Day 5: Myvatn
The next morning we woke and hit the road on a 2 hour journey north to Lake Myvatn, capital of the Northern Lights. This ride was proably the most barren and lonely. There were not many cars or people at all for miles and miles.
Myvatn and Northern Iceland offer a unique landscape where volcanic eruptions have played a critical role in its topography. You will experience wide-open landscapes, fumaroles (sulphur steam vents), geothermal waters, boiling mud pots, and volcanic craters!
Stop 1: Hverir Viewpoint at Mt. Namafjall
Hverir is a geothermal area at the foot of Mt. Namafjall, not far from Lake Myvatn. This is an extremely volcanic area with colorful sulfurous mud springs, geothermal waters, and fumaroles. You will really feel like you’re on Mars here
Stop 2: Grjotagja Cave
This small lava cave is near Lake Myvatn. It has bright blue, thermal water inside. In order to climb down we needed our crampons! The water was super hot, but we were able to dip our toes in it!
PRO TIP: Recently due to increased tourism, the cave is no longer accessible.
Stop 3: Hverfjall Crater
Hverfjall, also known as Myvatn Volcano, is one of the best preserved volcanic craters. We were hoping to do a hike around this volcanic crater, but the weather started to take a turn for the worse and locals advised us to not take the risk. But, we still captured some great views of it from our car!
PRO TIP: If you are able to do the hike, you can reach the rim and experience magnificent 360 degree views!
After our day meandering around Lake Myvatn, we finally checked into our guesthouse, Vogar Travel Service (it was more of a hostel vibe, but a really nice on that we highly recommend!).
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I think visiting in September is worth it just for the aurora lights.