Kleifarvatn – Dive Into Fire and Ice

Kleifarvatn is a volcanic lake on the Reykjanes Peninsula, a short drive from Reykjavík, and one of the few places on Earth where you can dive over active geothermal springs. The landscape is otherworldly and the dive feels almost alien: hot springs bubble up through the lakebed into the cold water, a collision of fire and ice beneath your fins.

It suits divers of all levels: the shallow geothermal fields make a relaxed recreational dive, while the deeper parts, reaching 92 metres, are among the most exciting technical dives in Iceland.

What you will see

The attraction at Kleifarvatn is the lakebed itself: streams of bubbles from the hot springs, the shimmer of thermoclines where warm water rises into cold, colour around the springs, and further out and deeper down, dramatic rock formations and fissures. The interplay of heat and cold makes every descent an adventure.

Technical diving at Kleifarvatn

Kleifarvatn is one of Iceland’s deepest and most exciting dive sites, reaching depths of 92 metres. The deep sections offer an extraordinary variety of underwater landscapes: rock formations, dramatic fissures, geothermal activity and stunning scenery. Whether you dive on CCR, sidemount or with a twinset, we tailor the package to you.

There is no fixed price for technical dives; contact us and we will plan the dives with you. See our technical dive tours, our technical diving courses and the other technical dive sites in Iceland.

Who is it for

Any certified diver with a dry suit certification can explore the shallow geothermal fields at an easy pace, and it is the site to choose if you want a dive unlike anything else. The deeper areas are for the more adventurous, and the deepest parts of the lake are technical diving.

Not dry suit certified yet? Have a look at our diving courses. The dry suit course can be combined with a dive tour.

Good to know

• Location: Reykjanes Peninsula, a short drive from Reykjavík. Transport to and from the lake is included
• Type: volcanic lake dive over active geothermal springs
• Maximum depth: 92 metres in the deepest parts, which are technical dives. Recreational dives stay on the shallower geothermal fields
• Water: cold, with warm mineral-rich spring water rising from the lakebed and shimmering thermoclines. Every dive is made in a dry suit
• Requirements: Open Water certification and a dry suit certification. The deep sections are technical dives, planned individually

Tours and pricing

Kleifarvatn is dived on our Óttarsstaðir & Kleifarvatn day tour, which pairs the local favourite Óttarsstaðir with the volcanic landscape of Kleifarvatn. It is also one of the sites on our 2-day Ocean Tour around the Reykjanes Peninsula. Other combinations, such as Bjarnagjá and Kleifarvatn, are arranged on request. Technical dives are tailored and priced on request.

• Óttarsstaðir & Kleifarvatn: 85,000 ISK per person
• 2-day Ocean Tour around the Reykjanes Peninsula: 165,000 ISK per person

Discount: bring your own dry suit and receive a 10,000 ISK discount.

Included: all necessary dive equipment, hotel pickup and drop-off, and transport to and from the dive site. A minimum of two divers is required per tour. Private tours get a separate quote on request. See all our dive tours in Iceland and our other dive sites in Iceland.

Kleifarvatn is also part of our adventure dive tours: the Reykjanes Dive Explorer and Diving Across Iceland.

Book a dive at Kleifarvatn

If you are interested or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at icedive@icedive.is. We’d love to dive with you!