Iceland is a geothermal hotbed. Literally.
It’s no wonder that Iceland is often called the “Land of Fire and Ice.” Its many geothermal features aren’t just fantastic attractions for visitors – they’re the evidence that Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on the planet. All this geothermal activity derives from the island’s unique position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a big crack in the Earth’s crust in which the two tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia are slowly spreading apart. Add to that Iceland’s position directly over a magma hotspot, and you have the recipe for a molten, bubbly, steamy land.
Iceland is home to at least 130 volcanos, at least 30 of which are part of active systems. These volcanoes have the potential to alter activities around the world, such as the eruption of Laki in 1783 that triggered a global climate crisis. A bit more recent was the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (eye-a-fat-la-yokult, more or less), which disrupted air travel to Europe for over a week. I remember that one well: I was working a trade show in Las Vegas when it happened, and many of my Europe-based colleagues were stuck in Vegas (ugh, shoot me now) for several more days after the show ended.
Iceland geothermal activity powers the country’s world-leading track record for renewable energy. Iceland is 100% reliable on hydro and geothermal power for its energy needs, and the geothermal plants provide heat for almost all of Icelandic homes. In a country with very severe and cold winters. We experienced this first-hand in our numerous hotel rooms, some of which were almost too warm! And here’s another factoid: Many of Reykjavik’s downtown streets and sidewalks are kept clear in the winter with heated water piped in from the geothermal plants.
On our recent trip around the Ring Road, we were awed by the incredible array of Iceland geothermal attractions. Here are our highlights.
THE LAKE MÝVATN AREA
Lake Mývatn is Iceland’s fourth largest lake, created after a massive basaltic eruption. That means this area is home to an impressive array of geothermal features such as pseudocraters, lava pillars, lava fields, and hot springs and also a wealth of flora and fauna.
Must-visit restaurant: Vogafjós Farm Resort makes a great lunch stop on the eastern shore of Lake Mývatn. The restaurant and its inn are part of a working dairy farm that has been in the same family for 130 years. Vogafjós prides itself on its farm-to-table menu, and the food was fantastic. And just adjacent to the dining room is the cow shed, where sweet-faced cows and their calves await head scratches and love!
A note about the midges: If you spend any time around Lake Mývatn, you will encounter these tiny, pesky insects. You can see cloud after cloud of midges hanging by the roadside and in the marshes, looking like columns of black smoke. The good news for birders is that birds love to snack on the midges, making Mývatn one of Iceland’s richest areas for bird life. But for us humans, the little black flies are a real nuisance – even if they don’t seem to bite much. Be sure and load up on insect repellent before you arrive here.
THE THERMAL SPAS
No trip to Iceland is complete without a soak in at least one of the many geothermically heated baths that dot the country. Some, such as the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik and the Mývatn Nature Baths, are heated by runoff water from nearby geothermal plants that has an other-worldly, milky-blue color due to its high silica content. Other spas are fed by naturally occurring hot springs nearby.
Tips: Icelanders are understandably fanatical about protecting the pristine beauty of their thermal baths, and every spa requires visitors to take a naked shower prior to entering. Most facilities have private showering areas if you’re modest. Also, the further you travel away from Reykjavik, the less expensive the admission fee (it’s a good idea to reserve in advance if you’re visiting during peak tourist season). Most spas charge extra for towels, so pack a couple of beach towels. And if you’re looking for a budget alternative to the private spas, check out the geothermal swimming pools in just about every city and town.
During our trip around the Ring Road, we visited the following thermal spas.
Sky Lagoon, Reykjavik
The Sky Lagoon offers a less crowded and more scenic alternative to the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s most famous thermal spa. For about the same price, the Sky Lagoon offers a gorgeous natural setting that overlooks the ocean and takes advantage of the rocky terrain of the region. For an extra fee, you can enjoy a several-step “wellness ritual” that’s guaranteed to cure your jet lag if you’ve just arrived to Iceland (as we had). And this spa is certain to have fewer visitors at any given time than the Blue Lagoon, which seems to have a magnet draw for almost every newly arriving tourist.
Forest Lagoon, Akureyri
This beautiful pool overlooks the northern city of Akureyri and one of Iceland’s longest fjords, Eyjafjörður. With its tranquil setting in a grove of pine and birch trees, Forest Lagoon is the perfect place to unwind after a long day of driving the Ring Road.
Mývatn Nature Baths, Lake Mývatn
The silica-infused water in this beautiful facility has the same striking color as the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, but at a much lower price and with far fewer visitors. If you’re visiting the Mývatn attractions mentioned above, you won’t want to miss this unique experience.
Vök Baths, Egilsstaðir
Prettily situated on the bank of Lake Urriðavatn, Vök Baths are a must-visit attraction near the east Iceland town of Egilsstaðir. These baths have a unique feature: two hot pools that float directly over the lake. Visitors are encouraged to take a cold plunge right into the lake if the spirit moves them. I tried it, and it wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be!
GEOTHERMAL SIGHTS ON THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
Most visitors who have limited time in Iceland head for the “Golden Circle,” a scenic loop that starts and ends in Reykjavik and can be traversed in a day. True confession: Since we traveled clockwise around the Ring Road, we were a little cranky by the time we reached the Golden Circle near the end of our journey. After many days of near-solitude in isolated west Iceland, we weren’t really in the mood for busload after busload of other tourists and the Circle’s in-your-face commerciality. But we did enjoy several geothermal attractions in the area.
