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DimmuborgirThe giant jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally ‘Dark Castles’) is one of the most fascinating flows in the country. A series of nontaxing, colour…
Must see attractions in Mývatn Region
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LofthellirThe dramatic lava cave at Lofthellir is a stunning destination, with magnificent natural ice sculptures dominating the interior. Although it's one of…
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HverfjallDominating the lava fields on the eastern edge of Mývatn is the classic tephra ring Hverfjall (also called Hverfell). This near-symmetrical crater…
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LeirhnjúkurKrafla’s most impressive, and potentially most dangerous, attraction is the Leirhnjúkur crater and its solfataras, which originally appeared in 1727,…
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Sigurgeir’s Bird MuseumFor superb birdwatching background, visit Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum, housed in a beautiful lakeside building that fuses modern design with traditional turf…
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HverirThe magical, ochre-toned world of Hverir (also called Hverarönd) is a lunar-like landscape of mud cauldrons, steaming vents, radiant mineral deposits and…
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SkútustaðagígarThe Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters were formed when molten lava flowed into Mývatn lake, triggering a series of gas explosions. These dramatic green…
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VítiThe ochre crater of Víti reveals a secret when you reach its rim – a cerulean pool of floodwater at its heart. The 300m-wide explosion crater was created…
- NNámafjall
Vaporous vents cover the pinky-orange Námafjall ridge, which lies 3km east of Bjarnarflag on the south side of the Ring Road. Produced by a fissure…
- HHöfði
One of the area’s gentlest landscapes is on the forested lava headland at Höfði. Wildflowers, birch and spruce trees cover the bluffs, while the tiny…
- GGrjótagjá
Game of Thrones fans may recognise this as the place where Jon Snow is, ahem, deflowered by Ygritte. Grjótagjá is a gaping fissure with a 45°C water…
- BBjarnarflag
Bjarnarflag, 3km east of Reykjahlíð, is an active geothermal area where the earth hisses and bubbles, and steaming vents line the valley. Historically the…
- RReykjahlíð Church
During the Krafla eruption of 1727, the Leirhnjúkur crater, 11km northeast of Reykjahlíð, kicked off a two-year period of volcanic activity, sending…
- GGjástykki
This remote rift zone at the northernmost end of the Krafla fissure swarm was the source of the first eruptions in 1724, and was activated when…
- KKrafla Power Station
The idea of constructing a geothermal power station at Krafla was conceived in 1973, and preliminary work commenced with the drilling of holes to…
- EEldhraun
The lava field along Mývatn’s northern lakeshore includes the flow that nearly engulfed the Reykjahlíð Church. It was belched out of Leirhnjúkur during…
- LLaxá
The clear and turbulent Laxá (Salmon River), one of the many Icelandic rivers so named, cuts the western division of Mývatn, rolling straight across the…
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Signposted about 100m beyond Reykjahlíð is Stóragjá, a rather eerie fissure (slightly tricky to access) that was once a popular bathing spot. Cooling…