Dettifoss and Mývatn Day 8

Day 8: Dettifoss and Mývatn

We say goodbye to Herbert, the reindeer, and leave the campsite shortly after 9 AM. The drive to Dettifoss is estimated to take 45 minutes. The landscape is barren and hardly green. No one lives here either. The closer we get to the waterfall, the more the volcanic rock dominates the area. We park and walk to the observation platform first. There, we have a great view of the waterfall.
The glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum drops three times in total. At Dettifoss, it plunges over a width of about 100m down 44m into a gorge. In summer, the water volume is around 1500 cubic meters per second. This makes Dettifoss one of the most water-rich waterfalls in Europe. We still want to hike to Hafragilsfoss and set off on the hike almost alone. First, we have to climb over a small plateau, but then it goes steeply down on ropes. We don't want to take that risk, so we choose a safer way back. It's up and down over the lava rock. Finally, after 6 kilometers, we reach the parking lot. Since we skipped two viewpoints at Dettifoss, René and I head to those. The kids stay in the car. This way, we also see Selfoss, which falls shortly above Dettifoss into the valley, and the cliff edge of Dettifoss.
Back at the car, we have our lunch, and then we drive 30 minutes to Hverarönd. The geothermal area is known for bubbling mud pools and steaming fumaroles that release sulfur gas. We take a round. Erik can hardly stand the smell of sulfur. The landscape strongly reminds me of Yellowstone National Park in the USA.
We spend the rest of the afternoon in the Mývatn Nature Baths, a lagoon-like outdoor pool with milky blue, mineral-rich water from natural hot springs. The entrance fee is €50 per adult, and children are free. The water is a pleasant 37-40°C. The bottom consists of fine lava rock. We enjoy the water and relax a bit. After 70 minutes, we are wrinkled and leave the bath again. Our campsite for the night is nearby. We have a direct view of Lake Mývatn. The sun is shining, and it is pleasant. We sit outside and let the day come to an end.