The myriad tourist attractions at Myvatn Lake is the reason why tourists who have been there before often come back. The features of the landscape are truly unique.
Location
The lake can be found in the north of Iceland. Riding a car is the quickest way to reach the lake. You can also take any of the buses from Egilsstadir, Husavik or Akureyri. If you are the adventurous type, you can bicycle from Akureyri (90 km). You can get around the lake and the roads by foot.
What to See
Most of the tourist spots are along the Ring Road. The Hverfjall (Hverfell) Crater is a 2500 year old tephra crater is 460 meters high and 100 meters across. You can get there via trail from Reykjahlid to Dimmuborgir. The Dimmuborgir area is filled with bridges, caves and pillars.
There is also a black lava. Other tourist attractions at Myvatn Lake are the Lofthellir Lava Cave, the Skutustaoagigar pseudocraters and the Vindbelgjarfjall peak which rises to over 500 meters.
You can also check out Sigurgeir’s Birdmuseum. It contains 300 birds and over 170 species. If you come to the place around July, you will be able to see the Camel from a Midge music festival. If you need to buy some groceries, you can visit the nearby towns of Skutustaoir and Reykjahlio.
History
The lake was created by a volcanic eruption 2300 years ago. To this day the place remains geothermally active. In geological terms, the lake features are still new. The shaping of the land came into being during the last Ice Age.
The Myvatnssveit are the inhabitants of the nearby area. They number less than 500. However, many come to the area during summertime for the tourists. In recent years, there have been moves to promote the site even during the winter. Today there are some hotels open during the winter. Activities like go-carting and tours over the terrain are now being offered as well.
Cost
There is no admission fee required to visit the site.
Other Info
There are many other attractions in the area. These include the nesting area at Neslond and the Namaskario mountain range. Not far from it are several pools and fumaroles.
One of the better known tourist attractions at Myvatn Lake is the Krafla where a volcanic eruption took place. The unique appearance of the landscape was caused by the lava fields. Not far from this is the Víti crater.
