Overview
Mývatn is a volcanic lake in northern Iceland. On the northeastern shore, Reykjahlíð village has an information center and is a base for exploring the area.
Description
East of here, Mývatn Nature Baths have a naturally heated man-made lagoon, with mineral-rich waters known for their health-giving properties. A short distance away, near Námafjall Mountain, is Hverir, a hot-springs area with boiling mud pots and fumaroles.
A starkly beautiful lake hemmed in by volcanic formations, flooded calderas and bubbling, sulphurous mud pools, Lake Mývatn is a highlight of a trip to Iceland’s northeast. This huge spring-fed body of water was created by volcanic activity 4,000 years ago and sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the meeting point of two divergent tectonic plates.
The landscape here was forcefully shaped by its extreme geological position. It’s markedly different to the rest of the country in its sculptural lava formations, fumaroles, volcanic craters and island-like pseudocraters, which dot the birdlife-filled lake.
Mývatn Skagafjardarsysla
Iceland
URL:
http://www.audleytravel.com/iceland/places-to-go/north-iceland/lake-myvatn