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Geocaching in Iceland.


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Hope you will enjoy Iceland even more by hunting down Geocache while staying in Iceland.

When I was in Iceland a few years back there were not many caches available, but I managed to find 2. The were both great adventures; one I got to by using public transit and then taking a nice walk while being dive-bombed by terns!

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We had a great time caching in Iceland in 2009, found a total of 33, including a FTF on Selgjárhellir. We'll be back for more, someday!

 

What's that Waterfall Earthcache? Pictures from it used to come up on the main page of Geocaching.com like every other day! That must be a sight to see.

 

Edit: I should mention, they stopped putting pictures from cache page galleries on the main page of Geocaching.com I don't know, like 2 months ago. I want this feature back. That and Facebook Integration. Just kidding about the Facebook Integration.

Edited by Mr.Yuck
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We had a great time caching in Iceland in 2009, found a total of 33, including a FTF on Selgjárhellir. We'll be back for more, someday!

 

What's that Waterfall Earthcache? Pictures from it used to come up on the main page of Geocaching.com like every other day! That must be a sight to see.

 

Edit: I should mention, they stopped putting pictures from cache page galleries on the main page of Geocaching.com I don't know, like 2 months ago. I want this feature back. That and Facebook Integration. Just kidding about the Facebook Integration.

 

You are talking about Gullfoss (Golden Falls) I went out of the way to make that my 10,000 find.

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Hello fellow Geocachers

My name is Bragi and I have just started a group in facebook named : Geocaching Iceland :)

Hope you will enjoy Iceland even more by hunting down Geocache while staying in Iceland..

Have a good 1.

Regards

Bragi

 

Hello!

We are planning to come to Iceland August 8th to 13th. Is there someone who could drive us around to the caches outside of Reykjavik?

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Hi all!

 

I am going to iceland this weekend for a long week and half! I cant wait. BUT....

I dont have facebook. Do you have a the names of the caches that you could send my way? PLEASE? Thanks a lot, maybe I will see you there!

 

Bill from Jersey.

 

My email is steinninn@steinninn.is I don't have a car, but we could chat and maybe hitch a ride

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I will be in Reykjavik Feb. 19-24. It looks like it might be several caches near my hotel in central Rykjavik; however, I haven't done much urban geocaching so I'm not sure what to expect. Is it worth it for me to pack my GPS & spend some time lookikng for caches or will I be drawing too much attention to myself? (I only speak English & havne't been able to learn many Icelandic phrases so I don't want any misunderstandings).

 

Can't wait for my trip - excited!

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Definitely take the GPSr. And get as many caches as you can. If you have the opportunity to get out into the countryside a little, do so, it's worth it. Nearly every tourist destination has physical and/or earth caches nearby.

 

And don't worry about not speaking Icelandic -- I had no issues either time I went to Iceland, either in Reykjavik or in the countryside. I believe every single person I met spoke English fluently.

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In that case, I'd recommend downloading at least the following four earth caches to your GPSr or printing them out, I'm willing to bet you'll end up at one or more of these places. You're likely to be able to satisfy the EC requirements even on a tour group schedule:

 

Blue Lagoon

Þingvellir

Geysir

Gullfoss

 

If it's an extended tour along the southern coast, you may also get to:

 

Seljalandsfoss

Skógafoss

Svartifoss

SkeiðarársandurJökulsárlón

edit to add: Kirkjugólf

Edited by hzoi
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In that case, I'd recommend downloading at least the following four earth caches to your GPSr or printing them out, I'm willing to bet you'll end up at one or more of these places. You're likely to be able to satisfy the EC requirements even on a tour group schedule:

 

Blue Lagoon

Þingvellir

Geysir

Gullfoss

 

If it's an extended tour along the southern coast, you may also get to:

 

Seljalandsfoss

Skógafoss

Svartifoss

Skeiðarársandur

Jökulsárlón

edit to add: Kirkjugólf

 

Too late to edit my original post, but I just saw that Skeiðarársandur and Jökulsárlón ended up on the same line, so I fixed 'em.

