Natural Mineral Springs on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West-Iceland
On the ever so popular Snæfellsnes peninsula in West-Iceland, you will not only find breathtaking nature; waterfalls, volcanic craters, a glacier, beautiful mountains and rock formations, gorges, pink and black beaches, but also natural mineral springs.
I love one of them in particular, where the water is very pure and tasty and has got bubbles. It has got the long name Rauðamelsölkelda.
Top photo: Rauðamelsölkelda
Rauðamelsölkelda mineral spring
Rauðamelsölkelda
Rauðamelsölkelda is my favourite natural mineral spring on the peninsula. I know, the name of this mineral spring is a mouthful, but to make it a tad easier then "ölkelda" is the Icelandic word for a natural spring and "rauðamels-" means Red gravel plain.
Rauðamelsölkelda is amongst the best known natural mineral springs in Iceland. The water is believed to have healing properties and is ever so refreshing.
Rauðamelsölkelda
The water in Rauðamelsölkelda has got carbonic acid so it looks like it is boiling. It is just amazing being able to drink water like this coming straight from the earth. We bottle some of the water and take it home with us when we visit this spring.
Rauðamelsölkelda is a bit off the beaten path. It is located on the southern side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula turning from road 54.
If you are driving west on the peninsula then you turn right onto a gravel road by the sign Gerðuberg (opposite the road on 54 is road no 567, but I haven't seen a road number for the road leading to Rauðamelsölkelda).
Lava formations on the way to Rauðamelsölkelda
The road towards Rauðamelsölkelda is a gravel road and the scenery is amazing, with all kinds of strange-looking lava formations, which make for very good photo opportunities. It was foggy on the way, so my photos have a blue hue.
Once you reach the sign below Rauðamelsölkelda, park in the parking lot and walk for some 10-15 minutes through a lava field. Don't worry about the yellow sign which says: "All use of a firearm is strictly forbidden. This area is under surveillance".
I have often been asked what this sign means, but it is for hunters and all hunting is forbidden here by the landowners.
The sign leading to Rauðamelsölkelda
Along the way, there is such pretty lava with thick springy moss on top. I love such thick moss, it is ever so soft. Moss is a delicate thing though and it takes a very long time for it to grow, so let's be careful so it won't get ruined. It breaks my heart when I see torn up moss.
I totally understand that not everybody knows how delicate moss is. I have seen it torn up in several places on my travels in Iceland, but I don't think people do this on purpose, they just don't know how long it takes for the moss to grow. Tearing it up leaves an ugly wound, which takes a very long time to heal.
Lava field by Rauðamelsölkelda
Just imagine how hardy this moss is on the other hand, being able to grow on lava. I haven't seen anything else grow on the Icelandic lava. This moss is called hraungambri or Lamb's wool moss (Racomitrium lanuginosum).
Not long ago it was on the news that tourists camping in Þingvellir national park had torn up a lot of moss to insulate their tent. We Icelanders were shocked to see this footage on TV, but the poor tourists were remorseful as they had not realised that it is forbidden to tear up the moss.
Lava field by Rauðamelsölkelda
Seeing that the moss is able to grow on lava then it covers the cracks in between the lava making it dangerous to walk on lava fields.
As children, we were always forbidden to walk on lava fields because of this as it is easy to break one's leg by doing so, or to get stuck in a hole - or even fall into a hole, which has happened.
Bridge on the way to Rauðamelsölkelda
Once you pass the lava field you will cross a bridge and the landscape changes and becomes grassy. There is a pretty waterfall by the end of the valley, which you can visit after you have a drink at Rauðamelsölkelda. This is such a lovely place to visit.
Ölkelda mineral spring
Ölkelda mineral spring
You will find another mineral spring at Ölkelda farm. This mineral spring is quite different from Rauðamelsölkelda. Here the ground is red from the iron and the water has a strong taste of iron.
Ölkelda was built up in 1904 by the farmer at Ölkelda farm. Before that time it welled up from a hole in the ground. It is believed that the water has health benefits and it has been used by the farmers at Ölkelda for centuries.
Visitors can come and bottle some water for personal use - please leave some money in the box.
Ölkelda mineral spring
The water has been analysed and is said to be good for people with diabetes, heart problems and kidney problems. It contains iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, fluorine, chlorite, sulphate, bicarbonate and carbonic acid.