Geysir Geothermal Area
Fun fact: The word “geyser” derives from Geysir, Iceland’s most famous spouting hot spring. Geysir itself no longer erupts frequently, but its sister geyser, Strokkur, blasts off every 15 to 20 minutes and is one of Iceland’s biggest tourist draws. Both geysers are situated in a well-developed nature park that sees a whopping 1.5 million visitors every year.
We reached the Geysir Geothermal Area in late morning and came up to Strokkur just as it was in mid-eruption. We didn’t feel like standing around with scores of other people waiting for the next blow, so we walked on. Maybe we’re just jaded; after all, we’ve seen Old Faithful in Yellowstone. But we did enjoy the scenic trail around Strokkur, which features some impressive hot springs and fumaroles.
Skíðaskálinn Hveradölum at Hverdalir
Hverdalir is one of Iceland’s largest geothermal areas and is filled with fantastic attractions, many of which can only be accessed by back-country hiking trails or gravel roads that are only open in summer. But there is one Hverdalir spot – an old ski lodge named Skíðaskálinn Hveradölum – that’s easy to see if you have limited time, as we did. Located just off Highway 1 (aka the Ring Road) about 13 km east of the town of Hveragerði, this place features a nice boardwalk through some spectacular geothermal features including fumaroles and hot pools. And we had it COMPLETELY to ourselves for our mid-morning stop!
The Hellisheiði Geothermal Exhibition
Very near to Skíðaskálinn Hveradölum is the Geothermal Exhibition at the Hellisheiði plant operated by ON Power, a prime geothermal producer for the national power grid and supplier of hot water to Reykjavik. This beautifully rendered visitor center is a must if you’re interested in Iceland’s heritage of geothermal energy. Admittedly, the Exhibition is a massive PR display on behalf of ON Power, but we were impressed by the company’s initiatives for making geothermal production as green as possible. One such initiative is Carbfix, a process for converting carbon dioxide CO₂ into stone. Since CO₂ is a major by-product of geothermal and other forms of power generation, this could have huge implications in the global fight against climate change.
Kerið Crater
This technicolor crater is one of the most popular stops on the Golden Circle, but it wasn’t too crowded when we were there. Kerið was formed about 6,500 years ago by the collapse of a magma chamber, rather than a volcanic eruption. Fun fact: Back in the 1980s, before she’d achieved global fame, the singer Bjork performed a concert from a raft in the middle of the lake. Here’s a more recent concert by another artist from Kerið in 2011.
A NOTE ABOUT PARKING
There’s a parking charge for many of the sites listed here as well as in our previous post. It really behooves you to make sure you’re up on your parking payments, because any non-payment will be reported to your car rental company and you’ll be socked with a penalty when you turn your car in. As we’ve mentioned before, payment in Iceland is primarily tap-and-go with a credit card, and many parking lots automatically record your license plate and offer kiosks for easy payment. Other lots require you to pay with an app called Parka. Once you’ve uploaded your plate number and credit card info to Parka, payment is super easy.
13 Comments
Such an amazing country and sights, Susan! And stunning photography as well. I can’t believe you have to pay for parking as well, on top of all the other high-fee attractions. Wow, people better prepare to spend a lot of money on everything in Iceland! I wonder if there’s even free wild camping available. We shall have to look into all this carefully before visiting.
Thanks, Liesbet! I’m still hoping you two can figure out a way to get your camper to this fantastic country. Regarding the parking fees, they’re all for locations that have free admission (such as sights in the national parks). Typically, parking for a car was around $8 US, or less in some areas. The places that charge admission, such as the thermal spas, include parking.
In my previous post I included a section on how we saved money. I’m sure you’ll find plenty more ways that are more specific to campers. Not having to eat out would be a HUGE savings (we spent a small fortune on restaurant meals). I don’t know if there’s wild camping in Iceland, but there are plenty of campgrounds. Good luck with your planning!
Iceland is certainly the land of fire and ice! I agree with you that Blue Lagoon isn’t really worth it: I visited it when I was in Iceland several years ago, and besides being super-crowded with tourists, it was prohibitively expensive for what I got; plus, it was raining, so it wasn’t very pleasant being outside in my bathing suit while being pelted by rain! But the other sites you mentioned (Geysir, Gullfoss, Kerid Crater) are worth visiting, and I’m glad you had a wonderful time in Iceland!
Thanks, Rebecca. Yes, we’d read all the hype about the Blue Lagoon before we went, and had already decided to skip it when we discovered the Sky Lagoon. I can’t imagine a bath experience getting any better! As for the Golden Circle, the sights around it are spectacular – and it’s a must if you just have a few days. Glad you got to see these wonders!
Fascinating place and your shots are stellar, Susan and John. 🙂
Thanks so much, Jane!
Iceland’s success in powering the whole country entirely by renewable energy is truly inspiring. I remember reading on the news some years ago when delegates from Iceland visited Indonesia to offer their know-how to tap into Indonesia’s vast geothermal energy potential. This archipelago, after all, has more active volcanoes than any other country on the planet. Unfortunately, the fossil fuel lobby in this country seems to be a lot more powerful.
So true, Bama. Countries like Iceland are role models for the rest of the world. But any place where fossil fuels are king will probably never adopt renewable energy, at least in a meaningful way. It’s so discouraging.
It’s just amazing – what a unique place!!
For sure, Hannah! Iceland is fantastic and so otherworldly.
Wow. Really difficult to pick favourites, but the Forest spa and the old ski lodge (I won’ try to spell that 😊) will go to the top of my list. Looks amazing! And nice bathing suit pic John! Maggir
Iceland looks amazing and your photos are fabulous!
Thanks so much, Nancy!