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Hmm.. oh the humanity.

Huh?

 

Re: Midlinda, never been, but it looks like there's a paved road going straight to it from Keflavik. Rent a car and you're there.

Of course I can rent a car to get there, i mean by public transport.

Well, then. You told me. How dare I try to help. Figure it out on your own, grumpy pants.

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Hmm.. oh the humanity.

Huh?

 

Re: Midlinda, never been, but it looks like there's a paved road going straight to it from Keflavik. Rent a car and you're there.

Of course I can rent a car to get there, i mean by public transport.

Well, then. You told me. How dare I try to help. Figure it out on your own, grumpy pants.

Do not mean to be grumpy, just specifying what I met because I was obviously unclear about what I needed.

No hostility intended.

Edited by releasethedogs
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Fair enough.

 

I don't think public transport is going to work to get you there. Midlinda isn't really near anything. The only town in that general area is Grindavik, and it looks like the bus between Keflavik and Grindavik runs down Highway 43, past the Blue Lagoon, and not on Highway 425 past Midlinda.

 

edit: typo

Edited by hzoi
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Hmm.. oh the humanity.

Huh?

 

Re: Midlinda, never been, but it looks like there's a paved road going straight to it from Keflavik. Rent a car and you're there.

Of course I can rent a car to get there, i mean by public transport.

 

I don't know what public transportation is like in Iceland, but I imagine that a fairly remote location such as the location of Midlina is quite a bit different than what might find in a U.S. or European city.

 

A couple of years ago I as in Pretoria, South Africa for a couple of days, and although it appeared to be just another good size city, it was rather odd to see a fairly vibrant city without any public transportation (though that changed a bit when the world cup was hosted nearby).

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Hello fellow Geocachers

My name is Bragi and I have just started a group in facebook named : Geocaching Iceland :)

Hope you will enjoy Iceland even more by hunting down Geocache while staying in Iceland..

Have a good 1.

Regards

Bragi

 

Hi, I am coming over to Iceland this week for three weeks and was wondering if there are any g at Myatn feocache sites near Myvatn. I am staying in AKureyri and will be having a daythere for a cycle race.

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Hello,

 

There are a few caches around the lake. Are you going to have transportation? Or just going to the baths?

 

There is an earthcache at the nature baths: Myvatn Nature Baths

If you have time, I would recommend some walking in Dimmuborgir (Dimmuborgir) and to the rim of Hverfjall (Hverfjall - Mývatn). The linked earthcaches will give you some information. Hverir (Hverir) is also an interesting spot.

 

There are a few traditional caches in Akureyri but not many.

Sulur

Downtown Akureyri

Lystigarður Akureyrar

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Hello fellow Geocachers

My name is Bragi and I have just started a group in facebook named : Geocaching Iceland :)

Hope you will enjoy Iceland even more by hunting down Geocache while staying in Iceland..

Have a good 1.

Regards

Bragi

 

Hello,

 

this is our first visit to Iceland and we would like to meet geocachers on our short stay in this beautiful country. All cachers, not only from Iceland, are heartily welcome. We can also exchange some trackables and take other to the Czech Republic or other countries.

 

Come and meet us close to Hallgrimskirkja (event "Meeting in Reykjavík" http://coord.info/GC5RVTC), on Tuesday, May 5th 2015 from 14:00 to 14:30. Reason for this time is that we travel there with the tourist agency and have very busy program and are rather limited relative to time.

 

Greetings from Prague,

Ivan and Jitka

(ivans)

Edited by ivans
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As this seems to be the most active topic about Iceland geocaching, I'm bumping in the hopes of perhaps getting some input and suggestions - I'm considering a week-long trip at the end of November, and have been doing some research about visiting Iceland. There was a lot of info from this thread to start off with as well.

