Lake Myvatn (Mývatn)
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Lake Myvatn (Mývatn)
Lake Myvatn in the north of Iceland defines awe and wander through the sheer variety of amazing natural features it showcases.
In its often eerie and mysterious surrounds, the landscape has been shaped by volcanic eruptions, resulting in explosive ash craters, effusive lava flows and extraordinary formations from the interaction of magma and water.
Pseudocraters dominate the south shore’s lunar landscape; Dimmu Borgir's labyrinth of lava pillars and the bubbling mud pools and solfataras at Namaskard never fail to fascinate and of course, the Nature Baths are perfect for a long hot soak at the end of a day of exploration.
Iceland’s fourth largest lake is on average only 2.5m deep (4.5m at most), with a surface area of around 37km2.
The lake and its surrounding wetlands are a protected nature reserve of global importance.
With an abundance of aquatic insects, the lake offers a constant food supply for ducks and another wildfowl.
By the way, Myvatn means ‘Midge Lake’ - however, these midges rarely bite but on a calm day, they can form swarms.
If they bother you, buy a head net available in service stations and shops in the area.
Dairy and sheep farms thrive at Myvatn, where warm summer days allow for good pasture and hay production.
Farmers have also benefited from harvesting duck eggs and hunting ducks, as well as fishing the lake's trout.
A local specialty is dung smoked trout, served with hot-spring baked bread - both can be bought at shops in the area.
Increasingly, tourism is becoming the region's key industry and employer and with so many amazing natural features to discover, it's not hard to see why.