Kleifarvatn Lake
Kleifarvatn Lake
4.5
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4.5
121 reviews
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gringottsgoblin
dublin558 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
This is not so much about the lake but about the whole of route 42 from outside Reykjavik to where it meets route 427 at the coast. It is so unexpected and underrated. This is a spectacular journey over bleak and barren mountains in a tricky road that twists and turns through this spectacular land and then suddenly Kleifarvatn appears in front of you. A spectacular sheet of water amid a lunar landscape. The lake was frozen and the ice had captured the volcanic sand and swirled it around and refrozen so the surface looked almost like agate against the black, umber and deep red rocks of the mountains. Mind blowing stuff. The road then skirts the side of the lake and becomes narrow and twisting with switchbacks and clinging on to the cliffs above the lake. It rises now and then with steep climbs and at the top of these climbs are stunning viewing locations and you just have to stop because the views are truly breathtaking. Once you pass the lake the land flattens out temporarily and on your right are the boiling mudpools and sulphur springs of Krysuvik. A sulphurous place still bitterly cold in March and April and is an unearthly contrast to the cold surroundings. Stop for a while and take in the smells and sounds of the place and remind yourself that beneath your feet it’s boiling and across the hills (especially in the cold weather) you can pick out clouds of steam and vapour from other hot places in the surrounding hills . A short distance further on you come to the green lake Graenavatn, which is clearly an explosion crater now filled with a lake. Normally this is a bright green colour but at this time it was frozen and the green colour didn’t seem so strange somehow. It’s a lonely place and you can see just one or two settlements up on the hill which are the only forms of settlement in this entire trip. Also the place is marked by an extraordinary industrial ruin of what might have been grain siloes. The place is completely abandoned and in a ruinous state but is a spectacular landmark which raises more questions around what is was and why it’s there of all places. Once you pass that after a short distance then you can see Krisuvikurkkirkja which is an incredibly isolated little black wooden church just standing in the middle of a blasted landscape and lava field. It’s so incongruous again you just need to know why they chose that particular spot. If you can drive up to it. It is a special place. Then back on the 42 proceed through strange blasted brooding and daunting landscape to route 427. (Thats another story also extraordinary in its bleakness and scale). In my opinion Route 42 really got inside my head and is a must do trip and very close to Reykjavík which is odd seeing it’s rarely talked about.
Written April 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark M
New York City, NY197 contributions
Aug 2021
Lake Kleifarvatn, surrounded by lava mountains on hilly and curvy roads, is a spectacular location. We only stopped at two spots near the lake, but there are more, and next time we'll surely stop at more spots here. This is a breathtaking lake, beautiful and mysterious at the same time. Legend has it that there is a monster lying in the depths of this lake. I'm not sure why this legend developed as the lake was not at all scary, but its appearance is definitely unique, like everything else in Iceland.
In general, I find the Reykjanes Peninsula to be highly underrated. People assume this region is just good for landing in Iceland (Keflavik Airport) and the Blue Lagoon. Well, I've landed in Keflavik several times but I've never been to the Blue Lagoon. Lake Kleifarvatn, like so many other areas in Reykjanes, is stunning in its natural beauty. If you love rugged nature and prefer less touristy areas, the various natural attractions in Rekjanes and especially Lake Kleifarvatn are really for you. We traveled through various regions of Iceland, and they were all special, but Reykjanes and Lake Kleifarvatn were uniquely special (and less crowded!). Be sure to visit this lake on a self-drive (as we did) or on a Reykjanes tour (there are several of these)--you'll never forget this truly special location and, like our family, will look forward to coming back again soon!
