Hveradalir Geothermal Area

The draw is the mud. Two of the three pools are filled with soft mud that bathers coat themselves in and let dry; the third holds clear hot water. A hose runs to the mud pools, so bathers set the temperature themselves — cool it right down or leave it boiling. Behind the pools a short trail crosses the geothermal ground, with information on the field and its history. The site is family-run, quiet and off the main tourist route, and visitors regularly have it to themselves.

• Facilities: A changing room, shower and toilets stand beside the pools. They are basic but clean, and soap is provided in the shower area.
• Small site: The pools take only a few people at a time. A large group fills the place and leaves nowhere to wait.
• Building work: The site is under construction and improvements are ongoing. The pools and the changing room stay in use.
• Time needed: An hour in the mud pools is a normal visit.

Visitors arrive by car. Map directions lead straight to the car park, and from there it is a few steps over level ground to the pools. The site sits just off the road in Ölfus, within an easy drive of Reykjavik, which makes it a workable first stop on the way out of the capital. There is no approach walk to speak of: the changing room and all three pools stand together beside the parking area.

Better: Cool, damp days.

Avoid: Arriving in a large group.

The pools are geothermal, so cold and foggy weather takes nothing away from a mud bath. The site itself is small and suits only a few people at once, and a large party leaves no room. It lies off the main tourist route, so a single group often has all three pools.