Iceland is full of hidden gems and the Land of Fire and Ice never fails to surprise you. Grjótagjá is one of those places. Looking like merely another rift in the ground and often nearly impossible to find when the this natural geothermal spring is blanketed in fog from the surrounding geothermal field or covered with snow, the cave is a magical place you won’t ever forget.
Grjótagjá can be hard to find, especially in winter
We’ve been to the Blue Lagoon and the Mývatn Nature Baths in Iceland. Both are fantastic and must visit attractions when in Iceland, but there’s just something extra special about soaking in a natural geothermal spring or hot pot. We learned about Grjótagjá, a natural geothermal spring in a cave, from our guide on our Lake Mývatn tour with Saga Travel. Our local guide is a regular Grjótagjá bather and encouraged us to come back and give it a try ourselves.
Tim climbing down in to the men’s cave at Grjótagjá
Grjótagjá is a small lava cave and the thermal spring is inside. The water is heated from volcanic activity deep within the earth. Bathing in the cave dates back to the 18th century when the Icelandic outlaw Jón Markússon lived in the area and bathed there. Until the 1970s many Icelanders bathed at Grjótagjá, men in one cave and women in another. The Krafla eruptions from 1975 to 1984 caused the water in the cave to rise above 50°C. Water temperatures forced the “closing” of the caves. The water temperature did eventually return to a more suitable degree in the ’90s and bathing has resumed in the men’s cave.
Grjótagjá did get its 15 minutes of fame when Jon Snow sealed the deal with Ygritte in Game of Thrones Season 3, so if you’re a fan of the show the cave should definitely be on your Iceland Game of Thrones filming locations bucket list.
It was already dark when we arrived back at the cave, since Icelandic winter days are so short. Tim put a headlamp on and we clambered down the snowy, icy entrance into the cave. A few of the rocks had snow on them, but mostly the steam kept the cave toasty warm. We quickly undressed and eased ourselves into the hot water. At 43°C or 109°F, it was easy to quickly forget that the wind was howling and it was snowing outside.
Inside Grjótagjá
After a few minutes of wondering if it was really a good idea to be inside a cave in a country with 130 volcanoes and New Year’s Eve predictions that a huge eruption is imminent when no one knew where we were, the steamy hot water did its job and eased my tensions away. Holding up our little head lamp, we took turns swimming off the ledge and exploring the cave a bit. It was actually quite large inside and we estimated that probably 100 people could fit comfortably inside.
Enjoying the soothing geothermal waters of Grjótagjá
After a while, the beam of headlights reflecting off the snowy entrance to the cave alerted us that we were about to have company. I thought for sure that we would have the cave to ourselves. But soon enough two Icelanders quickly descended into the cave and disrobed. It was immediately clear that they bathe at Grjótagjá regularly; their speed with getting down into the cave was impressive and they knew just where to wedge two torches into the cave ceiling. The routine seemed to be soak and chat, swim off behind your own rock, shampoo up, dunk to rinse, and then relax on the rocks.
While nude bathing isn’t very typical in Iceland, the locals that joined us did strip down to their birthday suits. So don’t be surprised if you see locals using it like their bath tub at home.
The locals like to keep Grjótagjá somewhat secret, though our guide encouraged us to give it a try since we were staying nearby at Vogafjós Guesthouse. But you won’t find a bath in Grjótagjá cave on any tour.
*Note that we have received reports that bathing is prohibited at Grótagjá since we were last there for the second time in 2014. We have not been able to confirm this, though we suspect people may be finding the women’s cave which did have a sign even back when we first visited in 2013 that it is too hot to bathe in. At the time we bathed in the cave, the men’s cave was a suitable temperature for bathing and used by locals.
Know Before You Go
- It is a natural lava cave. You will need a headlamp, flashlight, or torch to illuminate the cave.
- Bring a towel to dry off.
- Icelanders bathe au naturel, so don’t be surprised if you have company in the cave.
Deb says
Looks like fun. Glad no earthquakes happened, especially since no one knew where you were. I’ve got images of Aaron Ralston running through my head. 😉 Cute boots in that first photo I love it!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I should be an advertisement for Moon Boots, Deb. I’ve gotten so many comments and questions about them. They are actually very functional – great on ice with the “suction cups” on the bottom and toasty warm.
I really thought we would have the cave to ourselves, but it is frequented by locals. My worries were unfounded as someone would have seen our car and found us had there been an earthquake or eruption. But we really should do a better job of just letting our hotel or guesthouse know when we head out to do adventurous things like cave bathing…just in case.
Ali says
Looks like a fun experience, though I’m not sure how I’d feel about having to go back in the cold after soaking in that hot water!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Actually the water was so hot and the cave so steamy, that the short walk from the cave to the car felt refreshing. I wasn’t cold at all!
Sofie says
I’d love to give that a trie sometime!
But didn’t you get cold when you got back out to put your clothes on again? Or was it really that hot in the cave also?
Jennifer Dombrowski says
It was really that hot in the cave, Sofie. The cold air was truly refreshing! But, we did only have a short 5 minute walk back to car.
Vickie says
It sounds lovely. Great photos, great find. My most memorable experience was at a thermal spring in Chile. It was fairly isolated and squeezed between two towering lava cliffs lush with dark green ferns. An unforgettable experience.
The Geométricas Hot Springs are located within the majestic beauty of the Villarica National Park, near the towns of Coñaripe and Pucón. The hot springs boast 16 separate thermal pools with water temperatures that vary between 95°F and 108°F (35°C and 42°C) and 4 fresh water pools.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
That sounds fantastic, Vickie! We’d love to visit Chile someday soon. We’ll have to keep this spring in mind to seek out when we do make it there!
megan says
We’re heading there next week… hoping to find these caves. Do you think they would be easy to find on our own w/o a tour, if we had a map? And can one tell which is the man’s cave and which is the woman’s? It sounds like the man’s one is a few degrees too hot for safety, no? 109F is hot enough for me!
thanks for sharing your adventures! your information has been very helpful with planning.
