Lake Myvatn - my scenic travels

Lake Myvatn is situated in the north of Iceland. The surrounding area boasts a whole host of sights, bubbling mudpots, lava formations and volcanic craters.

Our guesthouse for the next 2 nights was at Vogafjos, this is a working farm which contains a very nice restaurant. Part of the restaurant looks into the cow shed and you can actually see the cows being milked. All the food is homemade here and wonderful.

Skutustadagigar

Skutustadagigar is located at the south of the lake and is a collection of mini craters. You can take a walk through these craters which only lasts about 30 mins, but beware the midges are rife here!!

Hofdi

So coming from the south towards the north, there are plenty of places for walks. Hofdi for example is a green lava headland with plenty of trees, small islands in the lake and crystal clear waters. You can spend a while here walking the paths and watching out for the different birds.

Dimmuborgir

Dimmuborgir is a giant lava field, the structures found here are the largest in the country. Plenty of colour coded walks lead you around these strange but beautiful formations. Some are quite short and others you can walk to the many other sights in the area.

Krafla

Krafla is located off the ring road, and if you drive all the way to the end of the road you’ll find Viti. Viti is a 300m crater which was formed in 1724 and you can walk around the rim. From the car park just a short walk you can see into the crater and you’ll find the most amazing blue green lake. The colour is unbelievable.

Back down the road and you’ll come to Leirhnjukur. In 1975 fissure eruptions and magma movements continued for 9 years and created this sulphur, mud lake. A walk of about 20 minutes will take you to see the bubbling and streaming lake. Further on there are some more lava fields to walk through.

The Icelandic humour is apparent whilst driving back down the road, you will come across a shower and a sink sitting on the side of the road with running hot water. No explanation is given just a fun little stop off.

Hverir

Hverir is an area that makes you feel like you are on another planet. With mud pots, steaming vents and brightly coloured mineral deposits it’s the place to stop. With roped off trails you can wander around this sulphur smelling area. Just make sure you don’t wander over the ropes as some of these areas can reach over 100C.

The Blue Lake

The Lake is remains of a power station that was in this area. The blue turquoise waters that steam is very inviting, but if you look closely it’s actually boiling in certain areas. Apparently the water is extremely toxic.

Grjotagia and Storagja

The cave Grjotagia was featured in Game of thrones and is very popular. You can climb down into the cave in which there’s a small pool. A while ago you could actually swim in the waters but the water has gotten too hot over time.

Storagja is a little harder to find, A small pull off for 3 cars is located just by the junction of the ring road. Follow the path until you get to some metal steps leading into a small ravine. Down here you can explore the cracks and crevices or if you are brave enough swim in the cave. You’ll find an entrance to a cave with a rope leading down into the water, (you will need the rope to get out) The water is apparently warm, but we chose not to give it a go. We just found it fun to find a different way out of the ravine by climbing up and out.

Lake Myvatn nature baths

The nature baths are dubbed the Blue Lagoon of the north, and i can see why. After visiting the Blue Lagoon a few years previously we thought we’d give this a try. This pale blue, mineral enriched water is heated by underground springs. The 2 outdoor naturally looking pools are slightly different temperatures and boasts incredible views over looking Lake Myvatn. If you go later in the day you can relax whilst watching the sunset.