Namafjall Hverir Geothermal Area Iceland: An Amazing Landscape

Namafjall Hverir geothermal area is one of the most intriguing places we've ever visited. I'm sure you'll notice the mystifying landscape immediately: the uneven ground, riddled with fissures across the red rock.

A robust mountain range looms over the squat fumaroles, venting steam into the air. Gaping gray holes bubble and gurgle hot mud endlessly. The landscape looks more like Mars than Earth. It's one of the best things to do in Myvatn and the region of northeast Iceland.

In this Iceland travel blog post, we'll show you why you need to add the Namafjall Hverir geothermal area to your road trip itinerary. It's an absolute must if you're visiting northern Ireland or anywhere in the region of Lake Myvatn.

It's part of the region's Diamond Circle (the north's version of the south's popular Golden Circle tour), which includes Lake Myvatn, Namafjall Hverir geothermal area, Dettifoss, Godafoss, Husavik, and several other sites. We've also included it on our two weeks in Iceland itinerary.

About Namafjall Hverir Geothermal Area

Namafjall is the mountain overlooking Hverir, a geothermal area with boiling mud pots and fumaroles. At a depth of 1000m, the temperature at Hverir is above 200 degrees Celsius. There's a characteristic sulfur smell from the fumarole gas. Don't worry, it isn't too overpowering!

The terrain and the scenery are very surreal. The cracked ground boasts shades of red, green, yellow, and white. The steam slightly obscures the barren surroundings. There are several impressive features that makes a trip to Namafjall Hverir geothermal area incredibly worthwhile.

Once you park your car at the free car park, you'll go for a walk around the geothermal site. As the ground gets quite hot and the mud pots bubble up in the area, it's advised that you stick to the trails. Don't venture beyond the roped off areas. It's for your own safety and to preserve the landscape.

Namafjall Hverir Geothermal Area: Mud Pots, Fumaroles and Fissures

The ground is covered in mineral deposits of various colors, and the Námafjall mountain looms in the distance. As we walked around the path, we discovered the distinctive mud pots, fumaroles, and fissures that make this area so special.

Mud pots form in high temperature geothermal areas where there isn't much water. They gurgle and bubble slightly outside their craters, leaving gray and white slurry around the edges. These mud pots are very fascinating and I closely examined each one as I walked past.

Fumaroles are the most intriguing element of Namafjall Hverir geothermal area, in my opinion. These openings in the earth's crust emit sulfuric gases. Fumaroles often exist in volcanic regions along cracks or fissures in the ground. It's almost hypnotizing to watch the clouds of smoke emanate from a steam vent.

Namafjall Hverir Geothermal Area: Travel to Mars

Namafjall Hverir geothermal area really does feel like stepping foot on Mars or another planet. It's no wonder that American astronauts used Iceland as a training ground to prepare them for travel to the Moon.

Can you believe this is right on the roadside of the Ring Road, the main highway of Iceland? These volcanic mud pools and rock formations, surrounded by sulphur crystals of many different colours are well worth the visit (despite the fact that you need to deal with the smell of rotten eggs).

Plan Your Visit to Namafjall Hverir Geothermal Area

Námafjall hverir geothermal area is located just outside the town of Reykjahlíð, on Lake Myvatn. I highly recommend that you visit this place on your travels to the Lake Myvatn region. It's easy to visit as it's right on the Ring Road. As this is a natural attraction, it's not monitored and it's open 24 hours a day.

An update about the parking situation: it was free to park when we visited. As of June 1st, 2023, it now costs 1200 ISK to park at Namafjall Hevir Geothermal Area, as a blog reader has reported in the comments section to this article.

I recommend that you visit later in the afternoon or evening as you have a better chance of visiting without any tour buses. We went around 7:00pm and shared the site with only a few other people.

Namafjall Hverir geothermal area isn't that big, and it won't take you too long to explore the entire place. Allow yourself a half hour to an hour to absorb the surroundings and snap a few photos. It's about a 10-minute walk on the loop trail, but you'll want to give yourself more time to take in these natural wonders.

While the sulfuric smell may bother some delicate senses of smell, we found the midge flies to be way more bothersome. I'm not sure if there are less flies depending on the time of year that you visit. The midge flies in the Lake Myvatn area are numerous and move in large swarms.

We visited in early June and didn't stay as long at this site due to the huge amounts of flies. The only way to avoid them was to keep moving. It was difficult to stop and take pictures while being attacked by bugs! I highly recommend bringing a scarf to minimize the amount of flies that you eat as you walk around.

Getting to Namafjall Hverir by Car

We highly recommend that you rent a car in Iceland. It gives you the freedom to go wherever you'd like to go. In the land of the midnight sun, we visited some places later at night because there was still plenty of daylight (we traveled to Iceland in June).

I recommend using Discover Cars to compare the rates of car rentals in Iceland. Their booking site is so easy to navigate. Enter the dates of travel and where you'd like to pick up the car (the most popular spots are the Keflavik airport or downtown Reykjavik).

Getting to Namafjall Hverir with a Tour

If you don't want to rent a car in Iceland, it's still very possible to travel there on a small group tour. Take this classic Lake Myvatn tour from Akureyri. It's a full day tour that visits many notable locations, such as the Goðafoss Waterfall, the pseudo-craters of Skútustaðagígar, Grjótagjá rift and the Dimmuborgir lava fields.

Of course, you'll also visit the Hverir mud pools, showcased in this article. The final stop of the day are the Myvatn nature baths, a natural pool of geothermal water in the middle of lava fields. It's north Iceland's version of the Blue Lagoon, except these hot springs are a little less busy and touristy. Book your tour here.

Where to Stay Near Lake Myvatn

There are so many wonderful places to stay around Lake Myvatn, which is a short distance from Namafjall Hverir geothermal area. We loved spending two nights at the Skutustadir Guesthouse in Myvatn where we had a beautiful cottage all to ourselves.

The cottage is bright and beautiful with an open concept layout. There are a few couches and chairs in the living space where we relaxed, read books, and used the complimentary Wi-Fi. There's also a massive kitchen where you can prepare any meals that you'd like!

More Blog Posts About North Iceland

Here are some more articles about North Iceland to help you plan your trip. To see all of our Iceland blog posts, please take a look at the full listing on our Europe page.

• Best Things to Do in Myvatn
• Namafjall Hverir Geothermal Area
• Skutustadir Farm Guesthouse on Lake Myvatn
• Best Things to Do in Akureyri in a Day
• Things to Do in Husavik
• Whale Watching Tour in Husavik
• Ytri Vik Cottages Near Akureyri
• Best Things to Do in Hvammstangi
• Kolugljufur Gorge and Waterfall
• Seal Watching in Hvammstangi and the Vatnsnes Peninsula
• Hvammstangi Cottages

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