Hveragerdi

Geothermal greenhouse town 45 minutes from Reykjavik — Reykjadalur hot river trailhead, tomatoes grown year-round.

Hveragerdi sits directly on top of a geothermal field, and you can smell it — sulphur drifting through the streets, steam vents in gardens, and greenhouses growing tomatoes and cucumbers year-round on volcanic heat. The town has a geothermal park right in the centre where you can boil eggs in a hot spring for ISK 614. It's the trailhead for the Reykjadalur hot river hike, which is the closest 'wild' bathing spot to Reykjavik and genuinely worth the 3km uphill effort.

As a base it's underrated. You're 45 minutes from Reykjavik, 15 minutes from Selfoss, and right at the start of the south coast. Doubles ISK 15967-ISK 22108. Frost & Fire hotel by the river has its own private hot pots and a decent restaurant. Skip if you dislike sulphur smells (it's persistent), and be aware that the town sits on active geology — a 6.3 earthquake in 2008 opened new steam vents. Suits hikers, hot-spring hunters, and drivers heading east.

By 9pm the town empties out — Breidamork road goes quiet, the last steam drifts from garden vents under streetlight, and the loudest sound is the Varma river below Frost & Fire. There's no real nightlife: one or two restaurants close by 9, and the petrol station on Austurmork is the closest thing to a late-night option. That suits early risers heading to Reykjadalur at dawn before the car parks fill, but anyone wanting bars or late dinners should base in Reykjavik and day-trip out instead. Hveragerdi rewards people who want quiet and geothermal air, not a scene.

The town works well as a first or last night in Iceland if you're driving the south coast loop — drop bags, eat early, and be on the Reykjadalur trail by 8am before the tour buses arrive around 10. Families do fine here too: the geothermal park's boiling pools are supervised and the walk into the valley is manageable for older kids, though the final ridge before the river gets steep. Solo travellers without a car rely entirely on Bus 51, so check the timetable before committing to a single night — the last service back to Reykjavik in winter leaves earlier than visitors expect.

Where to sleep

Frost & Fire Hotel on Hverahamar has the best location — private hot pots overlooking the Varma river, walking distance to town. ISK 22108-ISK 31933. The guesthouses on Breidamork and Reykjamork are more basic in the ISK 15967-ISK 19651 range and closer to the trailhead. Avoid roadside motels on Route 1 — you'll want to walk to town for dinner and they're 15 minutes out. Book ahead in summer; there are only about seven hotels total. Hotel Örk, the older spa property on Breidamork with its own outdoor pool and hot pots, sits around ISK 18000-ISK 24000 and is a solid fallback when Frost & Fire is full. Winter rates generally drop 15-20% below the summer figures above. Book Frost & Fire first for the river-view hot pots, Hotel Örk second.

The essentials

Hveragerdi geothermal walk (4 km)

Start at the Geothermal Park on Hveramork, walk north past the town's greenhouses and geothermal vents to the Varma river. Follow the river upstream along the marked path towards Reykjadalur trailhead (turn around before the uphill if you don't want the full hike). Return via Breidamork road past the church and Frost & Fire hotel. Steam vents throughout. Allow about 90 minutes at an easy pace, plus stops to look at the steam — the whole loop stays flat except for the short rise near the trailhead.

Getting there & around

Bus 51 (Straeto) from BSI in Reykjavik reaches Hveragerdi in 45 minutes, ISK 1228, several times daily. Continues to Selfoss and beyond. From Keflavik airport, transfer via Reykjavik — about 2h15 total. Once in Hveragerdi everything except the Reykjadalur trailhead is walkable in 15 minutes. A car helps for horse farms and side trips but isn't essential. The Straeto stop in town is on Sunnumork, opposite the N1 station, and the same bus continues on to Selfoss in another 15 minutes for ISK 470 more. Buses run roughly hourly through the day, less often on Sundays, so check the Straeto app before planning a same-day return. A taxi from Keflavik direct to Hveragerdi runs about ISK 25000-ISK 30000 and only makes sense for groups splitting the fare.