So Brian made sure today included some off the beaten path “hot pots” in Iceland. He knew there was one southwest of Akureyki on the way to the off-road destination he planned for today, and by god, we were having a soak! Today was a day of hot tubs and rough roads.
Hitting the Road
We packed up and left the campgrounds by 9am. The morning started beautifully in Akureyki but the sun never came out from behind the clouds,
and the day got cloudier and windier, with rain intermittent. Still, when in Iceland we must find the hot water!
Circling
It was not easy! We drove around in circles, past sheep, dogs, and rivers, but the 30 minute (or more) detour paid off, even though the hot tub really could have been hotter. It was definitely natural, though, and beautifully located amongst farms alongside a river with a waterfall. Oh Iceland! Your natural beauty makes up for the detours, wind and not-so-hot tubs!
Windy Day
It was, and is, an exceedingly windy day here in Iceland. We have had a few days with a break from the winds, so now sitting in the campervan with the wind shaking us is an experience we will enjoy!
Rough Road
We finally took the campervan on a rough road, and it survived! We got the 4wd for a reason! Potholes, rivers, we crossed them all to get to – you guessed it – another pool of hot water! This one, in Hveravellir, was a bit hotter, and there were lots of bubbling really hot pools surrounding it which made for an interesting walk. Super windy though! And, on the way, we saw a rainbow – even a bit of a double rainbow. That’s the good thing about the rain in Iceland – there are rainbows during or after it!
See More Photos from Our Iceland Road Trip
Nature Reserve
Hveravellir is a nature reserve with accommodations and a cute café, so we stopped in for a couple of hot chocolates and got to chatting with the woman who works there. She told us about living there by herself all last winter, and gave us advice on where to head next. It was a beautiful place, but oh so remote, and I can’t imagine the winter there. She is a brave soul! Not surprisingly, she is already on the lookout for her replacement.
Following Suggestions
The place she suggested is where we are parked for the night. It is beautiful, as she mentioned, but closed for the winter and very remote. Kerlingarfjöll is a beautiful site, so hopefully the wind will die down and tomorrow will be a great day for exploring the mountains and general area. Two more nights on the road to see Northern Lights, and tonight is not looking good for it. You can’t see the Northern Lights when it’s cloudy.
Here is the map of most of today’s route. Kerlingarfjöll is actually a little south and east of Hveravellir, but since we “off-roaded” it isn’t coming up on the maps.
The Tour is Almost Over
Tomorrow is our last full day on the road, so we’ll need to make our way closer to Reykjavik for Saturday morning. Then we’ll hit the big city. Today, a day of hot tubs and rough roads, was a great day to be in Iceland.
I would consider Iceland off the “beaten path”, so I was amused to hear that Brian wanted to get off that not so beaten path. Love the pictures and posts! Beau
This looks like an absolute incredible experience, how beautiful! I have never visited but I would love to – my friends uncle runs a horse farm in the north!
What a beautiful journey. I love how you got to hear some other worker’s experience about the area. I feel like those are the best parts about traveling. What cool places you got to go see going off roading! Iceland looks beyond magical!
What a fun adventure! I’ve been wanting to visit Iceland – the landscapes there look absolutely stunning.
Had hoped to visit Hveravellir during my last visit to Iceland but never made it, loved reading about your adventure, it’s definitely off-beat and I hope to get to see it one day
This is perfect for my future trip to Iceland! Can’t wait to visit this country.
You are going to love it Melissa!