In general, I find the Reykjanes Peninsula to be highly underrated. People assume this region is just good for landing in Iceland (Keflavik Airport) and the Blue Lagoon. Well, I've landed in Keflavik several times but I've never been to the Blue Lagoon. Lake Kleifarvatn, like so many other areas in Reykjanes, is stunning in its natural beauty. If you love rugged nature and prefer less touristy areas, the various natural attractions in Rekjanes and especially Lake Kleifarvatn are really for you. We traveled through various regions of Iceland, and they were all special, but Reykjanes and Lake Kleifarvatn were uniquely special (and less crowded!). Be sure to visit this lake on a self-drive (as we did) or on a Reykjanes tour (there are several of these)--you'll never forget this truly special location and, like our family, will look forward to coming back again soon!
Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tigg189074
Hartford, CT1,135 contributions
Feb 2020
My husband and I had arrived early and couldn't check into our hotel yet so we made a stop at the lake. We ended up arriving at the lake right around sunrise and saw the most spectacular views. The drive was very nice with amazing views of the lake and mountains around.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eber Shibin
Mumbai, India501 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
A beautiful serene place. You don't see a lot of tourists come through this area. And you can have some time in the place all to yourself. I have read that it is one of the best places to see the northern lights, although I knew it only a few days after I visited it or else would have planned accordingly. It was a morning visit for me, it was cold, cloudy and windy. So couldn't get the bright photos I was looking for. But this is a must visit.
Written September 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LondonAd
London, UK106 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
Wow wow wow. We did this drive as a bit of an afterthought with hire car as we had done main golden circle. It was a beautiful drive. Stunning road around lake and through volcanic landscape. Kept going down to seltun which was great few hundred metre walk. Family were more impressed with this than geyser on golden circle. So glad we did this
Written February 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RJN612
Pottsville, PA508 contributions
Aug 2021
We were here as part of an excursion on the peninsula. The area is quite interesting geologically and for its beautiful views. I wish we had more time to hike about the area. It is an easy drive through the peninsula and worth stopping for a look around the area.
Written August 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ganfo
White, GA607 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
Most of the reviews are from summer visitors.
My wife and I visited two lake overlooks and the nearby thermal site as part of a Reykjanes Peninsula tour by Gateway to Iceland. Part of the unique appeal was that it was late morning in January, and the sun was just beginning to come up as we arrived. The light was extraordinary, and I was able to get two of my best photos from our entire trip, and several others that were almost as good.
Nearby are the thermal springs, an abandoned farm, a school that has been re-purposed, and a nice overlook of the Atlantic coastline facing south. All photos were taken by dawn's early light, which lasts an hour or more at this time of year in Iceland. Further away at the SW tip of the island are a lighthouse, geothermal plant, coastal viewpoint and geothermal springs, all in close proximity to one another. Though we did not see the plant from close up, that area is also recommended and are included in the tour we took.
Also known as the "Draining Lake" due to leakage from a geologic event, Kleifarvatn plays a key role in a crime novel of that name by a famous Icelandic author.
A bit of trivia: on the way from Reykjavik we drove through the town of Vogar. I may be off a bit, but I believe I counted passing thirteen consecutive roundabouts in our passage thru town. I wonder if that's a world record...
The Reykjanes Peninsula has apparently been overlooked by a lot of visitors, and the low number of reviews of sites in the area supports that conclusion. See it while it's uncrowded. It has its own appeal, and is highly recommended.
My wife and I visited two lake overlooks and the nearby thermal site as part of a Reykjanes Peninsula tour by Gateway to Iceland. Part of the unique appeal was that it was late morning in January, and the sun was just beginning to come up as we arrived. The light was extraordinary, and I was able to get two of my best photos from our entire trip, and several others that were almost as good.
Nearby are the thermal springs, an abandoned farm, a school that has been re-purposed, and a nice overlook of the Atlantic coastline facing south. All photos were taken by dawn's early light, which lasts an hour or more at this time of year in Iceland. Further away at the SW tip of the island are a lighthouse, geothermal plant, coastal viewpoint and geothermal springs, all in close proximity to one another. Though we did not see the plant from close up, that area is also recommended and are included in the tour we took.
