Grjótagjá — Attraction in Iceland

If you’re around the Lake Mývatn area, definitely stop by and take a look into this unique cave.

Grjótagjá is a hidden gem in northern Iceland. A small lava cave with a crystal-clear geothermal hot spring inside. Once popular for bathing, the spring is no longer recommended for swimming due to fluctuating temperatures. Still, it’s absolutely worth a quick visit to admire the natural beauty. The contrast between the dark lava rocks and the vibrant blue water is stunning, and the setting feels both peaceful and otherworldly.

Game of Thrones fans may recognize it as a filming location, adding an extra layer of magic.

Do take care when climbing down the steps and rocks into the cave. It’s a small space—we managed to go in as two adults and two children, but there’s limited room to move around.

Also, take a moment to explore the area above the cave—there are visible cracks in the earth that give a striking reminder of Iceland’s volcanic activity and tectonic landscape.

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Going in thick snow during winter, the cave was actually hard to find if not because I was following a local who just arrived to take a soak inside the cave! There's a sign and a board with some information about the cave and how the waters were actually too hot in recent times to soak in. Perhaps it was a local red herring to dissuade pesky tourists from spoiling the natural beauty of the area especially after the GOT scene and its understandable. The entrance can be identified by a metal gate that may be locked since the whole area was supposedly on private land. Steps are made of stones and can be steep and slippery. As I said I've only managed to made it to the entrance since there was a local man that went in early and was stark naked soaking inside. So I can only assume the water is really warm and...

Very cool small cave, definitely worth for short stop to visit it. You'll be surprised by how small it actually is since in the Game of Thrones episode it looks much bigger! There is a large entrance and a smaller one to the left. The water is really warm, around 38-40 degrees, and the swimming is prohibited (although you could see local people soaking their feet). I would recommend going there on off hours, like early in the morning or evening to avoid the crowd since it can be crowded and there is only room for a couple of people in there. Just before you leave, you can turn right and take an off-road path to the Hverfjall volcano; you'll need to drive approx. 10-15min and turn left on exit (don't forget to close the fence); it saves you couple of min instead going back to the road where you...