Hveravellir (freely translated, the name simply means ‘hot springs’) is a beautiful intimate geothermal area located in the central part of Iceland, not far from Road 35.
Hveravellir Nature
The Hveravellir area lies 650 meters above sea level, is protected as a natural monument and is often considered the most beautiful geothermal area in Iceland.
It is certainly one of the country’s off-the-beaten-path gems. Beautiful hot springs with bubbling ponds and smoky fumaroles, a great restaurant, beautiful views of the surrounding Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers and a natural geothermal pool create a wonderful oasis, conducive to relaxation and respite in the middle of Route 35, through the middle of Iceland’s interior.
The vegetation of Hveravellir is primarily alpine species adapted to the specific harsh conditions. The most popular are sibbaldia procumbens (Sibbaldia procumbens), small edelweiss (omalotheca supina), alpine helleborine (alchemilla alpina), narrow-leaved woolly adelgid (Eriophorum angustifolium), swamp marm (triglochin palustis) or Icelandic lungwort (cetraria inslandica).
Hveravellir has been a protected area since 1960, when it was declared a natural monument due to its uniqueness. As a result, it is strictly forbidden to damage the local wildlife, including the hot springs in particular.
Near Hveravellir is the beautiful Kaldidalur Pass picturesquely located between the Þórisjökull and Langjökull glaciers. To the east of the glacier lies Lake Hvítárvatn with an area of about 30 square kilometers. It is the fifth largest lake in the country, with an average depth of 28 meters and the deepest point at 84 meters. While in the area, it is worth seeing.
The oldest description of the area comes from an expedition led by scientists Eggert Ólafsson and Bjarni Pálsson in 1752. As an interesting aside, it is also worth mentioning that around 1760, Iceland’s most famous outlaw couple – Fjalla-Eyvindur and his wife Halla – stayed in the Hveravellir area. If stories are to be believed, they hid there for as long as twenty years.
Hveravellir – tips and practical information
- There is a small hostel in Hveravellir with a campsite, cottages for rent, rooms of a high standard and a restaurant serving excellent cuisine (the dishes have been developed and the staff trained by one of Reykjavik’s well-known chefs).
- The hotel’s facilities include a restaurant and a restaurant.
- Guests of the hotel have a nice and spacious restaurant and high-standard bathrooms. Guests of the campground are unfortunately asked to prepare and eat their meals at tables outside (there is no ‘canteen’ or kitchen for them) and to use the bathrooms of a not-so-high standard, in a container outside.
- People who do not stay here overnight are asked to pay a fee of 500 ISK ($4) for the use of the toilet (maintaining it this far from civilization is neither easy nor cheap). Guests staying overnight are exempt from the fee.
- Example stay prices:
-3-room in a new building (hotel standard): 28,800 ISK ($210) per night per room;
-bed in the old building (hostel standard, 8-, 10- and 12-bed rooms): 7900 ISK ($58) per night, per person;
-camping: 1900 ISK ($14) per night, per person
-breakfast at a restaurant: 1800 ISK ($13) - Reservations should be made through:
-form on https://hveravellir.is/accommodation/
-mail info[at]hveravellir.is
-telephone: +354 452 4200
-camping does not require reservations – there is always free space
Hiking trails in Hveravellir
Three interesting hiking trails start at the Hveravellir hut:
- Green Trail (Green Trail, Eyvindarrétt Circle)
A roughly 3-kilometer loop for about 30-40 minutes. The trail passes through a moss-covered lava field and leads to the cave where Eyvindur and Halla (Isl.: Eyvindarhellir; English: Eyvindur cave) hid. Along the way you can see the hot spring named after them (Eyvindarhver), the volcanic rocks of the Eyvindur Homestead (Eyvindarrétt, Eyvindur Pen) inside which sheep were supposedly kept, and the turf-covered building built in later times. - Red Trail (Red Trail)
This is the road to Strytur – the crater of a volcano that erupted about 7,000 years ago. The trail is about 12 kilometers (and 240 meters of elevation gain), and will take about 3-4 hours to complete. If you want to go around the crater and descend to its interior, you will extend the trip about 2 km. The route leads through a lava field already partially overgrown with moss, through small streams and past fumaroles (volcanic ‘valves’ that release steam from underground). On this trail you can really feel like you are in a complete remote area, surrounded only by glaciers. - The Orange Trail (Orange Trail)
This trail leads to Thjofadalir (Þjófadalir), or the Valley of Thieves, who are said to have hidden here as well. The route is easy and flat, but a bit longer – 21 km in length, 145 m of elevation gain and about 4-5 hours of walking. It passes through both lava fields and flowery meadows. The trail also passes by the Thjofadalir mountain hut (Þjófadalir) run by the Iceland Touring Association – Ferðafélag Íslands (The Iceland Touring Association, FÍ).
How to get to Hveravellir
You can get to Hveravellir by car or bus.
It’s a good idea to fill up your car before entering the highlands. The nearest gas stations are about 100 km from Hveravellir: in the south near the Geysir geysers, and in the north on Road 1 – in Blonduos and Varmahlid (both about 100 km) or in Víðigerði (135 km).
If you drive your own car from Road 35 (formerly F35), you need to turn to road F735 southwest and drive about 2 km along it.
During the summer months the road is passable for most types of cars, although being a gravel road it is not recommended for the smallest cars. Also, make sure your rental company doesn’t treat Road 35 as an F35 mountain road and allow you to take the car you rent there. Unfortunately, you won’t get here if you have a requirement to drive only on paved roads (such as most large campers / motorhomes).
During the summer, SBA-Nordurleid offers regular bus service to Hveravellir (on the Kjölur route), with daily departures from Reykjavik and Akureyri.
Photos from Hveravellir
