Some places are simply cooler than others.
Reykjadalur - The Smoky Valley
This is a boiling hot river in a valley just outside Reyjavík. The valley is called Reykjadalur which simply means “Smokey Valley” for obvious reasons. The river seen here is nearly boiling and far too hot to bathe in, however, just to the right of the photo a cold river mixes with the hot river. Below that it is perfect to bathe.
It is quite easy to get here. This is the precise location on an aerial photo. To get there you simply park your car on this parking lot right outside the town of Hveragerði and follow the reasonably well trodden path up the valley.
The spot is becoming more and more popular, so I urge you to make sure you leave it as clean or cleaner than it was when you arrived and be careful where you tread. Through the years I’ve picked up a lot of trash there and mended grass and moss damaged by grills and small fires. Keep in mind that Iceland is a harsh environment for vegetation and any damage you do can take years to grow back.
Photo by Sara Fludd. Also see more photos of Reykjadalur.
(via love-ballad)
Blue Dream by skarpi on Flickr.
Ever lay down in a hot river in snow and wind? It’s wonderful, just remember to keep your hat on.
(Source: tinfangwarble, via tinfangwarble)
This small geothermal pool belonged to Snorri Sturluson. Snorri was one of the most powerful and respected men in Iceland during his lifetime from 1179 to 1241. He was a great poet, historian and politician. Some of Iceland’s greatest literature most likely stems from him, including norse mythology books, Snorra Edda and Heimskringla along with Egils Saga Skallagrímssonar.
The pool is right by his farm Reykholt and was probably connected to his house with a tunnel allowing him to walk out to the pool in bad weather without getting cold. Interesting to consider what great thoughts originate in that steamy hot spring.
When you come and visit us in Iceland, please don’t throw coins into our hot springs. Who would ever want to bathe in a pool full of coins?
(Source: bethechangeyouwishtoseeinworld)
Cooking eggs in Iceland
Most people would find it quite strange to have constantly boiling geothermal water in their backyard. However, the people in Iceland and particularly the inhabitants of Hveragerði are quite used to it. Hveragerði which literally means “Hot Spring Town” is a town only half an hours drive from Reykjavík. The town sits right on top of the Mid Atlantic Ridge which separates the North American and Eurasian continental plates. Due to this unique location, magma flows closer to the surface than elsewhere. That in turn provides us with plenty of hot water.
In Hveragerði, the hot water is mostly used to heat up the greenhouses and provide Iceland with a good deal of its fruits and vegetables. However some use the hot springs directly for cooking. The bakeries offer “hverabrauð” or “hot spring bread” which is baked in the hot springs. Anybody could of course do as the man in the photo is doing and boil some eggs.
Please keep in mind that hot spring areas can be very dangerous places. These places are constantly changing, with new steam vents and mud pots being created just below the surface. This means that what looks like solid ground can collapse from underneath you. This would send you into a very unexpected and dangerous boiling bath. These accidents are too common and I’ve had a friend suffer severe burns. I would not recommend anyone to stand where the man in the photo is standing. Keep a good distance and be aware of the ground near you if exploring them on your own. If with a guide or in an area with paths, then follow the paths and guides only. Read about hot springs and other dangers at SafeTravel.is.
You can see this picture and several others on Julio’s Iceland blog. Thank you Carmen for pointing it out to me.
sunshine--itsfine asked: do you have a tagged page for images of various Geothermal Baths around Iceland?
I try to be organized with my tags. Check out hot springs for all of my geothermal posts. They are not necessarily pools that you can bathe in. Some are boiling mudpots and others mineral steam vents.
There used to be a really good website with info on almost all known natural hot springs that you could bathe in. However the owner took it down and published a book, Hotsprings in Iceland.
Swimming In Iceland has an extensive list though. They have information about every single public swimming pool in Iceland and a short list of the most popular natural springs.
Blue Lagoon Chill
Iceland’s iconic tourist destination, The Blue Lagoon, became the hottest place in Iceland in more ways than one today. The Blue Lagoon Chill, a sort of hangover party marked the end of the Iceland Airwaves music festival, just like last year. On the photo, DJ Margeir, who kept up the vibe takes a ride on a Blue Lagoon wave.
Sitting on a hot rock in the Icelandic mountains
This is one of my own pictures from a cross country ski tour in the Landmannalaugar area up in the Icelandic highlands. This man is taking a rest from skiing and sitting on a warm rock in the steaming hot spring area in Vondugil (E. Evil Gulleys). See more pics from the tour, a funny video I posted before or a promo video I made for the tour.
Iceland just can’t quite smoking.
Highlands (by Nunni Konn)
fortun3 asked: ahh I went to Iceland beginning of April on a Geography trip, the Blue Lagoon has to be the most amazing place
Yes it is. You can see several posts I’ve made about the Blue Lagoon. However as I said before, the blue lagoon is actually industrial waste. The hot water is a byproduct of the geothermal powerplant right next to it. This doesn’t make it any less nice though. However you should try take a bath in a natural hot spring as well. The one most accessible and close to Reykjavík is the hot river in Reykjadalur. It is particularly nice for large groups, as it can literally fit hundreds. However there are several more in the southern lowlands as well. They can be hard to find, but there is a book about hot springs in Iceland.
