Located near the town on Hveragerdi, the Rekjadalur (means “Smokey Valley”) hike is the spot I talked about the most after about my vacation to Iceland. The trek from the capital Reykjavik to Hveragerdi is stunning. This region is rich in geothermal activity, which creates a smokey valley full of steam stacks and heated rivers. During your drive and hike, you will pass by 5,000 year old lava fields that are covered with a fragile moss.
To get to the start of the hike, simply input it into your GPS or drive straight through town until you come to a gravel road. There is parking and toilets at the base of the trail, and if you are going in the summer, there is a small café. You will cross the bridge to start this amazing trail. Since it may be dangerous to wander off of the path, I would stay on the clearly marked trail and enjoy the hike.
I have hiked to many places and in many countries, but this is by far my FAVORITE one! Unlike most hikes, this hike has a reward for all of your hard work. This climb, with beautiful scenery and picturesque waterfalls, will lead you straight to natural hot springs!
It is roughly a 30-45 minute hike up to the springs, but it is worth the trip. I would not recommend missing this hike, or this spot of the Golden Circle. You may want to add some buffer time in your itinerary for this hike, because you will be stopping every 5 minutes to take a picture of something beautiful. The path does go on further, but I made the final destination the hot springs due to time constraints.
If you have physical limitations, or just don’t want to go for a hike, there are other alternatives to getting to the natural hot springs. On our way up, we noticed a tour group that rode Icelandic horses up the mountain, and stopped about a quarter of a mile from the hot springs. There is some walking involved because of the condition of the trail that may be hazardous to the horses, but it will cut down on the physical activity without restricting you from the experience.
As you start feeling the heat from the physical activity and climbing temperatures from the pockets of boiling earth, you will know you are getting closer. In the valley, there is a natural and clean hot spring for you to take a dip in and relax. I will tell you, there is nothing more peaceful that soaking in a hot spring with the refreshing mountain mist hitting your face as you look up at the scenery of this valley.
The hot springs have wooden structures to help shield you from the wind and provide you a bit of privacy. There are wooden steps to every section of the hot spring, and a fence for you to hang your clothes or towel. Depending on the time of the year and/or the weather that day, there may be some mud. So, I would recommend hanging your clothes or bringing a bag to keep your items dry and clean.
When you finally decided that it is time to move on, simply pack up your items and head out. Please make sure that you leave the area in better shape than when you arrive to it. The rest of the hike is all downhill with view of the valleys and town in the horizon.
What to bring:
A towel (to dry off after the relaxing soak)
Hiking boots
Rain gear (weather can change in an instant)
Swimsuit
Bag with a plastic bags (One for wet swimsuits and one for muddy boots after the hike)
Camera (Trust me, you will be taking a ton of pictures on this hike)
Waterproof phone case (if you want shots in or near the hot springs)
Reusable water bottle
Wear layers. As you climb through this geothermal area, you may get hot up there. Layers will help you adjust to the temperature and make sure you have a comfortable hike.
Things to know:
If you are not wearing your swimsuit under your hiking clothes, you may need to get naked with people around. It’s Iceland, and no one really cares.
Please take precautions on the hike. Although you may be tempted to take a short cut to cut down on time and distance, it may be dangerous. There are many geothermal hot pots of boiling water. Iceland does not want to infringe of the beauty by cluttering up the views with fences and signs, so please use common sense when hiking in unfamiliar terrain.