Jennifer says
Hi Megan! How was your trip to Iceland? Did you find the caves? Sorry it took us a bit to reply; we’ve had quite a hectic travel schedule the last few weeks.
Mark says
Hi Jennifer & Tim,
Next March we will be visiting Iceland and these caves in particular. I’ve read that the icelanders bath “au naturel”. This means that they don’t use swimming suit? They bath naked?!?!
Sameera says
This looks mind blowing. What time of the year did you go? And how did you get there? We are planning to visit Iceland coming May..i’m so putting this on my list. thanks
J says
Hi! Is the road getting there paved (looks like you went during winter)? And is the path clearly marked from car park to cave? Thanks! Beautiful photos!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
No, the road isn’t paved but it is a very short drive on a dirt road to the parking area. The caves are not marked as the locals really try to keep the caves a secret.
Mark Revall says
What was the date of your Grjótagjá Iceland thermal cave visit? We are going end of March 2016 and curious how much snow is around and about then?
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Mark! We’ve been there in January when there has been quite a bit of snow and also in September when there is no snow. In March, there will still be snow in the north of Iceland.
Colleen says
I just returned from Iceland and went here. There is a very clear sign that getting into the springs is forbidden without family permission. The land is privately owned. So my question is: did this “adventure couple” get family permission to enter the water?
Jennifer Dombrowski says
No, this “adventure couple” did not get permission. When we visited and bathed in Grjotagja in 2013, there were no signs and this was public land. As we said in the post, other Icelanders were bathing in the cave too and we were encouraged to give it a try by a local guide. There still were not any signs forbidding bathing in September 2014 when we were back at Grjotagja.
In addition, Iceland has the Almannaréttur (“Everyman’s Right”) law that allows everyone to enjoy Iceland’s natural treasures. Now, we cannot speak to the temperature of the water. It is quite possible that it has increased since the Bardarbunga eruption and is no longer a safe temperature to bathe in as even in 2013 one of the two caves was too hot for bathing. That should be verified with a local, such as the proprietor at a local guest house or local guides.
Vincent says
Hi Jennifer !
Thank you for the wonderful blog.
Would like to know if a 2WD is suffice for the ring road, including Grjotagja if I’m traveling early November?
Vince
Jennifer Dombrowski says
The north can get snow as early as September. I’d really recommend the 4WD, especially if you want to be able to drive out to any of the waterfalls or attractions.
Steve Benner says
Times have changed in Iceland. Bathing is strictly prohibited at Grjótagjá now and you will be fined it you are caught doing it.
Dan says
Thank you for all of the useful information!
My wife, son and I are going to Iceland in February. My son is 5, what will he not be able to do? He’s adventurous and careful (I know, sounds conflicting), will Grjótagjá be an option for us?
Any other recommendations for our family?
Thanks!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Dan! It’s not a question of your son being adventurous and careful. Certainly with anything that is accessible to the public, it is your decision as a parent whether something is a suitable activity for your son to do. Other things like tours or baths where you pay an entry will be up to the operator’s rules as to whether your son meets the minimum age requirements.
Go Iceland Car Rental says
Wow. We are surprised. According to our info, it is too warm to bathe there. You sure showed them! 🙂 Good job. Happy travels!
Angus says
For those who are curious, bathing here was not an option in May of 2016. There is now a permanent looking sign outside that is very clear: “the public is prohibited from bathing or use of caves for purposes other than inspection or photography” and that violation can result in expulsion from the area.
It was still fun to visit and see the cave, though.
Unitedstatesian says
Yep, I second Angus above. Big sign saying it is private property, too dangerous, no bathing, etc… good for taking pics and exploring the split falt line above 🙂
Jennifer Dombrowski says
It’s possible the water temperature increased when volcanic activity was high two years ago. At the time we published this, bathing was allowed and very common among locals.
Another possibility is tourists abusing the place, as with the DC3 plane crash site that is on a farmer’s property. Tourists were being disrespectful and he had enough of his land being destroyed. Now you need permission and can only go there by foot. Some people ruin it for all.
Sabrina Milton says
I loved this blog post so much good information. Only thing i was wondering was this free or did it cost any money to enter? Leaving for Iceland next week and trying to make a final budget.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
There was not a cost to enter. As we noted though, it may now be too hot to bathe in since the Bardabunga eruption in 2014.
Thorsteinn Kolbeinsson says
Iceland is totally brimming with geothermal pools all over. Just the Reykjavik capital area has something like 17 public swimming pools, all having a selection of hot tubs etc, and most have water slides even.
If you’re coming to Iceland and want to take a dip in a “natural” pool I highly recommend Secret Lagoon, about 1,5 hours outside of Reykjavik.
Derek Mclean says
You do know it is no allowed for you to bath unless you are a local. The owner allows people onto her private property to visit and see the cave and it is because of people like you we are all ways have to kick people out or remove there rub ish from the cave. Promoting this wi just end up in the cave being fenced off and restricted to tourists. Why can’t you just respect people’s property and the well signed cave that says NO SWIMMING!!!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
How about you actually read? We were in the cave in 2013 when there was no sign posted. We’ve also noted that we’ve received reports it has since “closed” in the article.
*Note that we have received reports that bathing is prohibited at Grótagjá since we were last there for the second time in 2014. We have not been able to confirm this, though we suspect people may be finding the women’s cave which did have a sign even back when we first visited in 2013 that it is too hot to bathe in. At the time we bathed in the cave, the men’s cave was a suitable temperature for bathing, used by locals and no sign was posted.