By air
Akureyri (AEY), ~1 h
Europe · Iceland
Lake Mývatn, Iceland
The north's lakes, craters and whales
Getting there
Best time to visit
June to August — summer
Don't miss
Hverir
Dimmuborgir
Dettifoss
Goðafoss
Things to do
The Mývatn Nature Baths
Dettifoss
Whale watching from Húsavík
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers, a midge net
A quieter corner
The Grjótagjá cave
Questions travellers ask
Do I need a midge net at Lake Mývatn?
Pack one, along with layers. Come in the summer, from June to August.
Where do I fly for Lake Mývatn?
Akureyri (AEY); the lake is about 1 h away.
What should I see around Lake Mývatn?
Hverir, Dimmuborgir, Dettifoss and Goðafoss. Soak in the Mývatn Nature Baths, and go whale watching from Húsavík.
Is there a hidden gem near Lake Mývatn?
The Grjótagjá cave. And try Geysir bread, baked in the hot ground.
About Lake Mývatn
- Lakeside
Where it is
Mývatn is a shallow lake in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, near the Krafla volcano and east of Akureyri, surrounded by lava formations, pseudocraters and geothermal fields.
History
The lake was created about 2,300 years ago by a large basaltic lava eruption, and its pseudocraters formed when lava flowed over waterlogged ground and trapped steam burst through it. Between 1975 and 1984 a series of eruptions, the Krafla fires, broke out nearby, and farms around the lake have long relied on its fish and birds.
People
A few hundred people live around the lake, in the village of Reykjahlíð and on farms, speaking Icelandic and working in farming, tourism and geothermal energy. A local speciality is hverabrauð, a dark rye bread baked slowly in the hot ground.
Known for
- The Mývatn Nature Baths
- Dimmuborgir's lava formations
- The Hverir geothermal field
- Nesting ducks and other birdlife
- The Dettifoss and Goðafoss waterfalls
Did you know?
The lake's name means lake of midges, after the swarms that hatch there in summer and help feed its many ducks and the trout of the river Laxá.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.