Around Lake Mývatn (1) - Víti Crater and the Hverir geothermal field

I ended my last post with a promise to tell you about the place we reached after dark: the Lake Mývatn area in North-Eastern Iceland. I mentioned two distinct things about it - the ever-present smell of sulfur and swarms of incredibly annoying midges. And while the latter can certainly discourage you from leaving your tent, that hellish smell is a sign of what’s most interesting here: a restless landscape - hot water, steam vents, and gas pockets sit just under a thin crust.

So let’s leave the midge-infested campsite behind and go for a little ride.

The Azure Víti Crater

Driving along the Ring Road (Route 1), we turn onto a smaller road leading into a lava field. We’re entering the vast Krafla volcanic system. This area has been geologically active for about 100,000 years. The last series of eruptions occurred between 1975 and 1984 - similar to what has been happening near Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula in recent years. Today, the giant Krafla caldera is not only a tourist attraction but also a source of energy.

One of the most photogenic spots here is the Víti crater. Its name, which means “hell” in Icelandic, was given after a powerful eruption in the 18th century that lasted five years. Today, Víti is calm, and its bottom is filled with water a remarkable shade of azure. The color comes from a high content of silica and other minerals. There’s a path around the crater’s edge, and the water’s color pairs beautifully with the raw, almost lunar surroundings.

Nature is the best designer - everything here seems to fall into place on its own.

Not far from the crater, you'll find the...

Krafla Power Station

Its geometric, industrial structures create an interesting contrast in the landscape. To generate power, the plant uses high-pressure steam from deep within the earth - the wells reach depths of about 2,000 meters. Construction began in the 1970s, but an eruption during drilling halted the work for a time.

Everywhere it hisses and bubbles; steam lifts straight from the ground.

On the other side of the main road, at the foot of Námafjall mountain, lies a slightly different, though equally fascinating, landscape.

Hverir - geothermal field

Hverir, also known as Námaskarð, is an active geothermal field. The place looks like a fragment of another planet. The ground is barren, with no vegetation due to the high temperature and acidity. Its surface shimmers with shades of yellow, red, and gray - the result of mineral deposits, mainly sulfur. Here and there, the gray takes on an unusual bluish hue.

The landscape is dynamic. We’re surrounded by bubbling mud pots and fumaroles (solfataras), where pressurized steam and gases hiss from the earth. A characteristic feature of this place is the intense, pervasive smell of sulfur, reminiscent of rotten eggs. At times it was hard to bear; sometimes the vapors wrapped us in a thick veil, and we couldn’t escape the cloud.

Getting around Hverir is possible thanks to designated wooden walkways and paths. It’s essential to stick to them, as the ground is unstable and the temperature just beneath the thin surface can be extremely high. Here you feel how thin the crust is in this part of Iceland.

What I liked most were the bubbling mud pools, because of their unusual blue‑gray color. I like grays with cool undertones :)

Our next destination was a completely different structure - a gigantic, almost perfectly round cone of black ash. This is the Hverfjall crater; its monochrome silhouette has an austere, almost royal majesty to it. I love simple, minimalist forms, so I think this crater is my favorite of all the ones I’ve visited. But I’ll tell you what the world looks like from its edge next time.