Deildartunguhver

About Deildartunguhver

Deildartunguhver is the highest-flowing hot spring in Europe, a cluster of boiling vents beside Road 50 in Reykholtsdalur, Borgarfjörður, West Iceland, about 97 km from Reykjavík. It discharges around 180 litres of water per second at close to 100°C, bubbling and steaming out of a low rock bank next to a small river.

The spring is not a geyser, so there is no single eruption to wait for; instead you see a constant rolling boil and clouds of steam that are especially dramatic on cold days. Much of the water is piped away for district heating, and it supplies part of the hot water used in Borgarnes and Akranes. Look for tunguskollakambur, a variety of deer fern that grows around the spring and is known from nowhere else in the world.

A short paved path and viewing platforms lead from the car park to the vents in a couple of minutes. Parking is free and the site is open all year. The water is boiling, so stay behind the barriers and keep children close; the steam can also make the walkways slippery in winter. A visit takes 15 to 30 minutes.

Beside the spring is Krauma, a geothermal bathing complex that cools the spring's water with glacial water from Rauðsgil to fill its hot tubs, alongside a cold pool, saunas and a relaxation room. It is open all year, usually from 11:00 to 21:00; check the current admission price with Krauma before visiting.

Deildartunguhver fits well into a day in Borgarfjörður with the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, about 20 km further up the valley, the historic church site of Reykholt and the Víðgelmir lava cave. The nearest swimming pool is at Kleppjárnsreykir, about a kilometre away.