On the second day, we had our hotel near Akureyri. After checking in, we decided to head towards Myvatn Nature Baths. There are several cool things to see around.
You can find there the Myvatn Nature Baths – something similar to Blue Lagoon. Hverir – a geothermal spot with pools of mud and steaming fumaroles emitting sulfuric gas. Grjótagjá Cave – place where they were filming Game of Thrones. And Hverfjall – volcanic crater.
On the way we also have stopped at the Goðafoss Waterfall, to take some pictures 🙂
As we had quite a long way, we stumbled upon the sunset that started on the crater which lasted for next 130 km 🙂 Let’s say it like that, I took a lot of breaks for the pictures annoying the hell out of my mom 😀
One thing to remember, right after Akureyri, there is a toll tunnel. You can pay beforehand or three hours after taking it. If you don’t do that, your rental company will take the money from your deposit, and the price at this point is higher as you did not pay it “in time.” There are many signs on the gas stations near the city explaining how to do it. If you do not want to pay for it, you can take another exit on the roundabout before the tunnel and take a detour. It is only 12-20 minutes more, the views during sunset are amazing, so I didn’t bother with figuring out how to pay for the tunnel 🙂
So let me explain now, what exactly you can see 🙂
Myvatn Nature Baths
It is the northern equivalent of the famous Blue Lagoon Spa. It is smaller and not as popular as Blue Lagoon, making it more intimate and cozy. It is far away from Reykjavik, so weekend tourists don’t bother going there. It is also cheaper (4000ISK – ~30EUR).
Similarly to Blue Lagoon, it is also human-made nature bath with blue water worthy of your Insta pics 🙂 Geothermal water temperature is ranging from 36-40C and is full of rejuvenating minerals. It is a perfect place to chill after an exhausting day of running around. The views are spectacular with mountains on one side and lake on the other.
Truth to be told, I wanted to skip all the crowds, relax, and I did not feel like paying an insane amount of money for soaking my butt in hot spring 😀 It was also super convenient that the baths were open until midnight. I didn’t have to stress about the time, and I had a fantastic time!
If you are in the neighborhood, I can recommend setting aside an hour or two and relax; it is worth it.
Hverir
It is a unique landscape filled with pools of boiling mud and steaming fumaroles emitting sulfuric gas. It looks out of this word and smells nose-blowing :p Ever smelled rotten eggs? No? Now you have a chance 🙂
You can hike to the top of Námafjall, the mountain in the back of the geothermal field for some magnificent vistas. I didn’t go there, but I had my drone on me, and I literally drooled all over the images 😀
Grjótagjá Cave
It is a small lava cave with geothermal water. Unfortunately, due to volcanic activity, the water temperature is above 50C, so it is too hot for a relaxing bath.
It is also another gem for Game of Thrones fans. Jon Snow and Ygritte had a love scene filmed there. (“Kissed by Fire,” the fifth episode of Game of Thrones’ Season 3). Technically, the cave was recreated in the studio, but it still counts!
Hverfjall
It is is one of the best-preserved circular volcanic craters in the world! It is about 140 meters deep and 1km in diameter, which makes it one of the largest of its kind in the world.
You can hike all the way up and go around. It takes approximately 20 minutes to hike up and 1h to go all around. The views are breathtaking, especially during sunset.
Goðafoss Waterfall
The waterfall flows over a 30-meter wide horseshoe-shaped rock that rises in the center separating the waterfall in two. One part is about 9 meters, and the second 17 meters high.
The name Goðafoss means either waterfall of the gods or waterfall of the ‘goði’ (priest). There is a legend that when Iceland decided to convert to Christianity, the local priest threw idols of the Old Gods into a waterfall. Since then, it would be known as Goðafoss.
