The term "hot pot" refers to bodies of water naturally heated by the earth. On an island where over 130 volcanoes reside, it's easy to understand how the geothermal energy of Iceland brings to life bubbling pools of water all across the country.
With just mother nature at work, each hot pot maintains a different temperature -- often likened to that of a jacuzzi. The water is captured in local dwellings and welcomes both locals and visitors alike... if you can find them.
Hot pots vary in size, temperature and accessibility. Some can be found right along the roadside, while others require long treks out into the wilderness.
Since I can not find any evidence to support that "hot pot" is an official scientific term, I would dare say that the well-known Blue Lagoon and the lesser known Myvatn Baths also qualify as hot pots, though on a much larger (and more expensive) scale.
Hot pots can be made out of anything from metal tubs to sunken rock pools. They can also be developed into major community complexes with slides and geothermal sauna facilities.
Hot pots are often maintained by the local community and, while open to everyone, do require respect. We learned that it is customary to shower before entering hot pots, so as to walk in with a clean body.
It is also important to leave hot pots in, preferably, better conditions than when you arrived. Respect other guests that may be enjoying the warm pool with you and do not leave trash behind.
So, how do you find hot pots? We found that asking locals was helpful, but we also enjoyed an app called HotPotIceland, which highlighted GPS coordinates of hot pots near to us on our journey along Ring Road.
I am a NYC-based television producer who, outside of work, enjoys traveling the world. I love telling the stories of the people I meet and the places I visit in the hopes of inspiring other travelers to pursue their bucket list adventures. I'm also not afraid to share the vacation planning mistakes I have made, because -- let's face it -- those are always bound to happen!
You can count on me to be "that friend" who will gladly book tickets on a weird tour, splurge on an overnight treehouse stay, or spontaneously put together a mini food crawl in a new city. Life is too short to be dull. :)
