Grjótagjá

About Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá is a small lava cave with a geothermal pool inside, a few kilometres east of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland, close to Hverfjall and the Mývatn Nature Baths. The cave sits along a fissure in the lava, and the water in the pool is a clear, strong blue.

The cave has a long history as a bathing place. In the early 18th century the outlaw Jón Markússon is said to have lived here and bathed in the spring, and local people used it for bathing until the 1970s. During the Krafla eruptions between 1975 and 1984 the water temperature rose above 50°C, and it has remained too hot for safe bathing since; reports put it at around 45 to 50°C today. Grjótagjá gained international attention as a filming location for the third season of Game of Thrones, in the episode 'Kissed by Fire'.

The cave belongs to the farm Vogar, and the landowners do not allow bathing; signs at the entrance make this clear. Visitors can climb down to look at the pool, which takes only a few minutes, but the rocks are uneven and can be slippery, so take care and do not touch or enter the water. Entry is free.

Grjótagjá is reached by a short gravel road off Route 1 near Mývatn, with a small parking area a short walk from the cave. It can be visited all year, though the approach can be icy in winter. Combine it with Hverfjall, Námaskarð and the Mývatn Nature Baths, where bathing in geothermal water is permitted.