Reykjavík · Iceland

Hafravatn lake

Small free car park at Hafravatn, the nearest lake to Reykjavík with a dark eastern side.

See tonight's live score and best time to go for Hafravatn lake in Aurora Atlas

Why it works for the aurora

View
North and north-east over the lake to low hills; city glow to the west..
Darkness
Mostly dark sky, grade 2 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. Some light from a village, houses or a road nearby.
Aurora
Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.

Getting there

Distance
About 17 km by road from Reykjavík (estimate), roughly 19 min by car.
Parking
Free gravel car park on Hafravatnsvegur.
Coordinates
64.1372, -21.6643 · Open in OpenStreetMap

Before you go

Do not walk on the lake ice.

Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Iceland before a night drive. See our winter safety note.

Spot information from openstreetmap.org.