North Iceland: Godafoss, Myvatn Baths and Hverir [Part 6]

The fourth day in Iceland was filled with natural wonders. From the strange to the unusual. Iceland is unpredictable. You can read about these places as much as you want, but until you are there, you never know what you are in for. We had a longer drive this day to our final destination, which was Eglistadir, but until we got there we had our minds blown on a regular schedule. First up was the waterfall of the gods: Godafoss, with its impressive strength and charming rainbows. The second thing was a gateway to hell as I like to call it: Hverir, sulfuric gas and mud pools. In the end we relaxed in the Myvatn Narture Baths, where we took a swim in hot water on 6 degree Celsius weather. Come along on this incredible journey through North Iceland.

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Godafoss: Waterfall of the Gods

The water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters. The river has its origin deep in the Icelandic highland and runs from the highland through the Bárðardalur valley, from Sprengisandur in the Highlands. MS Goðafoss, an Icelandic ship named after the waterfall, used to transport both freight and passengers. It was sunk by a German U-Boat in World War II, resulting in great loss of life.

If you arrive here close to noon, make sure to cross over to the south side, so you won't have the sun in your face. Also the views from here are better and you can get really close to the waterfall, just be carefull, it can get slippery. I'm sure there is ice on the paths here in winter as well. Luckily for us we had sunshine!

Lunch in the middle of Nowhere

The drive to the Myvatn Nature Baths and Hverir took us through gorgeous vistas. The plains were golden and in the far distance you could see mountain peeks and vulcanos covered in snow. We saw a resting spot with a table and knew we had to have lunch there. I made us some sandwiches that morning and we ate them there, overlooking this amazing place. It was calming, relaxing and breathtakingly beautiful.

Hverir: Gateway to Hell

It's maybe a little bit harsh of me to label Hverir as a gateway to hell, but the sulfur stink that wafts into your face when you get here is nothing short but out of this world. The group had a hard time standing here, and some eventually returned to the car. I marched on, in the hope to get to the biggest source of the sulfur. Hverir is a geothermal spot noted for its bubbling pools of mud & steaming fumaroles emitting sulfuric gas. It smells of rotten eggs, but the sights are amazing nonetheless.

Myvatn Nature Baths: A Relaxing Oasis

There is often a battle between Icelands blue water pools: Blue Lagoon in the Southwest and Myvatn Nature Baths in the North. We didn't really have to think about our pick, since the Myvatn Nature Baths were on our route. They are also much more calming, fewer people, but equally exciting and healing. Hot water in Iceland has a sulfuric smell to it, since it comes from the earth that way and is all natural. So the smells in the hot water baths are a bit unusual, but actually you get used to it.

The first question you might have is: was it cold. The answer to that is: no it wasn't. Yes, you have to suck it up between showers and the pool, but once you step in the hot water feels like a blanket. There are two huge pools here. One is hotter then the other. Inside the building you can get a massage and use other spa facilities (like the geothermal spa, which is next to the pools, and also great).

The best part about the Myvatn Nature Baths are the views you get, when you swim to the edge of the pools. Nature is all around you. We looked over snow topped mountains in the far distance. It was really pleasurable and relaxing, and something that was much needed after a long drive.

Next up will be our drive to South Iceland, to the black sand beaches, viking villages and more gorgeous scenery. Stay tuned...
 

End of Part Six

To be continued...

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