Laugavellir

Laugavellir is a geothermal spot on the highland plateau north of Snaefell where hot water comes out of the ground and falls a short way into a shallow pool, so it is one of the few places in Iceland where you can sit under a warm waterfall rather than beside a spring. The pool has been improved with a low wall over the years but stays rough, and there is a hut and a shelter nearby. What defines the place is remoteness: the drive is hours of highland track with crossings, and it sits in the empty ground between Snaefell and the Jokuldalur, so most visits happen as part of a longer highland crossing rather than as a destination.

What you actually see

• A hot waterfall into a pool - rather than a spring to sit beside.
• A rough walled bathing spot - improved over the years but still basic.
• Highland emptiness - the plateau between Snaefell and Jokuldalur.
• A hut and shelter - the only structures for a long way.

When to go

July to early September, while F910 is passable. A full day.

Honest expectations

Getting there is genuine highland driving with unbridged rivers; this is not reachable in a normal car. There are no changing facilities and no supervision. Water temperature varies and can be too hot at the inflow. Weather on the plateau turns fast.

Nearby

Snaefell rises to the south; the Karahnjukar road runs west across the plateau.