Húsavík and Mývatn, 20 Aug 2026
We spent the morning on a whale-watching boat, and the afternoon looking at geothermal features and taking a dip in a geothermal spa.
Whale watching
The hotel we are at serves a buffet breakfast, so we joined others to eat. After that, we returned to our rooms to get warm clothes on, then walked a few minutes to where we needed to check in for our whale-watching boat. We had walked over along the harbor, then walked up the stairs to check in, passing what looked like a place where you change into floatation suits. However, the woman checking us in made sure to point out that we would be given suites on the boat, and to not go into the room we saw.
There were a lot of people waiting at the dock, and while the boat looked to be a good size, we were wondering how much competition there would be for getting to the side of the boat to look for whales. When the crew was ready, we followed them down the dock and onto the boat, where we were given our suits and started putting them on. It felt quite warm, but we were thinking it would be colder on the water. I had a few layers on, but started without a hat or gloves, figuring I could put them on if necessary (it wasn’t).
We started heading out, and the crew explained what we were looking for to find whales: black spots on the water, spray from their blowholes, many birds gathering, or large splashes. With that primer, we set out into Skjálfandi Bay.
Once we got further into the bay, there started to be some activity. We saw a northern bottlenose whale, which the guide said was pretty lucky, since they can dive for over an hour. There were other boats around too (the various whale-watching boats communicate to help each other find whales) and eventually we saw a couple of the whales at the same time.
We moved to another area and saw a basking shark swimming near enough to the surface that both its fin and the tip of its tail were above water. There was another boat nearby which got an even closer look, with the shark going right next to it.
It had taken time for those two sightings, and after looking at the shark, it was time to return to the harbor. While we were doing so, they served hot chocolate and cookies, which was a nice idea. As we got into the harbor, people quickly took off their floatation suits and then disembarked quickly after the boat moored.
We had some time for lunch, so we went with a few other people to a food truck to get kabob plates which we took back to the hotel to eat.
Mývatn region
Our first stop of the afternoon was at the Hverir Geothermal Area, a highly active geothermal field. We saw fumaroles, mud pots, and many colors of deposits along the ground. As can be expected, there was a strong sulphur smell, but that didn’t seem to deter the many people there.
Our next stop was Grjótagjá Lava Cave, where we crawled through a fissure which is part of the Krafla volcanic system. When you climb in, there is basalt all around you and a very blue pool at the bottom. The pool used to be a natural bathing spot, but volcanic activity 70 to 60 years ago made the temperature rise significantly. The water has cooled since then, but the temperature is still variable, so bathing in it is prohibited.
After we were done at Grjótagjá, we went to Earth Lagoon, the geothermal spa near where we were. This one was much more tourist-oriented than the community pools that we went to in Reykjavik, but it sounded similar to the experience that others had at the Blue Lagoon. When you check in, you get a wristband which will let you in and lock your locker. After showering and changing, we went into the water which was an aqua blue and opaque. We wandered all around the large pool, and met up with the rest of the group at a shelf which overlooked Lake Mývatn. Several of them had gotten drinks from the bar at the other end of the pool (you scan your wristband and pay at the end), so we all hung out for a while.
After a while, we went to check out the steam bath, then went in to change back. The wristband unlocks your locker (and if you forget which one you used, an attendant can help you find it) and you scan it one last time to exit. The gates you leave through have a tray that opens up where you place your wristband. Pretty slick.
After the drive back to the hotel, a large group was going out together, but Melody and I found a different restaurant where we split a poke bowl and crème brûlée before returning to the room for the evening.
