Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.11.2007, Blaðsíða 39

There are few reasons, in my opinion, to get out of
bed early. The rare occasion of catching a flight
is one of them. And so when I was asked to go on
a day trip to Lake Mývatn in the north-east of the
country – a place that after more than a year of
living in Iceland, I still hadn’t visited – I accepted
with little hesitation.
With only a day at our disposal, we made
the almost 500 km journey from Reykjavík to the
capital of the north, Akureyri, by plane where we
were met by our friendly guide, Sigurður Óskars-
son. From the airport we were driven over the
highlands, stopping occasionally to take in the
view of the town below. As we travelled over the
side of the mountain we were greeted with snow
and the reality that we probably hadn’t chosen the
best day to explore the north.
But our optimistic guide was quick to assure
us that the region simply has different things to of-
fer during the different seasons, and presumably
in different weather conditions. “It depends on
how you want to experience the area,” he told us.
What he meant was that although we may have
missed the bright, sunny weather and the abun-
dant birdlife characteristic of the summer, and the
autumn colours, visiting in the winter also has its
charms – namely the absence of the dozens of tour
buses that must compete for parking spots during
the warmer seasons. The empty roads, our guide
told us, meant that we would have time to visit ad-
ditional places along the way, plus we would be
able to enjoy them without the crowds. In fact, our
small group of five, plus the guide and driver, did
not run into a single other person along the way.
After taking a short tour of Goðafoss, ‘Waterfall of
the Gods,’ and after an hour on the road, we ar-
rived at Lake Mývatn. Located on the Mid-Atlantic
ridge, the 37 km² lake was created more than 2000
years ago by a large volcanic eruption. When the
glowing lava flowed into the lake (what is now
Mývatn), the water-logged sediment got trapped
underneath it. Steam and gas explosions tore the
lava into small pieces, creating groups of what are
known as pseudo craters, which characterise the
shoreline and islands of the lake. The area is a pro-
tected conservation site and has the most pseudo
craters in the world. These oddly shaped and
coloured (green, brown, black and yellow) hills
at Skútusdaðir, on the southern edge of the lake,
were our first glimpse of many strange geological
formations in the area.
Because of Mývatn’s shallow depths, sun-
light is able to penetrate into the waters, help-
ing life to thrive in the area. Laxá, Mývatn’s only
outpouring river, is apparently the best, and also
the most expensive (the price can be up to 2,500
euros/212,000 ISK a day) salmon-fishing spot in
the country. In the warmer months, the region is
rich in birdlife. But, at this time of year the waters
are quiet. And, thankfully, the skies are too. Our
guide told us about the thick clouds of midges
(flies), after which the lake is named, which ex-
ist during the summer. Sometimes they number so
many, that the road ahead can barely be seen, our
guide informs us. Predictably, the upside of such
cool temperatures as on that day was the absence
of flies and other insects.
Standing in the hypothermia-inducing
winds for 20 minutes made us appreciate our
lunch of warm cauliflower soup at the local hotel
all the more. It was then onto Dimmuborgir with
its forest of rock pillars and crags. The area was
created as a result of the same volcanic eruption
which formed Mývatn. Although legend has it that
the rock formations are in fact a drunken party of
trolls which were turned to stone by the morning
sunlight. The guide was keen to point out the two
“trolls” embracing.
Later we stopped at the cave of Grjótagjá
where locals and tourists alike have been known
to bathe in the 35-40ºC waters, and at Víti or ‘Hell’
crater-lake. The bright blue water against the deep,
brown crater walls are yet another example of the
stunning geological sites in the area. On the way
to Námaskarð, the highlight of the day, we passed
the Krafla Geothermal Power Plant, where bore
holes as deep as 3000 metres have been drilled in
order to harness the natural energy below.
The mud flats of Námaskarð consist of
pastel-coloured steam vents and bubbling mud
pits and were by far the most spectacular destina-
tion on the trip. The icy winds prevented us from
spending too long admiring the strange colours –
varying shades of blue, brown, purple, white and
yellow (even fluorescent yellow) – though some
of the group warmed up by engulfing themselves
in the steam rising from the muddy ground. The
ground is so warm that the locals bake their bread
by placing the dough mixture in the ground near-
by where it cooks in the natural heat.
Our final stop was a much needed visit to
the warm waters of the Mývatn Nature Baths, the
North’s answer to Reykjavík’s Blue Lagoon. Much
like the Blue Lagoon, the place consists of steam
baths, hotpots and a natural bath pool of bluish
geothermal water, rich in minerals and silicates.
The difference is that, at least at this time of year,
you can potentially have the whole place to your-
self. We shared the pools with only two others, a
far cry from the overcrowded waters of the Blue
Lagoon. Though, on the other hand, the waters
were noticeably cooler.
All in all, our extensive nine-hour guided
trip of the Mývatn area was a great way to spend
some time in this part of the country. Especially
knowing that it was just that – a daytrip where you
can experience such varied landscape over such
short distances. I expected the lake itself to be the
most spectacular site of the trip, but the diverse
and wonderful geological sights that surround
Mývatn are the highlights which, in many people’s
minds, earn Mývatn the title of being the most
beautiful area in the country.
Text by Zoë Robert
Destination: Lake Mývatn
The mud flats of Ná-
maskarð consist of pas-
tel-coloured steam vents
and bubbling mud pits
and were by far the most
spectacular destination
on the trip.
Article | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 17 2007 | 23
Photos by GAS
TRIP PROVIDED BY:
www.airiceland.is