Stóragjá is a fissure in the lava at Reykjahlíð, in Northeast Iceland. A cave at the bottom holds a pool of geothermally warmed water, and metal stairs lead down to it from the path. The pool has been used for bathing as an alternative to nearby Grjótagjá. The water is warm rather than hot, and it deepens quickly. Above the water the fissure runs on as a canyon you can walk, and the site stays quiet while other stops around Mývatn fill with people.
Stóragjá Fissure
Local name: Stóragjá
When the eruptions of 1975–84 pushed the water in Grjótagjá above 50 °C, bathers moved to Stóragjá instead.
- Entrance
- Free.
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible: neither the car park nor the entrance. Metal stairs lead down into the fissure.
- Parking
- Free car park by the road. It is small and easy to miss.
- Difficulty
- A walk in from the roadside car park, then metal stairs down into the fissure. A ladder at the far end of the canyon is the easier way out.
- Transport
- Self-drive (edge of Reykjahlíð)
- Hours
- Open 24 hours.
- Address
- 660 Reykjahlíð
What makes it special
The pool at the bottom is the point, and you have to get into it to see much. The cave is small, and a photograph from dry ground needs a very long selfie stick. The water is warm rather than hot, and it deepens quickly — the first step in is not a shallow one. At the back, a rope runs into a flooded passage. The first stretch is short and stays in the light. The second goes dark and needs an underwater torch. Above the water the fissure carries on as a canyon you can walk. Most stops around Mývatn are busy with people; this one is not.
Good to know
- Gnats: in still air they are the reason people cut a visit short. Pick a day with some wind.
- After heavy rain: the pool and the cave area flood, and the way in and out is no longer dependable.
- Photography: the pool cannot be shot from dry ground. Plan to stand in the water, and bring something to dry your feet on.
- Bathing: the water is warm rather than hot, and it gets deep quickly from the edge.
Getting there
The car park is a small pull-in at the roadside, and it is easy to miss on the first pass. From there a path runs straight ahead to a set of metal stairs, which drop into the fissure. At the far end of the canyon there is a ladder, and it is the easier way back out.
Best time to visit
Best: a breezy day. Avoid: the days after heavy rain, and still air.
The gnats around Mývatn decide how long you stay. Without a breeze they swarm, and standing at the edge of the pool stops being pleasant. Heavy rain floods the pool and the cave, and the way in and out is no longer dependable. Weather matters more here than the hour you turn up.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
Similar Places
Stóragjá Fissure on the map
The pool deepens quickly from the edge. A rope leads from the cave into a flooded passage; past the first short stretch it is dark and needs an underwater torch. That dive is for experienced divers, and never alone. After heavy rain the cave floods and the way in and out is not dependable.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you get into the water at Stóragjá?
Yes. There is a pool of warm water in the cave, and it has been used as a bathing spot. Expect warm rather than hot, and expect it to deepen quickly from the edge.How do you get down into the fissure?
A path leads from the roadside car park to metal stairs that drop into the fissure. At the far end of the canyon a ladder gives an easier way out.Is it worth going after heavy rain?
The pool and the cave area flood, and the way in and out is no longer dependable. The canyon above the water is still walkable.Can you dive the passage at the back?
A rope runs into it. The first stretch is short and stays in the light; the second is dark and needs an underwater torch. Experienced divers only, and not alone.