Skútustaðagígar

Skútustaðagígar

Highlight • Natural Monument

Skútustaðagígar

Hiking

4.9

(162)

Road cycling

5.0

(2)

Cycling

5.0

(1)

This Highlight is in a protected area

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Mývatn og Laxá

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Location: Skútustaðahreppur, Iceland

Tips

June 9, 2024

Hiking

This is the first platform when you walk counterclockwise and is actually facing the lake.
The pseudocraters at Skutustadagigar, the Myvatn lake, are one of the most interesting geological features in Iceland1. These pseudocraters are not real volcanic craters1. They form when volcanic ash covers a small lake. The water underneath evaporates due to the heat, but cannot escape through the layer of ash. Subsequently, under great pressure, an explosion occurs, creating a small crater.

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Willem VS

June 9, 2024

Hiking

Skútustadagígar is the area south of Lake Myvatn around the pond Stakholstjorn where the famous pseudocraters are found. The Skutustadir farm is named after an old hero called Viga-Skuta and allows us to climb up close to some of those beautifully formed pseudocraters.

The pseudocraters at Skutustadagigar were on the list of the 10 best landscapes in Iceland and in the top 5 of things to see in Myvatn.

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Willem VS

June 9, 2024

Hiking

The second viewing platform if you walk counter-clockwise, it overlooks the inland lake Stakhólstjörn.
Stakhólstjörn is a picturesque pond located in the area of Skútustaðagígar, south of Lake Myvatn. It is surrounded by beautifully formed pseudocraters, which create a unique landscape.

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