Hverir (Iceland) – Surreal Namafjall geothermal area (Photos + Tips)

Hverir Iceland is one of the most out-of-this-world sites on the island. It is a place where you feel connected to the power of the planet. At the foot of the Namafjall volcanic mountain, the Namaskard geothermal area displays fumaroles, large mud pools, steam vents and a bare orangy-red landscapes. A unique sight! (and one of my personal favorites). Below is my guide to help you plan your visit.

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What is Hverir a.k.a. Namafjall a.k.a Namaskard ?

Hverir is a geothermal area with at the foothill of Namafjall, not far from Lake Myvatn. Features include colorful sulphurous mud springs, steam vents, cracked mud and fumaroles. It is also called Hverarönd or Namaskard.

Some say that compared to Wai-o-tapu in New Zealand or Yellowstone it is rather average but personally, I disagree. I have not seen Yellowstone but I have visited Wai-o-tapu. It does have many geothermal features with intriguing colors but the surroundings are a lush forest. Although there is more to see, I think Hverir and its bare landscape makes the experience surreal which is what I love. If it weren’t for the other tourists, I would have felt like I landed on another planet.

This is why it is one of my top 5 places to visit in Myvatn and one of my favorite stops on the Ring Road.

At the Hverir site, there is this map with indicated with areas with high temperature. In light pink is the Krafla fissure system and in hot pink are the hot springs, including Hverir.

Many more photos after the practical info and planning tips.

Planning Tips - Hverir Iceland

Hverir Location

• Located in North Iceland (see my guide about North Iceland)
• Right by the Ring Road, 6km East of Lake Myvatn and the town of Reykjahlíð - easy to access on your Iceland Road trip
• The Hverir parking is right after the mountain pass on the south side of the road - it is quite large 
• You can't miss it, it is well indicated
• Below is a Map to help you generally locate Hverir:

How to get to Hverir / Namaskard

If you are visiting North Iceland and the Myvatn area, I strongly recommend renting your own car. This gives you the freedom to visit all the locations you are interested in. 

To plan your trip, heck out my article about how to rent a car in Iceland and about driving in Iceland
I personally rented my car with Route 1 car rental and really appreciated the experience.

Otherwise most of the Iceland Organized tours will stop at this location because it is so easy to access - to compare tour operators and programs, I recommend GuidetoIceland

Visiting the Hverir geothermal area

At the site entrance, you can see a map the site with the walking trails: 

• Large parking lot with easy access from Road 1
• From the parking area there is a short flat loop that leads you close to various geothermal features
• How much time to visit Hverir? - The ground loop can be done in just half an hour or you can spend time admiring the bubbles in the mud pool and stay for an hour.
• Attention to the sulphur smell – it is not recommended to stay too long!!! 
• Note that although I suffer from allergies and all, I had no special difficulties while visiting Hverir.
• I don’t remember seeing toilets but I might be wrong
• You can also hike on Namafjall mountain and do a loop
• No entrance fee
• Open all day long

And Check out my complete article with detailed suggestions and tips on what to wear and pack for Iceland to stay warm and comfortable

Exploring the Namafjall geothermal area

Hverir is not a big site but offers many features very close from one another. It is a the foot of a beautiful dark mountain.

Below are some wide shots of the scenic area, its bare landscape and the fumes emanating from the fumeroles.

Some impressive cracks are everywhere on the land creating interesting photographic effects:

I think the shot below is my favorite (equal with the cracks above). I love the contrast of the blue-gray mud pools with the dark orange of the moutain in the background. Surreal!

A lot of fumes! But do not worry that much, look at the next pictures and you will see that they actually area concentrated and not in the whole area:

The first time I sent the picture below to my mom, she freaked out! She was already worried that I was in Iceland with all those volcanoes but then she became scared that I would be swallowed by the Earth. This crack was actually not that big 🙂

By the parking you can walk to the viewing platform or down to the mud pools. They are quite big and very active.

One of the great things to do in geothermal areas is to photograph some of the features up close. Especially the mud pools which some times create crazy shapes: Like a heart... (great timing, don't you think?)

Or its side view...

The small cracked mud bubble inside the cracked hole:

You must have realised it by now, I love photographing cracked surfaces... So here is a last one!

I love that spot so much, that I want to share other sites with more photos:

Because I love the place so much, I am sharing a few more photos of Hverir. I hope you are enjoying them 🙂

More photos by other photographers:

• Hverir photos by Volcanic springs
• Hverir photos with snow on Namafjall by Iceland for 91 days

Past the mud pools there is a track that ascends up the mountain (see photo below), the goes along the ridge of the mountain and down on the other side of the area. 
The left side is the steepest with some slippery section. So it could be better to ascend on the right side and come back that way too.

Want to see more of Iceland's beauty?

Surreal landscape, don’t you think?