Place Lake Myvatn

The area around the lake, located about an hour from the town of Akureyri, is rich in thermal springs and volcanic formations, and there is also a geothermal spa. The weather here is much drier and sunnier than in other parts of Iceland and for almost two summer months it hardly gets dark here. On the other hand, in the winter months there is a harsh and dark winter, accompanied by heavy snowfall. The waters of the lake itself are relatively shallow. Its area is 38 km2 and the maximum depth is 4.5 m (average only 2.5 m). It lies at an altitude of 277m. It fills an old glacial basin blocked by a lava stream. The water has a beautiful blue tint and is clear. The river Laxá flows north from the lake to the Greenland Sea (length 58 km). About 50 volcanic islands and islets, separated by craters, protrude above the lake surface. They are 20 to 30 m high. There are a lot of fumaroles on the east coast. The lake has been the object of various slanderers since the Middle Ages, when it was considered a lake of the devil's urine, even with its smoking surroundings. Mývan in translation means mosquito lake. You won't find many mosquitoes here, but flocks of small black flies will attack your eyes and noses, which are very unpleasant, but usually do not bite, and their larvae provide an abundance of food for fish and thousands of birds that breed their young near Mývno. All duck species found in Iceland nest here or near the sharp salmon of the Laxá River, which flows out of the lake. Flocks of trout and alpine grayling swim in the waters.