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The Mývatn (Mückensee) is in the northeast of Iceland. Its name comes from the huge swarms of mosquitoes that form on the lake in summer. Because of the natural spectacles on site, but also as a starting point for excursions to the other highlights of the north, the Myvatn is considered to be Reykjavík as the second most important tourist destination in Iceland.
places
Around 400 people live around the lake, and in summer the entire area lives from tourism. The largest place with about 200 inhabitants is 1 Reykjahlíð in the northeast of the lake and therefore the best starting point. Here you will find hotels, a campsite, a supermarket, two souvenir shops and snack bars. The tourist information is also located here. In the south is with 2 Skutustadir a smaller town with a small souvenir shop and hotels. The west side of the lake is almost uninhabited.
Other goals
- Jökulsárgljúfur National Park The Jökulsa Canyon (pronounced short form) is the largest attraction in the northeast and one of the most beautiful hiking areas in Iceland. It includes the Dettifoss, Europe's largest waterfall. It is very remote and can only be reached for a few weeks in midsummer due to the poor road conditions. For this you have to observe the approval of the local authorities.
- Godafoss One of the largest waterfalls in Iceland is about 50 km from Mývatn directly on the ring road.
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Mývatn is the fourth largest natural lake in Iceland. It has an area of approx. 37 km² and is 2-4 m deep. There are 50 islands in the lake. It is also world famous for its rich bird life because nowhere else do so many species of ducks breed in the same place. With the gigantic swarms of mosquitoes, the birds find the best feeding conditions. The Mývatn and the Laxá River have been under nature protection since 1974.
getting there
You can reach the Mývatn via the ring road 1. From Akureyri it's about 100 kilometers. Halfway there you come to the waterfall Goðafoss which is a few hundred meters from the ring road. If you arrive by SBA bus, you can ask the driver whether you can stop at the bus stop for a short time. Since the drivers know about the attraction, you can at least take a distant view of the waterfall. The ring road continues east to the location 175 km away Egilsstaðir.
In the immediate vicinity of Reykjahlíð is the little one 1 Mývatn Airport
(IATA: MVA), it has a 1055 m long runway and is only of local importance. Of Reykjavík Guided day tours are also offered from. You fly there in the morning and back again in the evening. On site you will then be taken to the attractions by bus. If you are already on Mývatn, you can join these tours from the tourist information office.
mobility
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There is a taxi at the lake, accessible from the property or the tourist office. Various hotels also offer a driver service, the price is then a matter of negotiation.
Bus stops are at the SEL Hotel in Skutustadir and at the tourist information office in Reykjahlið. In summer, buses run along the ring road on the route Akureyri-Egilsstaðir at both stops daily. In winter this is only the case a few times a week. There is also a bus connection from Reykjahlið to Húsavík, approx. 60 km.
Many routes are ideal for hiking, but you should keep an eye on the distances. Reykjahlið and Skutustadir are 15 km apart.
In summer there are many bus tour providers.
Mosquitoes
The swarms of mosquitoes are a tourist attraction in their own right. The first appear at the end of May, things really get going from June and the plague subsides again at the end of August. There are two types of mosquitoes, only one of which is stinging (but harmless) and only the females. The stinging species only comes in at the end of June. In contrast to the locals, tourists sometimes wear protective nets, and locals like to wag their hands. That's why tourists always consider the residents of the lake to be so friendly, because they keep waving.
Tourist Attractions
The area around the Mývatn lies on the border between the American and European continental plates and is still geothermally active today. The last volcanic eruptions occurred in 1975-1984. The various varieties of volcanic phenomena are worth seeing.
- 1 Hverarond solfataras: Below Námafjall there are sulfur springs with a smell that can take your breath away. They are among the most famous attractions in Iceland. From Reykjahlið it is about 4 km. Pay attention to the barriers and do not cross them for a better photo. The ground is very unstable and you break through if you are unlucky. Whoever does it anyway can report here afterwards what it is like to stand in boiling sulfuric acid.
- 2 Krafla crevice volcano with thermal power station. The somewhat remote power plant generates an output of 60 MW
- The 3 Dimmuborgir is a labyrinth of solidified lava columns that can be explored via a number of color-marked circular routes. It's shaped bizarre even by Icelandic standards. The paths should not be left, there are numerous crevices in the lava, partly covered by plants. There is a café and shop by the car park at the entrance to Dimmuborgir. During the Christmas season, the 13 trolls appear here Yule Lads, they are said to be at home in this lava field.
- 4 Hverfjall, A crater next to Dimmuborgir, which can be climbed in two ways and hiked around on the crater rim. Once around the crater takes about 1 hour and is a slightly more strenuous but manageable walk if you are in a normal condition.
- The 5 Pseudocrater of Skútustaðir are right next to the ring road. Anyone staying in a hotel there can see it from there and take a walk over it. From the outside they look like normal, smaller volcanic craters, but they were created very differently. Hot lava flowed over the water below, creating explosive hot steam and blasting the craters into the still liquid lava. Similar to the process of the formation of cheese bubbles on a pizza, only on a much larger scale.
- 6 Fuglasafn Sigurgeir, Ytri-Neslöndum, 660 Mývatn. Almost all birds native to Iceland can be seen in the bird museum. The museum has a café.
- 7 Höfði, a nature reserve with beautiful birch forests.
- Mývatnsstofa - Guest Center of the Environment Agency - Exhibition on the Mývatn biotope and its history, Hraunvegur 8, tel. 464-4460 / 822-4039 see Tourist Information
activities
- Hiking in Iceland
- There is a private tour operator www.myflug.is in Reykjahlið. But it only starts in summer.
- 1 Myvatn Naturebath. Similar to the Blue Lagoon, there has been a natural swimming pool approx. 2 km from Reykjahlið for several years. The water is a little clearer than in the original.
- Reykjahlið also has a normal swimming pool.
- Several on-site hotels offer a program of activities such as snowmobiling and horse riding. Winter sports have also become fashionable in recent years.
- Hike and Bike, Based in Reykjahlið, guided tours, bike rental
shop
In Reykjahlið is a 1 Samkaup - supermarket with petrol station,
Accommodations
Reykjahlið and the surrounding area
Skutustaðir and surroundings
Practical advice
trips
- A day trip to the approx. 70 km away Húsavík can be used for a whale watching tour.
literature
Web links
- Official tourism site with information brochures to download.
- Mývatn nature reserve English
- Mývatn