I am certain that the water is healthy, so I am going to bottle up on it every time I travel in this area and thank the farmer for allowing me to do so.
Last time I visited Ölkelda I was on my second guided tour by Tröll Expeditions with a group of friends. I was nauseous and was wondering how to survive a 12-hour tour of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. I drank a glass of the mineral water and the nausea vanished! So there is something in the water...
The information sign by Ölkelda
Ölkelda is also on the south-side of Snæfellsnes peninsula and a short distance from the main road 54. When driving west on the peninsula turn right on road 571 and drive for a short distance.
Lýsuhólslaug geothermal mineral water
Soaking in Lýsuhólslaug
Lýsuhólslaug is a geothermal mineral water pool on the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. I always visit Lýsuhólslaug when I camp by the golden beach at Langaholt.
It is pure geothermal mineral water and no chemicals are added to the water. It can get pretty green at times when the green tinge floats in the water and fastens itself to the walls of the pool. I later learnt that it is green algae. The water is supposed to be very healthy.
I have heard that if you taste the water in one of the corners of the pool then it tastes like bottled mineral water, but don't take my word for it ;) Lýshólslaug is being renovated in 2019 to make it an even better place to visit. Will check it out again soon.
By Snæfellsjökull glacier
I always drive around the peninsula in a private car, but I recently went on a guided tour with the very friendly people from Nicetravel and another guided tour by Tröll Expeditions.
And if you want to use my Snæfellsnes travel-blog part I-IV as a guide, then you can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive up to Snæfellsnes in a couple of hours.
My travel-guide on the Snæfellsnes peninsula will take you around the most interesting sights on the peninsula. It includes a lot of folklore and information so it has turned into a mini-book about Snæfellsnes. I hope you will enjoy virtually travelling with me :)
Have a lovely time exploring the beautiful Snæfellsnes peninsula :)
其他有意思的博客
冰岛最浪漫的角落
对于很多人,遥远的冰岛有着世界尽头的神秘,有着区别于巴黎、马尔代夫、自成一体的浪漫。没有埃菲尔铁塔和蒂凡尼,没有热带沙滩,而是在冰川、火山、苔藓地的背景下蜜月旅拍、婚拍,甚至举办一场冰岛婚礼。来冰岛旅行,多是要跨千山万水、飞跃大洋大陆,很有一点“万水千山陪你走过”的史诗感。难怪很多人说,光是冰岛二字,就足够浪漫了。 冰岛虽然不大,但是地貌极其丰富,不同的自然景观自然有不同的气质。这一篇,就挑阅读详情从极光观测到摄影-到底该不该来冰岛看极光
很多朋友都想来冰岛看极光,但是冰岛到底适不适合看极光呢?几月、什么季节能看到极光?是不是一定要参加北极光旅行团?如何能拍摄出美丽的极光照片呢?在冰岛住了好几年了,从刚开始逢极光必出门,到如今家里阳台就能看极光,我对在冰岛看极光的了解和经验,也算得上大半个专家了,且听我娓娓道来吧。 到底该不该来冰岛看极光呢?最坦诚的答案是,不要只为了看极光而看极光。 极光原理 太阳活动→太阅读详情迷失冰岛的米湖游览推荐|不只有温泉的地热宝藏区
我在冬夏秋均到访过米湖,看过米湖的不同面。一直以来,米湖到底值不值得去是很多游客争论的问题。有些人觉得这里是来冰岛旅行的必去目的地,有些人则说米湖“太丑了”,连照片都不想多拍几张。那米湖到底值不值得来呢?到底怎么玩呢? 米湖的风景 北部的米湖,因地理位置相距首都雷克雅未克略远,很多来冰岛的短途游客选择放弃,其实米湖应该是和黄金圈、南岸沿线至冰湖齐名的冰岛景色,这里冷热相融,可谓最冰岛,尤其阅读详情
将冰岛最大的旅行平台下载到您的手机上,在一个App中管理您的整个行程
使用手机摄像头扫描此二维码,点击链接,即可将冰岛最大的旅行平台添加到您的手机中。添加您的电话号码或电子邮件地址以接收包含下载链接的短信或电子邮件。