Hveradalir Geothermal Area

This Hveradalir sits on the Hellisheiði pass, an easy drive east of Reykjavík and just off the Ring Road. Wooden boardwalks lead past bubbling grey mud pools and warm bathing pools under steaming hillsides, with basic changing rooms and showers on site. A local family runs it on trust: bathing costs nothing, and you pay only for the car park. It stays low-key and often near-empty, a relaxed first or last stop on a trip out of the capital.