tumbling down the hill like they do in The Princess Bride shouting “As! You! Wish!!!”.
Once you make it to the top, the view is well worth it. You can see all of Myvatn from the top. The inside of the crater is filled with rock and snow in the winter. Going back down is much easier than going up (at least it was for me).
You can also visit Dimmuborgir, or the Dark Fortress, while you are here. These rock formations have plenty of folk stories surrounding them. We didn’t make it because of the snow, but I definitely would have gone because I love a place with a good story!
Skútustaðagígar
Skútustaðagígar is a row of pseudo-craters that run along Mývatn. This area was once a swamp, but an eruption caused lava to flow through the wetlands causing steam which formed these small craters.
These crater-like structures are not true craters because lava did not flow from them and they are not volcanoes themselves. The area was covered in snow in March, but it is still very interesting to see. In the Summer, Mývatn is an excellent place for birdwatching. Only a few species of duck remain in the Winter.
Where to Eat Around Mývatn
Some of the best food I had in Iceland was in Mývatn. The first place you must go to is Vogafjós Farm and Guesthouse. This is a restaurant on a dairy farm where you can eat while you watch the cows being milked. The view is also to die for.
Once we were seated, a waitress approached us with shot glasses and asked if we wanted some fresh milk since they were milking the cows. Obviously, the answer to that question is always yes (unless you are lactose-intolerant, in which case the answer is always no). I had the best Arctic Char with veggies and a big potato cake, and my mom had lamb soup with Geyser bread (try the bread while you are in Iceland, I loved it!). I also had a nice stout Myrkvi Porter. Best meal in Iceland.
The next night we went to Sel Mývatn Hotel for dinner, which was also amazing. I had the lamb chops and they were SO GOOD. They also had free coffee and tea service. An excellent way to end your day in Mývatn.
Most of your meal options around Mývatn are going to be at hotels. There are some small cafés, and there is a small supermarket, but the options are limited. If you have certain dietary restrictions, I would recommend planning ahead to bring some food with you.
Make sure that you check out my other blog posts about the Ring Road in Iceland!
Southern Iceland: What to See and Do
Hotel Laxá
We only learned after staying here that Laxá is pronounced Lax-ow, not Lax-ah. This led to me saying every word that had an á in it just to figure out what it should sound like. Language, man.
Laxá Hotel was one of my favorites on the trip. Although we did not get so lucky, they had a Northern Lights wake up call, where they will call you if the lights are spotted. The hotel is located on a hill, so it is a prime location to see the lights with little obstruction.
Our room was comfortable and had one of the larger bathrooms of the trip. The receptionist was very nice and super helpful. He gave us some great tips for exploring the area and beyond. The breakfast was delicious, and it was the first place to have waffles, much to our delight.
Northern Iceland Adventures
Just exploring Mývatn is a treat. This is a place for adventurous souls. The area was not crowded at all, which I love, and everyone we met was so kind and welcoming. We stayed at Mývatn for two nights, and I could have stayed much longer.
Our next day trip was to drive the Diamond Circle, which goes all the way up to Húsavík. It is easily done if you are based in Mývatn, which is technically part of the Diamond Circle route! I recommend exploring this place to your heart’s content!
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What a great post!!! I want to go to Iceland so badly now! Looks incredibly beautiful! Those pictures are amazing! Those nature baths are in the most breathtaking area! I can’t imagine the beauty of that. Being in a steamy pool with that backdrop!? I want to go!
I am soooo jealous that you’ve been in the cave where Jon Snow and Ygritte fell in love on the show and it was probably that moment when they fell in love in real life too! Jon Snow and Ygritte should have never left that cave. 😢
Hverfjall looks impressive too! Need to see that in person! I also want to eat at that spot with the cows. Love cows! Haha!
Your hotel looks so isolated. You’re seriously out there!
I loved your post! You have one with more GoT sites right? I need to find that one!!
The Nature Baths were so nice! I wish I had something similar near home. I would go all the time!
I bet they did fall in live in real life there! Can you imagine? So romantic and beautiful! I’m jealous!
You would love that restaurant. You can watch them milking the cows and it is just so much fun!
Thanks for reading and I am so glad you enjoyed it!
This is definitely making me wish that I was back in Iceland with more time to do and see it all. I missed here, dang it!
I am still gawking at the Mývatn Nature Baths. Although it looks insanely FREEZING since it’s outside, I know from the Blue Lagoon that once you are in, everything will be OK. Great tip about drinking lots of water too. People don’t realize how dehydrated they are getting in the thermal hot springs. At the Blue Lagoon (of course, it was more touristy), there was a swim up bar but also free water fountains in the lagoon.
Ahaha, no fresh milk for me!! Thanks for thinking of us lactose intolerant folk. That food looks delicious!
P.s. Love the GOTs references that you always sneak in.
Once I got into the baths I really had fun watching other people come outside to get in. There was a lot of shouting cursing the cold! I started to feel a bit woozy myself, so I figured a warning was warranted! Stay hydrated!
Look forward to more Game of Thrones references. I am such a fangirl!