Hike to the Hot Springs up Reykjadalur

It is 11pm and I am at the base of Reykjadalur, one of Iceland’s geothermal valleys. Just a short 40 minute drive from Reykjavik to Hveragerði, drive straight through the town to reach a gravel road that leads to Reykjadalur. The path leads up the volcano in between two streams. One carries boiling water; the other is ice cold. The guttural noises from the trembling pots can be heard across the valley. It sounds as though something large and violent is tying to push its way out of the ground.

The sulphuric air is cold and fresh and promises of a warm bath at the top. That is what is keeping me going along this lunar landscape. Many people flock to these naturally occurring geothermal baths for their alleged healing powers.

Iceland has an abundance of hot springs that have been used by her residents to heat their homes for the last century. Today, geothermal energy heats more than 90% of the homes in Iceland and produces 25% of the nation’s electricity. The remainder is produced by hydropower, making this country one of the cleanest in the world.

By midnight, under a clear-blue sky, we reach the springs filled with boiling water. Interestingly, each one is a different colour. They look like pots of witches’ potion in hues of black, red, blue, and green. The jagged crown of the obsidian ridge juts out overhead and seems like it has been frozen in mid-explosion.