Deildartunguhver

Deildartunguhver pushes out around 180 litres of water a second at close to boiling, which makes it the highest-flow hot spring in Europe by volume. Most of that water is not left to run away: it is piped to Borgarnes and Akranes for district heating through insulated pipelines, the longer of which runs about 64 kilometres and is among the longest hot water pipelines in the country. Even after that distance the water arrives hot enough to heat houses. A walkway runs along the steaming bank where the water comes out of the ground, and a bathing complex opened beside the spring in 2017 using the same source.

What you actually see

• 180 litres a second at boiling - the highest flow in Europe.
• Water piped 64 kilometres - and still hot enough to heat houses.
• A walkway along the vents - steam coming straight off the bank.
• Baths on the site - opened in 2017, using the spring itself.

When to go

Year round; the steam is at its most dramatic on cold days. An hour.

Honest expectations

The water is genuinely boiling and the barriers exist for good reason. Steam blows across the walkway and soaks people in wind. The site is small - twenty minutes covers it unless you use the baths. Parking is free but limited.

Nearby

Reykholt and Snorri's pool are minutes away; Hraunfossar is further inland.