What is the local geocaching community like in Iceland? What are good and/or cheap options for travel and accomodation?

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Last year at the end of September, we stopped in Iceland on our way to Ireland and the World Grand Prix of darts. Wow Airlines had the only direct flight to Dublin - a cheap way to get to Iceland from many locations if you are willing to put up with a no-frills-add-on-for-anything flight and travel light. I would not consider myself an expert in any sense. We only had a few days there - earthcaching in areas we planned to visit in any event. It was just enough to make us want to return and spend more time. We would have done things differently if we had a week there.

 

We stayed in Reykjavík at a hotel connected to (but separate) from a hostel - Hlemmur Square. It was a good central location for the time we had. We had hoped to go to the John Lennon Peace Tower (and do a nearby Earthcache), but the ferry was canceled due to winds. The operators insisted on driving us to wherever we wanted to go so that we would not have to wait for the bus. It was typical of most people we met there. The tower will be lit in November.

 

We took a standard (small van) day tour that allowed us to get some of the earthcaches along the Golden Circle that have been mentioned without feeling like we were packed in a bus. Apart from that, Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon) was one of the highlights, but I don't think boats go out on the water in November - we also saw a lot from shore so it is something you might want to research further. Hopefully you would get some stunning Auroras - it was cloudy when we were there and rained off and on for most of the trip.

 

ab83c2c8-b11d-4cad-a706-35b662c755fc_l.jpeg

Edited by geodarts
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As this seems to be the most active topic about Iceland geocaching, I'm bumping in the hopes of perhaps getting some input and suggestions - I'm considering a week-long trip at the end of November, and have been doing some research about visiting Iceland. There was a lot of info from this thread to start off with as well.

What is the local geocaching community like in Iceland? What are good and/or cheap options for travel and accomodation?

 

There's a real good chance that I'll be going to Iceland for several days the second week in November. As I'll be there for work I won't be able to travel far from Reykjavik but plan on at least one day free when I can do some geocaching. It doesn't look like there are a ton of caches there but I'm fine with that. As long as I can find a few I'll be happy. I wondered if there would be much to do in Iceland in November but I've heard that October/November is one of the best times of the year to see the northern lights.

 

I've found direct r/t flights from Toronto or Montreal on WOW airlines for under $300. R/T flights from NYC airports are running between $550 and $600.

 

 

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As this seems to be the most active topic about Iceland geocaching, I'm bumping in the hopes of perhaps getting some input and suggestions - I'm considering a week-long trip at the end of November, and have been doing some research about visiting Iceland. There was a lot of info from this thread to start off with as well.

What is the local geocaching community like in Iceland? What are good and/or cheap options for travel and accomodation?

 

There's a real good chance that I'll be going to Iceland for several days the second week in November. As I'll be there for work I won't be able to travel far from Reykjavik but plan on at least one day free when I can do some geocaching. It doesn't look like there are a ton of caches there but I'm fine with that. As long as I can find a few I'll be happy. I wondered if there would be much to do in Iceland in November but I've heard that October/November is one of the best times of the year to see the northern lights.

 

I've found direct r/t flights from Toronto or Montreal on WOW airlines for under $300. R/T flights from NYC airports are running between $550 and $600.

Yeah the Toronto round trip was what got me interested. Flights to Paris via Iceland are as low as $150, and to Iceland direct at $130 (CAD), both ways. There are a few dates that make a round trip to Iceland at the low rates quite feasible for a week, or 3-4 days. It would be great to meet some local cachers too.

Right now I'm gauging how feasible such a trip would be with the other expenses, and with a couple months of planning it could work out. Also gauging local (here) interest to see if any friends might like ot go too. I've sort of drooled imaginatively at visiting Iceland over the years, seeing amazing landscapes and sites merely in photography. It would be great to see it in person.

