Gunnuhver

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Gunnuhver is an active geothermal area on the southwestern tip of Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula. It has hot springs, mud pools and steam vents, and sits inside the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark near the Reykjanesviti lighthouse.

The site lies in the Reykjanes volcanic system, at the landward end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where underground fluids heat rocks and rise to the surface. The main mud pool is said to be the largest in Iceland, about 20 meters across. The hot fluids here are seawater-derived, which is unusual for Iceland. Walkways and viewing platforms let visitors see the vents and mud pools, but some areas may close when activity increases for safety.

Historically, 18th-century writers like Eggert Ólafsson described geothermal areas on the peninsula. There’s also a local folktale that links the name Gunnuhver to a ghost named Gunna, said to have been lured into the hot spring with a ball of yarn. Access can be affected by geothermal activity, with closures or road changes during periods of higher unrest, such as in 2014 and the 2023–2024 seismic activity. Conditions are updated as needed, and roads to the area open only when it is safe.