Lake Myvatn Iceland

Myvatn

How to spend a day or two at Lake Myvatn area

Following our breakfast at the camping area we are ready to explore the area. There are many different things we can do and today we will start by take a look at Dimmuborgir.

Dimmuborgir is a mythical lava formation area. Easily accessible to walk amongst the naturally made statues, while we walk on the trail we examine the lava formed sculptures and find all different creatures. You might see one and the next person something totally different. Dimmuborgir is such a place that the weather does not really matter, if it is gloomy and rainy then it becomes even more mystical. In the sun is shining it becomes adventurous and in the evening sun it even becomes quite romantic. But we are here in the morning and having fun and trying it imagine the power of our Earth when she made this place – we do like it here, to bad that we can not take a bath in the natural cave hot pots there as they have become to warm to bathe in. Some years back it was safe to do so and then by nature the baths where split into two different hot post, one for man and the other for women.

After the walk through Dimmuborgir we move towards to the hike of Hverfell or Hverfjall, this is a hot debate of the locals – which name to use. ( A good idea to open this topic with the locals for fun ). This perfectly shaped crater is relative easy hike, first a little steep climb to the top but still for almost everyone to take on. Then the walk around the edges of this volcanic crater give you a good idea on how such a wonder of the world is. It is easy for us to stand there and imagine it in action, she shaking of the ground, the roaring sound of the exploding fire gushing from inside of the earth below us! This crater was one of the practice sites that the first astronauts did visit before the fist expedition to the Moon. The geologists of NASA figured this are would be them most lunar like on the earth and hence a great training grounds. This part of the lunar history is very well explained in a museum in the town of Húsavík and if you plan to visit Húsavík make sure you stop at the museum, The Exploration Museum.

Back to our own journey, we both enjoy the crater and the view of the are overlooking the lake Myvatn with its partially lava shores and the amazing birdlife it beholds. We decide to get a bit closer to the lake when we slowly walk down from Hverfell.

We decide to take the walk on the shores of lake Myvatn starting in the lave field and move slowly to the east part of the shores. We enjoy the birdlife on the lake and love to watch the behavior of the birds, particularly the ducks. The lake is calm and the only thing we here apart from occasional car passing by is the birds singing and we do wander what they are saying to each other, is just regular small talk, are they speaking of great wisdom or is it just love talk ? We can spend hours here in total relaxation and it is one form of Yoga if you will.

We are now so into relaxing that we decide to go for a late lunch and have the trout from the lake at Hotel Reykjahlíð where we also get to taste the brown bread that is baked in the ground in one of the hot spring areas around. If gives the meal a little special feeling knowing it is all from the area and made by the locals.

After this fantastic lunch we drive around the lake with numerous stops for fresh air and enjoying the area. The lake has many different surroundings that gives it so varied experience for enjoyment. After this we feel like taking a bath and the best place is the Myvatns Natural Baths – the Blue Lagoon of the are if you will. It is very well equipped spa like natural bath with natural geothermal therapeutic water for relaxation at world class. Who says that travelling should not have a little luxury element to it, in between at least. Here we meet people from all over the world and we enjoy talking and sharing travel stories and advice along with just the share enjoyment of getting to know people from various places. In the warm water the time flies and we head towards the camping area for the evening. A stroll from the camping are into “town” of Reykjahlíð is nice and we meet other travelers that is nice to greet and talk to while just enjoying the quiet evening apart from the birds singing to us making us realize what a wonderful place the earth is.

After a good night sleep we leave the campsite after a healthy breakfast and we head towards the explosion volcanic crater called Víti, meaning Hell. Unlike the Hverfell crater Víti was formed in one big bang explosion in 1724 ( not that long ago If you think about it ). It is 300 meters in diameter and has a lake in the bottom. Again we are in awe by the nature and the power of it and how we the humans are actually so small and powerless in the whole big picture. We decide to walk the full hike around it and enjoy.

Overview of the Stora-Viti Crater near the town of Myvatn in Iceland.

We have not had enough of the geothermal powers so we decide to visit the Krafla power plant that is making electricity from geothermal steam, amazing what can be done by using the power of the nature and the power of the human brain jointly.

For even further experience of geothermal power we head towards the hot spring fields of Námaskarð. The clay and muddy and strong sulfur smell in the air this area is out of this world. How amazing it is to be able to feel the earth’s heat coming from below our feet, very difficult to write about – one really has to experience herself.