The last leg of Day 7 of our Iceland trip is out and available to view here. The landscape changes from the Martian mud of Hverir to the snowy mountains around Mývatn Nature Baths, and finally to the lava fields, pseudo craters and farmland around the lake itself.
We leave the Krafla Geopark Area and drive just a few minutes away to Hverir. This place of bubbling mud, spouting steam, and stinky rocks was one of my favorite places we visited just because it was so unique. You can wander out in the sticky mud and see all of these geothermal activities happening right up close. The paths are not necessarily accessible, though they are flat.
Our shoes still have this mud on them 9 months and a lot of walking later, though, so don’t wear your good white dress shoes here. You can see people trying to scrape their shoes in the parking lot during the video. I highly recommend stopping by here if you’re on Route 1. It was a unique place, for the eyes, ears, and nose.
After Hverir, we drive to the Mývatn Nature Baths. I didn’t actually take any photos at this lagoon, and I left my phone in my locker. With blue waters and a mountain backdrop, it is scenic in the pool areas. The Nature Baths were under construction when we visited, and they were expanding the facility. This lagoon was not my favorite. I found it difficult to navigate and the water was either too hot or too cold. But, it was in a beautiful location and everyone was very friendly. If you’ve been since the renovation, let me know in the comments!
Next, we dry off and head to Dimmuborgir, or Dark Fortress, a field of towering black lava rocks. Here, the Yule Lads call a cave home. And, Game of Thrones used this area for filming. Dimmuborgir was one of the more accessible places we visited. It had some wide, paved trails that really made walking easier.
Not too far down one of the trails, you come across the home of the Yule Lads. While they weren’t home in October, I do hear you can run across them at the holiday season. We respectfully said hello and moved on with our hike.
After exploring the lava fields, we headed to our hotel, Sel-Hótel Mývatn. I chose this hotel for its location because it is directly across the street from the pseudo craters. These unique structures are formed when lava rushes over wetlands. They are fairly rare, and can only be found in a few places such as Hawaii and the Azores.
This hotel is family owned and has its own brewery. When we checked in, we noticed that this hotel has booties for your shoes. Being so close to Hverir, it definitely made sense! They had hot tubs, a pool table, a restaurant and bar, game room, lots of displays and exhibits throughout the building, and free breakfast included with your room. It was a very nice hotel, and the location is perfect for exploring the lake area. The staff were incredibly nice here, too.
The weather turned colder and rain started to fall. By evening, it was snowing. We picked up dinner at Fish and Chips Lake Mývatn. This unassuming little fish shack has a limited menu (you can get fish, chips, or fish and chips) but it was packed with hungry people. The fish was deliciously fresh, the fries were hot and crispy, and the portions were plentiful. We followed up our dinner with a beer from the brewery at the hotel as we watched snow fall from our window.
The next set of videos will take us to Northern Iceland and the city of Akureyri. We see the waterfall of the Gods, heart-shaped stoplights, and the beauty of “The Capital of the North.” Happy adventuring!