I was in Iceland for the fourth time and I thought that it really was ridiculous that this far I have still not been to any fully natural hot springs. Natural hot springs are an iconic part of Iceland and there are so many. We decided to fix this problem and now really go somewhere to take a dip.
One of the most famous natural hot springs to go to in Iceland is in Reykjadalur Valley. This is an extremely popular spot and does not have much room. Hordes of people with tour buses go there during the daytime, I do not want to know what goes on there then. Since we were close, we decided to go later in the evening and be there just before dark. To get there you have to hike about 3.5 kilometers which is mostly uphill on the way there.
One of the first things you see on the trail is this steaming mud pot.
Overall the hike itself is not too hard but there are a couple of steeper sections. Here are some shots I took on the trail.
A glimpse of sunshine. Unfortunately, this day had been fully cloudy otherwise.
You can see a waterfall that slides down the hill. You can also notice more heavy steam back there. Somewhere in there is where we needed to reach and find the hot springs.
On the way there you can spot several random places which are steaming. This area is full of geothermal energy and sights.
A bit later we arrived at the hot spring. Some wooden pathways are built there to make walking barefoot more enjoyable. Next to the pathway is the hotspring you can go in and take a dip. Keep in mind that there are no indoor changing rooms but only some wooden structures you can change so if it rains, it can be pretty uncomfortable.
There were people but fortunately not hordes of them and there was room to choose where we wanted to take a dip.
Some places are cooler and some are hotter. In the photo below is a particular section that was too hot and not enjoyable to get in. This is probably why no one is there.
We had taken two beers for us to drink while soaking in the naturally heated river. It really was a great experience.
We soaked in this river for about an hour but it was time to start getting back so we could avoid hiking in the darkness. Here is one more shot I have of the hike back down.
If you travel to Iceland and wish to visit this place then I strongly recommend going later in the evening or early in the morning to avoid the insane crowds. It can't be enjoyable when there are a couple of hundred people searching for a place to squeeze in. If you go in mid-summer then it's great to go in the middle of the night too because nights are bright.
Would I go back? I think yes but there are a lot more natural hot springs in Iceland so I would love to try out some other ones as well.