Mývatn Nature Baths (Jarðböðin við Mývatn)
Geothermal lagoon filled with naturally heated, mineral-rich alkaline waters overlooking volcanic hills
Soak in 38–40°C mineral-rich blue waters and relax in natural geothermal steam rooms.
Jarðböðin
Lake Mývatn Geothermal Wonderland, Iceland
Ideal: 2–3 daysBest: May–Sep for birdlife and hiking, Nov–Mar for aurora over frozen lavaPrice: Very expensive
In 60 seconds
Lake Mývatn Geothermal Wonderland in 60 seconds
Sprawled across the active volcanic rift of northern Iceland, Lake Mývatn is a volcanic wonderland of raw geothermal energy and extraordinary biodiversity. Surrounded by the boiling ochre mud pots of Hverir, the twisted black basalt labyrinth of Dimmuborgir (the Dark Castles), pseudo-craters at Skútustaðir, and the soothing milky blue waters of the Mývatn Nature Baths.
Birds
Best for
- Hot Springs
- Geology
- Nature
- Volcanoes
Known for
- Mývatn Nature Baths (Jarðböðin)
- Hverir / Námafjall boiling mud pools
- Dimmuborgir lava fortress
- Grjótagjá thermal cave
- Skútustaðagígar pseudo-craters
Skip if
You are intensely sensitive to the smell of natural sulphur; geothermal steam vents smell strongly of sulphur minerals.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Lake Mývatn Geothermal Wonderland fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Hverir / Námafjall Geothermal Field
Surreal lunar geothermal field of boiling grey mud pots, roaring sulphur steam vents and vibrant ochre-yellow mineral crusts
Walk designated timber pathways through billowing steam clouds and bubbling cauldrons.
Námafjall
Dimmuborgir (The Dark Castles)
Vast maze of towering volcanic rock pillars, collapsed lava tubes and gothic arches formed in a catastrophic lava lake 2,300 years ago
Wander marked trails through dramatic basalt towers where folklore places the Icelandic Yule Lads.
Dimmuborgir
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
Casual
No booking, no ceremony, reliably good.
Vogafjós Farm Resort & Cowshed Cafe
ExpensiveFamous farm-to-table restaurant where diners watch dairy cows through glass while feasting on fresh farm specialties
Taste geothermal smoked trout on hot hverabrauð, artisan mozzarella and slow-braised beef.
Vogafjós
Kaffi Borgir (Dimmuborgir)
ModerateLively restaurant perched at the entrance to Dimmuborgir serving traditional Icelandic lamb soup and fresh fish
Enjoy warm soup and freshly baked hverabrauð with panoramic views of the dark lava fields.
Dimmuborgir
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Mylla Restaurant (Hotel Mývatn)
Very expensiveRefined hotel dining room crafting seasonal northern Icelandic cuisine using local char and lamb
Dine on arctic char with brown butter, parsnip crisps and birch syrup reductions.
Reykjahlíð
Kaffi Kvika (Nature Baths)
InexpensiveBright cafe inside the Mývatn Nature Baths serving soup, sandwiches, coffee and cold drinks overlooking the lagoon
Enjoy fresh coffee and pastries on the outdoor thermal terrace.
Jarðböðin
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Grjótagjá Geothermal Cave
Small volcanic fissure cave holding an ethereal azure geothermal hot spring, famously featured in Game of Thrones
Peer inside the deep rock cleft to see transparent, steaming azure groundwater.
Grjótagjá
Hverfjall (Hverfell) Tephra Crater
Gigantic, almost perfectly symmetrical 1-kilometre-wide black tephra tuff ring crater formed 2,500 years ago
Hike the steep gravel trail up to the black crater rim for 360-degree vistas across the lake basin.
Hverfjall
Skútustaðagígar Pseudo-Craters
Ensemble of grassy volcanic rootless cones formed when boiling lava flowed over wetlands, causing steam explosions
Walk through peaceful meadow trails between tranquil water ponds populated by diving ducks.
Skútustaðir
After dark
Bars & nightlife
Mývatn Bar
ModerateCozy lounge bar inside Hotel Mývatn offering an extensive selection of Icelandic craft beers and gins
Toast the northern lights dancing over volcanic craters with a cold northern IPA.
Reykjahlíð
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Reykjahlíð Lakeside Village
The main service settlement on the northeastern shore with hotels, tour operators, fuel and cafes
Convenient central hub for daily excursions around the lake basin.
Reykjahlíð
Skútustaðir & Southern Shore
Peaceful pastoral lakeside hamlet surrounded by grassy pseudo-craters and duck nesting wetlands
Wake up to tranquil morning water reflections and birdsong.
Skútustaðir
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Fosshotel Mývatn / Hotel Mývatn
Modern Scandinavian design hotels offering panoramic lake and fell vistas
High level of comfort with on-site Nordic restaurants.
Vogafjós Farm Guesthouse
Authentic countryside guesthouse set on a working dairy farm with rustic wooden rooms
Immersive farm hospitality and direct access to hiking trails.
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting There
- Located directly on the Ring Road (Route 1) in North Iceland, 1 hour 15 minutes east of Akureyri.
- Nature Baths Booking
- Pre-booking admission online for Mývatn Nature Baths is strongly advised during peak summer afternoons.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 2300 BP
The Older Laxá lava flow creates the modern Lake Mývatn and the iconic Dimmuborgir formations.
- 1975–1984
The Krafla Fires: nine volcanic eruptions along the fissure swarm redefine the modern geothermal landscape.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Krafla Volcano & Viti Crater
Active volcanic caldera featuring a turquoise crater lake and the Krafla geothermal power station
Walk the rim of the 1724 Viti explosion crater and view recent steaming lava flows.
20 min north
Dettifoss Waterfall
Europe's most powerful waterfall, thundering 44 metres down into the colossal Jökulsárgljúfur canyon
Feel the ground shake under the thunderous roar of colossal grey glacial torrents.
45 min northeast