Geological
Skútustaðagígar
Region: North IcelandCoordinates: 65.5714° N, 17.0337° W
Skútustaðagígar is a cluster of rootless (pseudo) craters on the southern shore of Lake Mývatn, formed when lava flowed over wet ground and trapped steam blew out crater-like cones without any magma conduit beneath them. Two marked, easy loop trails, the 1.5 km Gígahringur and the 3.5 km Tjarnarhringur, wind past dozens of grass-grown craters and ponds rich in birdlife.
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- All ages
- Suitable for all ages; the shorter loop is manageable with a stroller in good conditions.
- Allow
- 1 hr
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Partial
- The shorter Gígahringur loop is a relatively easy, mostly level gravel path from the roadside parking area, though it is not formally certified as wheelchair accessible.
- Limited mobility · Partial
- Both marked loops are easy underfoot by Icelandic standards, and the shorter 1.5 km loop is manageable for most visitors with limited mobility.
- Sensory · Full
- An open, calm wetland and crater landscape, popular with birdwatchers, with little of the enclosed or crowded feel of Dimmuborgir.
- Cognitive · Full
- Two clearly marked, signed loop trails make navigation straightforward.
Why it matters
The craters formed around 2,300 years ago during the same lava flows that created Dimmuborgir, and the area was placed under protection in 1973 to preserve its fragile crater rims and use it for outdoor education while safeguarding local landowners' rights.