 

And yeah, for geocaching it wouldn't be a numbers trip, it would be for the experience. :)

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We went to Iceland in April this year for a long weekend. It's one of the most amazing places I've ever been to.

 

We used a tour company as we wanted to do a couple of trips out to Gullfoss, northern lights tour and the hot springs. We stayed in Reykjavík at the Hotel Klettur which is basic but new and clean and in a good location. It's a 10 minute walk into the main shopping/restaurant area of Reykjavík. On one day we hired a car and drove around to find some caches - there are lots of great earthcaches there. I'd recommend the lighthouse at Akranes (GC1DKRD), Ammas Fjall (GC1WPX4) and Deildartunguhver (GC2DXTH) though there are loads of others off the beaten track. There was still some snow when we went which prevented us from doing a lot of the caches further away from the road.

 

There's a decent sized cache at Keflavik which is great for exchanging TBs and a really big one in Reykjavík too, where I dropped a load of TBs.

 

We'd love to go back again and next time we'd definitely hire a car and organise our own travel rather than doing a tour, but the tour was great for showing us the lie of the land.

 

ETA: We went with All Iceland who were excellent.

Edited by Cachez
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As this seems to be the most active topic about Iceland geocaching, I'm bumping in the hopes of perhaps getting some input and suggestions - I'm considering a week-long trip at the end of November, and have been doing some research about visiting Iceland. There was a lot of info from this thread to start off with as well.

What is the local geocaching community like in Iceland? What are good and/or cheap options for travel and accomodation?

 

There's a real good chance that I'll be going to Iceland for several days the second week in November. As I'll be there for work I won't be able to travel far from Reykjavik but plan on at least one day free when I can do some geocaching. It doesn't look like there are a ton of caches there but I'm fine with that. As long as I can find a few I'll be happy. I wondered if there would be much to do in Iceland in November but I've heard that October/November is one of the best times of the year to see the northern lights.

 

I've found direct r/t flights from Toronto or Montreal on WOW airlines for under $300. R/T flights from NYC airports are running between $550 and $600.

Yeah the Toronto round trip was what got me interested. Flights to Paris via Iceland are as low as $150, and to Iceland direct at $130 (CAD), both ways. There are a few dates that make a round trip to Iceland at the low rates quite feasible for a week, or 3-4 days. It would be great to meet some local cachers too.

Right now I'm gauging how feasible such a trip would be with the other expenses, and with a couple months of planning it could work out. Also gauging local (here) interest to see if any friends might like ot go too. I've sort of drooled imaginatively at visiting Iceland over the years, seeing amazing landscapes and sites merely in photography. It would be great to see it in person.

 

And yeah, for geocaching it wouldn't be a numbers trip, it would be for the experience. :)

 

And the souvenir smile.gif

 

I've want to go to Iceland for awhile as well. I'd prefer to go when the weather was warmer but the opportunity to go to attend a conference in November would mean I wouldn't be paying for airfare and accommodations (at least for the duration of the conference) and, even in November it could be a good scouting trip for a potential future visit. I'd also be staying at the venue where the conference is held so I have a choice there either. I have considered staying a couple of extra days and renting a car to see a bit more of the country.

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November is well outside of tourist season. You may be limited in your options if you plan to spend the night outside of Reykjavik. We used Kirkjubaejarklaustur (yes, that's a real town with a real name) as our base when we went along the southern edge, but I do not think that the Icelandair hotel out there is open year round. Tour groups may also be limited.

 

edit to add: but if you only have a day spare and will be there for work, you should have plenty to find around Reykjavik.

Edited by hzoi
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I'm not looking to sign up for any tours unless really REALLY desired. And many seem to recommend Nov/winter months because it's less busy from tourists and cheaper :)

We're working on an itinerary based on recommended caches and sites to see. At this point it looks like it may be a 4 day trip. So far my list of recommended/target possible caches is mainly focused around the SW with a few scattered elsewhere. Those are just collected from various articles and reports from previous trips by other people, plus a few obvious ones (highest favs, oldest, etc). It looks like we may have a group of 2-4 based just on preliminary interest gauging. Still lots of time to go. I may contact some local cachers c/o of past visitors' events as well :)

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Good!

