Myvatn

Volcanic lake region east of Akureyri — pseudocraters, lava caves, Namafjall sulphur field, and Myvatn Nature Baths.

Myvatn is a shallow lake ringed by pseudocraters, lava fields, boiling mud pots, and one of the country's best geothermal baths. The name means 'midge lake' — and yes, in June-July the midges swarm, though they don't bite in the way you'd expect (bring a head net anyway if you're staying more than a day). It's 90km east of Akureyri along Route 1 and it's the north's answer to the Golden Circle: a dense cluster of extraordinary geology within a 30km radius.

The village of Reykjahlid on the northeast shore is where the hotels cluster — one supermarket, three restaurants, a petrol station, and a couple of hundred people. Doubles ISK 19037-ISK 28249. Peak season books out by April for August. Skip if you want restaurants and nightlife — Myvatn is about being outside. Suits volcano-chasers, birdwatchers (huge duck populations in summer), and anyone doing the Diamond Circle (Myvatn, Godafoss, Dettifoss, Husavik).

East of Reykjahlid, Route 1 climbs toward Krafla, the volcanic system responsible for most of what you see at Myvatn. The Leirhnjukur lava field, an hour's walk from the Krafla car park, is still warm underfoot in places — steam rises from cracks in black rock left by eruptions between 1975 and 1984. Grjotagja, a small lava cave with a geothermal pool made famous by Game of Thrones, sits just south of the village; the water is now too hot to bathe in, but the cave itself is free to enter and worth the five-minute detour off Route 1.

Winter changes the calculus entirely. Snow covers the lava fields, Route 1 can close for days after a storm, and the Nature Baths become the main reason to come — steam rising into cold air with the northern lights overhead. Fewer buses run, so a rental car from Akureyri is close to essential. Summer (June-August) is busiest and buggiest; September and early October give you aurora chances with most facilities still open. Whatever the season, budget two full days minimum — one for the geothermal sites near the village, one for Hverfjall, Dimmuborgir, and the pseudocraters.

Where to sleep

Reykjahlid village on the northeast shore is where you want to be — walking distance to the pool, the supermarket, and Vogafjos restaurant. Expect ISK 19037-ISK 28249 summer. Fosshotel Myvatn is the biggest, best-equipped option. Vogafjos Farm Resort is a working dairy farm with cabins — atmospheric, mid-range. Guesthouses on Skutustaoir and Reykjahlid ring roads are cheaper. Avoid places advertised as Myvatn that are actually 30-40km east — those are farms in the middle of nowhere and you need a car. In winter (October-April) doubles drop to around ISK 14000-ISK 18000 and availability is easy to find even a week out. Book Reykjahlid itself over any listing further down Route 1 — you'll be within walking distance of the Nature Baths and Vogafjos, rather than a 30-minute drive back into town after dinner.

The essentials

Hverfjall crater rim walk (4 km)

Drive to the Hverfjall crater parking lot 5km southeast of Reykjahlid. Climb the steep gravel path (20 minutes) to the crater rim — a 1km-wide volcanic crater from a 2,500-year-old eruption. Walk the full rim (2.5km) with 360-degree views over Myvatn, the lava fields, and (on clear days) the mountains around Askja. You'll also spot Dimmuborgir's lava field to the south and the pseudocraters along the shore. Return via the same path.

Getting there & around

Myvatn is 90km east of Akureyri on Route 1 — 75 minutes by car. Straeto bus 79 runs Akureyri-Myvatn several times weekly in summer, ISK 3071, 90 minutes. From Reykjavik it's a long drive or fly to Akureyri (45 min, ISK 22108) and drive from there. Once at Myvatn a car is essential — the sites are spread over a 30km radius and no buses connect them. Rental cars are best picked up in Akureyri or Reykjavik, since Myvatn has no agency counter. Reykjahlid is compact enough to walk everywhere — baths, supermarket, and church within 10 minutes on foot — but Namafjall, Dimmuborgir, and Krafla require a car. Check road.is before driving in winter, since Route 1 can close during storms.