The Hnausapollur crater rim decision before Landmannalaugar

Hnausapollur crater lake, also called Bláhylur, is worth a pause when your Fjallabak highland day already passes the rim, but it should not be the reason to force F208 into a tight plan.

Bláhylur, also called Hnausapollur, hides its payoff until you reach the edge: a blue volcanic crater lake set inside dark walls in Fjallabak Nature Reserve. That reveal is the reason to stop.

The cleanest use is on a day already shaped around Landmannalaugar, Ljótipollur, or the F208 approach. If road conditions, daylight, or hiking time are already stretched, keep the crater optional.

Photo guide

Bláhylur (Hnausapollur) Lake in photos

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This closer rim view makes the stop easier to judge before adding it to a Landmannalaugar day.

Worth the stop?

When this stop makes sense

Good match for

  • Landmannalaugar self-drivers
  • crater-lake photography
  • F208 highland route pauses
  • travelers comparing nearby lake stops

Think twice if

  • plans without highland-road margin
  • car-free first trips

Pair it with

HighlandsLjótipollurBláhnjúkurFrostastaðavatn

What the blue lake and dark rim change

The view is simple but strong: turquoise water, black and rust-colored crater walls, mossy slopes, and open highland space.

Bláhylur is not a long attraction. It is a viewpoint with a sharp color contrast. The lake looks especially memorable because the water sits low inside the volcanic bowl while the road and rim stay above it.

That makes the stop more rewarding than it looks from below. From the track or rim, the lake suddenly reads as a whole crater rather than just another highland pond beside the route.

The rim panorama explains why the lake works best as a short viewpoint stop.

How to pair Bláhylur with nearby highland lakes

The main planning question is not whether Bláhylur is pretty. It is whether it improves a day already full of highland scenery.

If the day is about Landmannalaugar hiking, Bláhylur is a short rim pause before or after the main trail time. If the day is about crater lakes, compare it with Ljótipollur and Frostastaðavatn before adding every nearby stop.

This closer rim view makes the stop easier to judge before adding it to a Landmannalaugar day.

Fjallabak rewards slower travel, but the landscape can tempt travelers into too many short pullouts. Choose the crater, lake, canyon, or hiking stop that changes the day most, then protect the time needed for road conditions.

  • Choose Bláhylur for the easiest crater-rim reveal near the route.
  • Choose Ljótipollur when the red crater walls are the main photo target.
  • Choose Frostastaðavatn when the lake-and-mountain setting matters more than the crater form.
The surrounding highland terrain is why Bláhylur works best as one selective stop among nearby lakes.

F208 access and Fjallabak Nature Reserve checks

This is a highland-road stop inside the Fjallabak Nature Reserve area, so the practical decision belongs before the drive, not at the crater rim.

Before treating Bláhylur or Hnausapollur as a fixed stop, check official road conditions, weather warnings, and highland safety guidance. The F208 route can feel completely different with poor visibility, wind, rain, soft shoulders, or changing surface conditions.

The lake also sits within the wider Fjallabak protected landscape. Stay on permitted tracks and durable surfaces, avoid shortcutting across fragile ground, and follow ranger or posted guidance where it applies.

F208 route fit is part of the Bláhylur decision, not background detail.
The crater sits in rough highland terrain, so road and weather checks should decide the stop.

When Bláhylur should stay optional

The lake is visually strong, but highland days work better when every stop earns its time and driving margin.

Skip or shorten Bláhylur when your main goal is a full Landmannalaugar hike, when the weather is closing in, or when the day already includes Sigöldugljúfur and several lake viewpoints.

Give it time when you want a clear crater-lake photograph, a quiet rim moment, and a better sense of the volcanic landscape before continuing through Fjallabak.

Official checks

Bláhylur and Hnausapollur FAQ

These name and location answers help match map labels with the real Fjallabak crater lake stop.

Which nature reserve contains Hnausapollur crater lake?

Hnausapollur crater lake, also called Bláhylur, sits in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve area of Iceland's Highlands near Landmannalaugar and the F208 route.

Is Hnausapollur the same as Bláhylur?

Yes. Hnausapollur and Bláhylur are commonly used for the same volcanic crater lake near Landmannalaugar in Fjallabak.

Should I search for Hnausapollur or Bláhylur on maps?

Check both names if one label is unclear, then confirm that the route still fits current F208 road status, weather, and protected-area guidance before driving.