North Iceland · Iceland
Grjótagjá
Grjótagjá is a small lava cave containing a strikingly blue geothermal spring — once a popular bathing spot and now famous worldwide as the filming location for a scene in Game of Thrones.
About Grjótagjá
Grjótagjá is a small lava cave containing a strikingly blue geothermal spring — once a popular bathing spot and now famous worldwide as the filming location for a scene in Game of Thrones.
History & Background
The cave's geothermal pool was used for bathing by locals for decades until the Krafla eruptions of 1975–1984 raised the water temperature to over 50°C — too hot for bathing. The temperature has slowly dropped and is now around 43–46°C but swimming is still officially discouraged. The cave featured in Game of Thrones Season 3 (2013) as Jon Snow and Ygritte's bathing scene, bringing it worldwide attention.
Key Facts
- ✔Water temperature approximately 43–46°C — too hot for bathing
- ✔Bathing was disrupted when Krafla eruptions raised temperature to 50°C in the 1970s
- ✔Featured in Game of Thrones Season 3 (2013)
- ✔The cave is a tectonic fissure between the North American and Eurasian plates
- ✔Short walk from Lake Mývatn
