Soak in natural hot springs and admire dreamy snowy landscapes – Shiver while soaking at “Mývatn Nature Baths”

Text & Photos／Kavanah

Iceland is rich in geothermal resources and boasts numerous hot springs. Famous spots like the Blue Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon Silica Hotel are must-visits for anyone traveling to Iceland. In addition to the Blue Lagoon, there are many other hot springs where you can soak, and the Mývatn Nature Baths are the second most renowned, just after the Blue Lagoon. It’s a famous attraction that you can’t miss when visiting Iceland.

In winter, it gets dark very early in Iceland. By 4:00 PM, it was already extremely dark. When we arrived at the Mývatn Nature Baths, a fierce snowstorm was raging—it was freezing cold. We quickly opened the trunk, took out towels, bath towels, slippers, and other toiletries, then dashed into the building of the Mývatn Nature Baths.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but worry: Is it really okay to soak in a hot spring in such cold weather? Will I freeze to death?

This is the counter at the Mývatn Nature Baths—where you pay and enter.

Prices are divided into winter (Oct. 1–May 14) and summer (May 15–Sept. 30). There are different ticket types: regular, youth, student, and senior. We bought the most expensive regular ticket for Kr 3,800 (about NT$1,098). While buying the tickets, we saw other visitors showing discount vouchers at the counter. I wonder where those vouchers come from? I’m guessing they’re provided by local hotels when you stay with them? I recommend asking your hotel near Mývatn if they offer any.

The souvenir shop near the hotel.

The restaurant, which sells some simple food.

After paying, the staff gives you a metal token used for the locker. Walking in, you follow the corridor to the area shown above—the slipper zone. After taking off your shoes, go through the right door to the lockers, changing rooms, and showers.

Of course, photography isn’t allowed inside, so you’ll have to see it for yourself—Up to you to check it out.

After changing, I first walked around the hot spring pool area with my camera. At that time, the outdoor thermometer showed “-1.6°C,” but with the fierce wind, the actual feeling was definitely much colder. It was really freezing. My hands holding the camera were shaking non-stop, so I quickly snapped a few photos and hurried back inside to put the camera away and get ready to soak in the hot spring—Up.

By the way, the building shown above is the “steam room.” It’s recommended to steam beforehand, especially since it’s so cold outside.

The water in the Mývatn Nature Baths comes from a nearby geothermal power plant. The used water from the power plant is cooled down and then channeled into the warm pools for visitors to soak in.

This is the nearby geothermal power plant.

It was very dark, plus the heavy snowstorm, making it impossible to capture beautiful scenery.

The specialty of the Mývatn Nature Baths is that the water is not very hot—it’s practically lukewarm. The temperature isn’t high to begin with, and the winter chill makes the heat dissipate even faster. Even though it’s a “hot spring,” I was still shivering the whole time, constantly searching for hot water outlets to warm up.

The bottom right is the hot pool, the warmest spot in the entire Mývatn Nature Baths area. Only in that warm pool do you truly get the feeling of soaking in a hot spring.

Because my travel companion forgot to take the towel, we came back to the Mývatn Nature Baths “Mývatn Nature Baths” again early the next morning. The weather that day was better, and the nicer weather also made the Mývatn Nature Baths look better.

A view of the bathing area taken through the glass window—it was much prettier than when we visited in the evening the previous day. I recommend that if you visit the Mývatn Nature Baths in winter, come around noon for better lighting and higher temperatures.

Mývatn Nature Baths “Mývatn Nature Baths”

Business Hours:
Summer: 09:00–24:00
Winter: 12:00–22:00
Ticket Prices (Adult):
Summer: kr 4300
Winter: kr 3800

Kavanah @ Kyoto Freestyle Stay.
Kavana X Japan Travel Frenzy