Dimmuborgir and Grjótagjá

Dimmuborgir lava field 

Dimmuborgir - the Dark Fortress at Mývatn are a true wonder of nature and nowhere else to be seen in the world, i.e on dry land.  Dimmuborgir consist of huge lava rock formations which make you feel like you stepped into another world - a world of fairy-tales.

The formation of these extraordinary lava cliffs and pillars is caused by lava ponds, i.e. the hot lava streamed over these ponds trapping the water underneath the lava. Steam issued through vent in the lava pools and formed these pillars, which then remained standing even after the crust around them had gone away.

The rocks are brittle and fragile because of how they came to be made, so there is no climbing in them.

There are several bird species in Dimmuborgir which should not be disturbed, f.ex. the falcon, so it is very important to keep to the paths and not walk on roped-in areas, which are roped in for the protection of the vegetation. 

Dimmuborgir are 1 km in diameter with several walking paths - keep to the paths and follow the colour of the path you have chosen. While walking somewhere in the middle of Dimmuborgir it is easy to get lost if not following a certain path, as some of the lava formations look exactly the same and one can be almost certain that "I've been there before". 

One of the walking paths, which is called Kirkjuhringurinn - the Church route leads to Kirkjan - the Church. It is 2,4 km and takes ca 1 hour and takes you through extraordinary tall lava formations for half an hour until you reach the church. The sign says Kirkja.

Walk up the steps to an extraordinary cave open in both ends with a high-dome shaped roof.

Returning back you walk through sand hills and close the ring at the parking lot. Just remember that the name of the entrance to Dimmuborgir is Borgarás. The path is well marked and you cannot get lost, unless you get off the track or are there after dark...

Jólasveinahellirinn - the Cave of the Yule Lads

I love visiting Dimmuborgir - there is even a hidden cave here where the Icelandic Yule lads live!

Here in Iceland we have 13 Yule lads, which are quite different from Santa Claus. There are records of names of more than 70 Yule Lads, but somehow these 13 Yule lads have stayed with us until the modern times.

They aren't as bad as their parents, but they are quite ill-mannered and who wouldn't be after having been raised by the two terrible trolls, Grýla and Leppalúði!

The Yule lads sleep in their cave during summer time and can rarely be seen walking around as they are resting. In November and December it is a different story, then there is a good chance of running into a mischievous Yule lad. I visited their cave twice last summer and was lucky enough not to run into them in their cave. 

In their strangely formed natural cave there are beds for each and every one of the Yule lads  with their personal belongings and it is fun poking around in there looking at all their stuff - as long as they don't come back to find you in their cave - poking around going through their stuff!!

There is a kitchen in the cave and you can find their laundry hanging up to dry, so it seems like they just popped out and could be back any minute now. 

Thirteen days before Christmas the first Yule lad comes to inhabited areas and then a new one arrives every day until the last one arrives on the 24th of December. We Icelanders celebrate Christmas on the evening of the 24th of December. 

It is not easy finding this cave, but so worth it if you manage to stumble upon it.

The View-Dial at Dimmuborgir

You will find a beautiful view-dial by Dimmuborgir parking lot.  Where ever I travel in Iceland I look for view-dials.  The designer of this view-dial is Jakob Hálfdanarson, my father-in-law (see my photo below), and it was erected by Náttúruverndarráð (Wildlife Conservation), Skútustaðahreppur rural district and Landgræðslan (Soil Conservation Service of Iceland).

My father-in-law has been making view-dials for decades here in Iceland and before him his uncle, Jón Víðis, was in the view-dial business, but he designed the first view-dial in Iceland, located in Seltjarnarnes on the Great-Reykjavík area.

The view-dial at Dimmuborgir is still so bright and shiny, like it has just been erected. The harsh weather in Iceland sadly sometimes ruins the chrome on the view-dials, but not here at Dimmuborgir.  But then something else happens, people have started to ruin our view-dials by scratching their names or initials on the beautiful chrome plate :(

These view-dials are extremely expensive, so this is such a shame. Why people do this is beyond me and I wish there was a way to stop this from happening.

This view-dial was erected in 1990.  It is molten cylindric with a chrome plate with a time of three hours.  It stands on top of an octagon wooden podium with a star - very beautiful!

View-dials are so useful as they show the names of all the mountains in the area.

Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá rift is close to Dimmuborgir.  It is one of the best known caves in Iceland. It has got two entrances and steps leading down to it. It is half-full with geothermal water and people used to bathe in it, women on one side and men on the other side.

During the eruption of Mt. Krafla in 1975-1984, which is very close to Grjótagjá, the temperature of the water rose so it couldn't be used for bathing until 2004. The temperature of the water is now too hot for bathing.

I dipped my feet in the water and it was very hot, somebody said it was around 50 degrees C!

There is a path which leads you from Dimmuborgir to Grjótagjá geothermal spring. It is only a couple of km away.  And it can be accessed by car, there is a parking lot right below Grjótagjá.

Be careful here as we don't want anybody to fall into the hot water on their way down the rocky entrance.

Grjótagjá belongs to the farmers at Vogar, so it is private property and forbidden to bathe in it - even if the water would be less hot.  But examining this beautiful pearl of nature and taking photos of it is allowed.

There are several guided tours to Mývatn, f.ex. Mývatn Super Jeep tour, Myvatn Sightseeing and Hot Springs Tour from Akureyri, Myvatn Sight Seeing Tour and Hot Springs with Flight, Northern Lights Holiday by Lake Myvatn | 5 Day Trip and Mývatn is included in the ​7 Day Self Drive Tour | North Iceland & Mývatn.

https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/dimmuborgir---dark-fortress-in-myvatn