 

There is actually another smaller, less visited glacial lagoon about 7 miles or so west from Jokulsarlon, called Fjallsarlon, also worth a visit. There's a traditional cache there. There would be an earthcache there, but my listing was denied. (C'est la vie.)

 

Also recommened: Seljalandsfoss, Svartifoss...really, just look around as you travel the southern arc of the 1 ring and you will be amazed.

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We stopped in Iceland for four days on the way to the UK this summer (sunset at 11:45, sunrise at 3 - no chance at the northern lights). We used AirB&B to find and book rooms (here and the UK). We rented a car for the time we were there. We didn't find a lot of caches but here are some of the 'better' ones:

 

Geothermic active region (loop from airport to Reykjavik):

GC2DK2E MIDLINA"

GC3112E Gunnuhver"

GC25643 Bláa lónið - Blue lagoon - Blaue Lagune"

GCXWK4 Blue Lagoon, Iceland"

 

Alnog the Golden Loop:

GC4D1EC Brúarárfoss"

GC1G4XZ Geysir - powerful hot spring"

GCZCNE Gullfoss (Golden Falls)"

 

Waterfalls to the NW of Reykjavik:

GC3WC2J Trail to Glymur"

GC3KA40 Glymur"

GC5AQTN Glymur_PointOfView"

GC3VFFX Hraunfossar-Lava Falls/Barnafoss-Children´s Falls"

GC4D1T8 Glanni beautiful waterfall"

 

There are two cache right at the airport, we didn't get them until the flight home (2 hour layover) - it made for a nice long distance day of caching (London - Iceland - Seattle).

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We stopped in Iceland for four days on the way to the UK this summer (sunset at 11:45, sunrise at 3 - no chance at the northern lights). We used AirB&B to find and book rooms (here and the UK). We rented a car for the time we were there. We didn't find a lot of caches but here are some of the 'better' ones:

Thanks for that list! Most of them already bookmarked, but a few new ones added.

This is the collection I have so far of recommended caches, from articles, blogs, and direct suggestions (bookmark list). Just a preliminary summary so far.

 

I'm going to be in Iceland for 10 days later this week. I don't have specific caches in mind, but will find some near all the hot pools, and on our biking and hiking trips.

Nice! Seems like Iceland has become a hotspot recently. I've come across a number of cachers who've been or are going very shortly, even a few locals to my area. It's hopping right now :)

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I spent 3 weeks in Iceland a couple of years ago in Aug-Sep and loved it. We rented a small AWD and drove the ring road (with detours). I really enjoyed the eastern fjords but for a short trip that's not a feasible destination. My favourite spot was Landmannalaugar, which is possible to visit on a very long day trip from Reykjavik, but in November you'd be very lucky to find a company still running super jeep tours to there (a quick search turned up a couple running until Oct).

 

The Golden Circle, though touristy, is a must. If you're into diving or snorkelling, I would recommend the Silfra Rift (can be combined with the Golden Circle), it's amazing. We went with dive.is and found them to be very professional, but there are other operators as well.

 

I have mixed feelings about the Blue Lagoon. For someone on a short trip and with limited transportation options, it's an easy way to get some hot water in (there are buses that stop there on the way to/from the airport). But we visited at the end of our trip, and after visiting 20ish other hot springs and local small town pools, we found the Blue Lagoon to be touristy, expensive, and the water not that nice. It was a very inauthentic Icelandic bathing experience, and hot water is a special thing in that country. So, if you're keen to visit, fine, but I would also find some other places to experience hot water. Any pool in Reykjavik or a small town would work. Just make sure you read the rules of bathing first so you don't offend anyone. Reykjadalur was wonderful (it's a hot river you hike into).

