Iceland's Hveragerði hot river
If a road trip around the Golden Circle is on your Icelandic to-do list, you should schedule a few hours at this completely magical, completely free hot river in Hveragerði.
It's a bit of a hike to get up there, but worth it. Allow yourself an hour to get up, and 30 minutes for the trip down. Take a towel, some cold beers (if it's a hot day!), a handful of friends and get ready to sit down in pools of differing temperatures.
Hveragerði is a completely natural hot river, fed by the volcanically active surrounds, and you'll see hot mud pots bubbling away as you walk up the mountain. Don't be tempted to settle into these beautiful blue pools, though, because they average about 100 degrees Celsius. Instead, venture onwards and upwards, to where glacial run off dribbles into the scalding, running river, leaving the water a balmy 40-60 degrees.
As for that coveted blue mud you'll find boasted on every second Blue Lagoon advertisement, don't think you need to go without. The keen observer will find pockets of the magical stuff pouring from tiny hot deposits in the ground (be careful!) and seeping from the muddy walls of the pools.
And that stuff is good. Even Nicholas - who is critical of any natural products and skincare - proclaimed his pores had completely disappeared when he caught sight of himself in the car mirror.
The pool can get quite busy during the day, so if you'd like a more secluded experience, go later in the day (we were there at midnight, and it was still quite busy!). There is plenty of room to pitch a tent at the top, and a few tents were scattered around on the night we visited. It's an excellent spot to take advantage of Iceland's amazing access laws, and have a hot bath waiting for you when you wake up!
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