Víti Crater — Askja Explosion Crater and Geothermal Lake

Víti sits on the northeast edge of the Askja caldera, inside the Vatnajökull National Park highlands. It is a steep-walled explosion crater left by the 1875 eruption, and it holds a pool of opaque turquoise water warmed by geothermal heat. Next to it, Öskjuvatn, one of Iceland’s deepest lakes, lies in the caldera floor, ringed by black lava and snowfields well into summer. The place is stark and quiet, and it feels like another planet. The walk in from the Askja parking area crosses lava and cinder, and it takes a few minutes each way. You can swim in Víti in good conditions, but the crater slopes are slick clay and mud, so take it slow. Fumes and unstable ground are real around the rim.

You reach it from Dreki via the short, rough spur road to the Askja car park. Behind you lies a long highland approach with unbridged river crossings, so go in a proper 4WD and check road.is and the Vatnajökull National Park site before you commit. The road is open roughly July to September, depending on snow. Check the weather and your fuel before you push on toward the F910. Have a dirty day.

Turquoise blast crater inside the Askja caldera