Lake Mývatn and its lava fields

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

The name means midge lake, and the insects are part of the place. Mývatn covers about 37 square kilometres but is only 2.5 metres deep on average and around 4 metres at the deepest point. Some 50 islands and islets are scattered across it, and the whole basin was shaped by intense volcanic activity. Visit Akureyri counts thirteen nesting duck species, more than anywhere else in the world, with the harlequin duck as the visitors' favourite. Together with the river Laxá, the lake has been protected by law since 2004 and is listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Getting there from Akureyri

It is about 84 km to Reykjahlíð, the village by the lake, and roughly an hour and a quarter by car. The Earth Lagoon is another 4 km or so beyond. The route goes past Goðafoss and through the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel, which charges a toll: register the number plate online and pay between 24 hours before and 24 hours after the drive, or the owner of the car receives a bill with a collection fee. Strætó line 56 from Akureyri to Egilsstaðir stops at Goðafoss and Reykjahlíð. It is a long-distance line to the east, so check the timetable for a workable return before relying on it.

The Traveling Viking collects you from your accommodation in Akureyri for a six-hour minibus day with Goðafoss, the pseudocraters, Dimmuborgir and the mud pots of Hverir. Lunch is not included, but there is a break for it. In winter the operator adds frost, low sun and often snow to the same route. Day trips aimed at cruise passengers start at the port instead; you can compare them on the Mývatn tours page.

Craters and lava around the lake

At Skútustaðir, the pseudocraters were formed about 2300 years ago when lava flowed over wet ground and steam explosions blew holes through it. They have been protected since 1973. Two marked loops lead through them, the Crater ring of 1.5 km and the Pond ring of 3.5 km. Stay on the paths and leave the scoria where it lies.

Dimmuborgir is what remains of a lava lake that emptied about 2300 years ago. It has been a natural monument since 2011; walking is allowed on the marked paths only, camping is forbidden and dogs need a special permit. In December, Visit Akureyri says, the thirteen Yule Lads of Icelandic folklore can be visited here.

Hverfjall is a tephra crater about 1000 metres across, formed in an explosive eruption some 2500 years ago. From the car park on the northwest side, a 600 m path climbs to the rim in 10 to 25 minutes. The loop around the rim is about 3.2 km, takes about an hour and is rated easy. A steeper path of about 600 m descends on the south side towards Dimmuborgir in 30 to 45 minutes.

The area is geothermally active. Several day tours stop at the boiling mud pools of Hverir, and above the Krafla power station lies the Víti crater. The cave Grjótagjá has water in it, but Visit Akureyri asks visitors not to bathe in it because the temperature is not monitored. At the Mývatn Visitor Center you can talk to rangers who know the lake and the Laxá area.

Earth Lagoon Mývatn

The baths at Jarðbaðshólar, beside the Ring Road, now trade as Earth Lagoon Mývatn; the old Mývatn Nature Baths website forwards there, and the ticket below still carries the former name. The water in the lagoon is 36 to 40 °C and comes from a depth of 2,500 metres. A new facility was scheduled to open in summer 2026, and in October 2026 it was running a soft opening, open daily from 12:00 to 22:00 from 1 September, with seasonal changes.

The ticket covers the lagoon, the steam baths, showers and a locker. Towels, swimwear and bathrobes are not included. Reviewers mention water and showers that felt cool on cold days, cramped changing rooms and the smell of sulphur, and they like the setting and the café. A guided five-hour hike through birch woods and the Grjótagjá area ends with entry to the baths.

Activities in summer and winter

Geo Travel runs many of the bookable activities at the lake. In summer you can drive a UTV buggy for an hour through the nature reserve, two people per vehicle and a driving licence required; a couple of reviewers found the landscape less dramatic than in the photos. The Lofthellir trip goes by super jeep to a permafrost ice cave about 30 km from the lake, in the Búrfellshraun lava field. Boots, helmet and headlamp are provided, and it is not for people with claustrophobia or over 70.

From the lake, a 4×4 bus leaves at 8:00 for the Askja caldera and the Víti crater in the highlands and returns around 19:00 to 20:00. Highland roads open only in summer, usually from June, and the operator warns of snow even then.

In winter the snowmobiles come out. The two-hour tour needs a valid driving licence and is for ages 8 and up; one reviewer counted about 45 minutes of actual riding. An evening snowmobile tour looks for the northern lights, and a bus tour from Mývatn does the same without the engine noise. Neither can promise an aurora. A three-hour snowshoe walk crosses the Krafla volcano area. More options are on our adventure page.

In summer, bring a head net. Reviews of tours between June and September mention midges around the lake, and several reviewers wished they had been warned.