Hot river bathing!
Some time ago I was talking to a friend who told me about a place where you can go swimming in a hot river! Well, swimming would be a slight over exaggeration as the water is rather shallow - but hot river bathing is definitely possible. I must admit, I took it with a pinch of salt - I mean, hot rivers?? But she assured us that the river is indeed hot, so we decided to go and find out for ourselves.
Up in the Reykjadalur Valley, about 45 minutes from Reykjavík there is an active geothermal area with dozens of hot springs. The water boils up out of the hot springs and converges into one body, also fed with glacier and rainwater. The result of this is a river that winds its way down the valley with temperatures that range from cold to warm to hot - depending on which part of the river you are at. And the wonderful thing is that you can bathe there - absolutely free of charge, in the middle of a glorious valley, surrounded by nature and more than a few curious sheep!
Located next to the small town of Hveragerði and signposted from the town, the trail begins at a large car park where there is a cafe with toilet facilities.
When we arrived there this morning it was our second attempt at making this hike. We had set off nice and early a couple of weeks ago, armed with swimming costumes, towels and snacks but unfortunately by the time we got to the car park at Hveragerði the rain was absolutely torrential. We nearly set off anyway, figuring that if we were going to be swimming in the river we’d get wet in any case and that if the water was hot it wouldn’t matter if it was raining, but as the deluge got heavier and heavier, hammering on the roof of the car our resolve weakened and we changed our plans.
Having done the hike today, I can only say that is one of the best decisions we’ve made! We would not have enjoyed the walk very much! Today, was slightly overcast and a bit misty when we’ arrived at the car park - not the best weather for the trip but we were very conscious that the season has changed, autumn is definitely here and we may not have many more chances this year. (We have since found out that people make the hike in the winter - even in the snow and ice so perhaps we will….)
So…. Figuring that a bit of cloud and mist was way better than the monsoon we had been subjected to the last time we tried to see the river, we set off. We were a little daunted by the fact that the temperature was only 3°C and wondered if we would actually want to strip off and bathe in a river when we eventually got to it, but having got to this point (for a second time) we decided to go for it.
The early part of the hike
We had read that the hike is a little over 3km and that it was likely to take us between an hour and an hour and a half before we got to the river. We were definitely nearer the hour and a half!!! I’d like to say it was because we were taking lots of pictures but really it was the fact that it was all uphill! The trail is wide and smooth but steep uphill for the first half before leveling off to rolling hills with some respite from the steady incline. It was not a difficult hike at all, but we were a little slower than many of our fellow hikers. However, the payoff was the amazing views of the valley, steaming hot springs and the geothermal river. To add to the views, around halfway to the hot river we came across a canyon with a beautiful waterfall cascading down it. The valley is called Djúpagil so the waterfall is named after it - Djúpagilsfoss.
Djúpagilsfoss waterfall
A short time later, we saw the plumes of steam from the hot springs and realised we were getting close. A sign telling us we were 700m away from the river was a very welcome sight!
Getting close - we could see the steam….
At the part of the river where most people bathe, there are wooden walkways of decking that have been put up to protect the fragile flora and grassy banks and there are also several wooden screens that you can use to change behind. Not exactly private as hikers walk both sides of the screens - and also if it is busy, there is not going to be a private spot to change, so you have to be prepared to strip off in public which is a bit daunting but hey - when in Iceland….
The wooden walkway, with steps down into the river and in the background the screens to change behind…
We discovered that the section of river where the walkways are was warm but little more than lukewarm so we walked upstream a little and discovered that within a very short distance the water was much hotter. In fact, the first place we settled on was too hot for us and we had to move a short way downstream where we found a little area, slightly dammed with rocks and stones, forming a pool we could lie in and enjoy the warm-bath temperature water.
Ahh - the perfect spot
After the hike up the hill, bathing in the river was a perfect way of relaxing - but it’s a good idea to take plenty of water as you can feel dehydrated very quickly.
The feeling of sitting in a shallow river as it flows down the valley, but being lovely and warm is quite surreal. There we were, surrounded by green undulating meadow grass, with sheep grazing, rocky slopes to our left, plumes of steam from the hot springs and the light mist of steam that was rising from the river itself. This is not an experience I ever thought I would have. Rivers are just not supposed to be hot!!!
The geothermal pools and hot springs we have experienced so far have been wonderful but somehow the experience of sitting in a river of hot water flowing down the valley is something a little bit special. Iceland continues to surprise and amaze us!
With Matthew enjoying the hot river water
Eventually, we decided we really ought to head back and so we made our way back to where we had left our clothes and belongings. As we did, we realised that the place was filling up fast - a large group of people had just arrived and we could see many more making their way up the slopes. Stripping off and getting changed back into our hiking gear was an interesting experience - definitely not what you would call private!! But we had been warned, and it was worth it for the experience of soaking in a hot flowing river.
Not the most private of changing facilities….
Walking back down the way we had come, we passed many people on their way up, several of them asking “how much further???!!” We were able to reassure them that it was well worth the walk up. As if the views we were enjoying weren’t worth it in themselves!!
We made it back down to the car park in under an hour (despite the fact that I was being very careful on the loose stones as some of the path was quite steep), so I’m sure many people would do it a lot more quickly. On our way we passed a lot of people making their way up the path. It is definitely worth getting there early to avoid the crowds as we had our section of river all to ourselves with very few other people around. We were also particularly lucky as by the time we got to the bottom the rain had set in and was actually more like sleet, so those people beginning the hike will have had a far more challenging walk than we had.
By the time we got back to the little cafe at the car park we were a little bit cold and wet and it was very nice to stop for a moment and rest before we left.
A welcome sight after a long, damp walk!
We followed our friend’s advice and called in at the Skyrgerðin bistro in Hveragerði for lunch. Warm, cosy and hospitable with great food, it was just what we needed. Hot food and a glass of wine finished off the trip nicely - although we couldn’t manage the huge slices of amazing looking cakes…. ah well, it’s an excuse to go back and do the trip again….!!