 

If you have some time in Reykjavik, head out to Perlan for a nice view, the Sagas museum, and a couple caches. It's a medium-length walk or quick bus ride from the center.

 

Enjoy!

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We stopped in Iceland for four days on the way to the UK this summer (sunset at 11:45, sunrise at 3 - no chance at the northern lights). We used AirB&B to find and book rooms (here and the UK). We rented a car for the time we were there. We didn't find a lot of caches but here are some of the 'better' ones:

Thanks for that list! Most of them already bookmarked, but a few new ones added.

This is the collection I have so far of recommended caches, from articles, blogs, and direct suggestions (bookmark list). Just a preliminary summary so far.

 

I'm going to be in Iceland for 10 days later this week. I don't have specific caches in mind, but will find some near all the hot pools, and on our biking and hiking trips.

Nice! Seems like Iceland has become a hotspot recently. I've come across a number of cachers who've been or are going very shortly, even a few locals to my area. It's hopping right now :)

 

I just booked flights and accommodations for a trip there November 7-11th. I found a site that shows sunrise/sunset times and it looks like sunrise will be around 9:30AM and sunset around 4:50PM. I'll be arriving about 4:30AM on the 7th and my conference doesn't start until the 9th so I should be able to find some time to play.

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Awesome, looks like you'll be there about a week after me/us. Definitely looking forward to it! Maybe I'll leave a TB or two for you to pick up, give'em another 2 weeks' Iceland vacation :laughing:

 

I haven't really looked at caches I might find and as I won't have a car I'll be stuck in Reykjavik during my trip. I've been looking at the Tripadvisor forums and in every thread that asks about renting a car there in November someone recommends against it due to the driving conditions. Living where I do, I have a pretty fair amount of experience driving in snow and ice, but some of those posts make it sound pretty nasty.

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It's hard to tell sometimes what level of experience people have. I've only heard good things, as long as you get AWD. Just drive with caution as you would in winter. And make sure you've got all items and info you need in case of emergency. It's not deep winter, but it's definitely not summer.

 

ETA: Ooops! You said November 7-11; I read that as December 7-11 :P forget the TB idea, heh

Edited by thebruce0
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It's hard to tell sometimes what level of experience people have. I've only heard good things, as long as you get AWD. Just drive with caution as you would in winter. And make sure you've got all items and info you need in case of emergency. It's not deep winter, but it's definitely not summer.

 

ETA: Ooops! You said November 7-11; I read that as December 7-11 :P forget the TB idea, heh

 

Having snow tires can be more important than AWD. I'm thinking I may see what the weather is like once I get closer to my departure. I would really only want a car for the 7th and 8th and would probably stay in or near the city.

 

Perhaps I'll bring a TB or two and drop it in a cache for you to grab. I brought several with me on my last trip (Dublin, Ireland and Paris) but never got to a cache big enough to drop them off. BTW, I will also have an overnight layover in Montreal on the way home and there's a TB hotel very close to the hotel where I'll be staying.

 

 

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For anyone with a car we can vouch for GC1VE9 Hot Bathtub. It is about 7 km round trip hike from parking but if you bring a bathing suit and a towel it is fun to sit in a geothermally heated stream. We were there in September of '13 and it sleeted on us a bit while we relaxed in the warm water and smeared ourselves with clay from the bottom.

Here is the hike out:

 

1008.jpg

 

and this is near the cache (watch where you step, better to come from the other side ):

 

830c05c7-b5c6-4e4f-a04f-42cb13f016eb_l.jpg

 

Even if you don't have a car you can get a taxi to take you toward GCKA0T if the tide is right then it is not a bad walk back to town center Rey­kja­vik and you can pick up a few more caches on the way.

 

N.B. Weather springs up suddenly and frequently. Never go out in the fall without a rain jacket/hat

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