north iceland
About
Grjótagjá is located near Mývatn in North Iceland, between Route 1 and Dimmuborgir. Key features: - Small lava cave (rift in tectonic plates) - Natural geothermal pool (bright blue water) - Temperature: ~50°C (too hot for bathing) - Game of Thrones filming location (Season 3) History: - Used for bathing for decades - Krafla eruptions (1975-84) raised water temperature - Bathing now prohibited (too hot, fragile environment) - Cave remains accessible for viewing Access: - Gravel road from Route 1 near Mývatn - 5 min walk from parking - FREE - Ladder/stairs into cave - Open year-round Safety: - DO NOT bathe (prohibited, dangerous temperature) - Cave floor uneven - Low ceiling (watch head) - Can be crowded Combine with: Mývatn Nature Baths, Hverir, Dimmuborgir Visit duration: 15-20 minutes. Nearby: Mývatn (5 km), Hverir (3 km).
📖 Story
Grjótagjá is a rift cave formed where North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart. For decades, locals bathed in the geothermal pool inside the tiny cave. Then in the 1970s-80s, Krafla eruptions heated the water to unsafe temperatures (50°C+), ending bathing. The pool remains stunningly blue — you can climb down and see it (but no swimming). Game of Thrones filmed Jon Snow's cave scene here in Season 3. The cave is small, atmospheric, and beautifully lit by blue water reflecting on rock walls.
✈️ Why Visit
Walk into a lava rift cave with electric-blue geothermal pool — Game of Thrones filming location with stunning underground hot spring.
💡 Did You Know?
Grjótagjá cave is literally in the Mid-Atlantic Rift — the crack where North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are separating.
Key Facts
Lava cave with hot spring
Electric-blue pool
Game of Thrones filming spot
Too hot for bathing (50°C+)
5 min from Route 1
📍 GPS Location
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