Also known as the "Draining Lake" due to leakage from a geologic event, Kleifarvatn plays a key role in a crime novel of that name by a famous Icelandic author.
A bit of trivia: on the way from Reykjavik we drove through the town of Vogar. I may be off a bit, but I believe I counted passing thirteen consecutive roundabouts in our passage thru town. I wonder if that's a world record...
The Reykjanes Peninsula has apparently been overlooked by a lot of visitors, and the low number of reviews of sites in the area supports that conclusion. See it while it's uncrowded. It has its own appeal, and is highly recommended.
Written January 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ted21117
Southampton, UK205 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
On my stay in Reykjavik I would take my hire car out at night in search of the Northern Lights. This location was recommended to me by the concierge at my hotel and also seemed from mapping to be a good open location for seeing the northern lights. I didn't expect the place to be so great!!
At night it's a quiet, tranquil but easily accessible location where conditions to view the Aurora Borealis are at their best! In the daytime it is a vast open lake, with great views! There is a huge area to park cars off the road.
(Note if the cloud coverage is high then it won't matter there you are seeing the Northern Lights will be difficult)
At night it's a quiet, tranquil but easily accessible location where conditions to view the Aurora Borealis are at their best! In the daytime it is a vast open lake, with great views! There is a huge area to park cars off the road.
(Note if the cloud coverage is high then it won't matter there you are seeing the Northern Lights will be difficult)
Written January 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Inertia-Rvk
Reykjavik, Iceland16,168 contributions
Jan 2014 • Friends
The thing is that the Blue Lagoon is the magnet of the Reykjanes Peninsula, making it so that all the other stunning pearls of the peninsula are almost forgotten - very regrettably! Lake Kleifarvatn is a paradise for landscape photographers, for example, particularly for those aiming for a good spot for northern light photography. It's dark over there.
But the lake itself is just sooo beautiful, as a place to relax and simply enjoy the silence. In the early hours of the day the lake's surface is just like a mirror. And there're lots of geologic features all around it, and it even has a beach!
It's a gravel road along the lake, by the way.
But the lake itself is just sooo beautiful, as a place to relax and simply enjoy the silence. In the early hours of the day the lake's surface is just like a mirror. And there're lots of geologic features all around it, and it even has a beach!
It's a gravel road along the lake, by the way.
Written October 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wisniak
Ness Ziona, Israel573 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
We visited this lake on an overcast, cold and very windy day, so we could not really see its beauty.
There's a road along its western side, that snakes between the black cliffs and the lake.
There are some very good observation places along the road as well as at least 1 picnic spot with tables and a small parking.
We returned on our last day, a couple of hours before our flight back home. It was a sunny day and it was an excellent decision - we could finally appreciate the beauty of the place. Attached is a photo of our 1st visit - and photos of the 2nd visit.
There's a road along its western side, that snakes between the black cliffs and the lake.
There are some very good observation places along the road as well as at least 1 picnic spot with tables and a small parking.
We returned on our last day, a couple of hours before our flight back home. It was a sunny day and it was an excellent decision - we could finally appreciate the beauty of the place. Attached is a photo of our 1st visit - and photos of the 2nd visit.
Written August 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello - I would be travelling to Iceland in last week of May. I was wondering for those who have been to the Seltun/Kleifarvatn area:
Can you actually go to Seltun first and walk over to Kleifarvatn lake area or vice versa?
The reason I'm asking is on google maps its showing that it would take a 45 min detour from Seltun to drive to Kleifarvatn.
Thanks
Written April 21, 2017
Hi, been a few times and a nice part of Seltun is Krisuvik. This is a nice geothermal mudpool that is probably a ten minute walk from Kleifarvatn. However, the road doesn't have a pavement and can is a little winding. There is a nice viewing area above the lake to park in with nice walks around the beautiful lake. Definitely worth a visit.
Written April 22, 2017
Hi Diane, is it possible to drive the lake in regular car or do you need a four wheel drive?
Written August 29, 2015
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