Just to clear up any confusion, this hot spring category will cover anything to do with geothermal water, whether it be hot springs, geysers, naturally hot water for heating etc. or even mud pools. It will however in no respect cover the temperature of the season known as spring.
Temperature control
Iceland is flooded by geothermal activity in the form of hot water, which
is then tapped for heating houses and for outdoor swimming pools, geysers,
natural hot pools and more. This vastly improves the quality of living in
Iceland and makes it a more interesting place for tourists and Icelanders
alike.
The most popular geyser area is Haukadalur (the valley of hawks), the location of the original Geysir. Being the biggest it's usually the most impressive one as well. It is however only the biggest in that it's eruptions reach the highest up in the air. Deildartunguhver, close to Borgarnes, is however the largest water yielding hot spring in the world, giving off around 180Liters/sec. of 100 degree centigrade hot water. Part of that water is then used to heat up the towns Borgarnes and Akranes. The whole area of Deildartunga is all one big geothermal area and you will, for obvious reasons, find quite a lot of greenhouses there.
The valley of hawks
But back to Haukadalur, apart from Geysir it is also the home of Strokkur,
Iceland's second largest geyser and the most frequently erupting one (even
though Deildartunguhver is in a continuous eruption, it's eruptions don't
go that high up in the air). It goes off every few minutes, whereas Geysir
is a bit more unpredictable. The area also has a fair bit of small geysers,
mud pools, hot pools and such.
For more on that area, as well the accommodation available there, have a look
at this
website.
Other popular geothermal areas are Krisuvik (not far from the Blue Lagoon), which has steam vents and mud pools, Námaskarð in the East of Iceland, which is similar but more colourful and full of boiling sulphur pits and Landmannalaugar, an extremely beautiful area with a hot spring to bathe in - an amazing experience - in the South of Iceland. Not far from Landmannalaugar, you will also find a place known as Eldgjá (loosely translated as Fire Gorge). This is not only a volcanic fissure, but the largest of it's kind on Earth.
Never judge a book by its review
It should be noted however that even though they contain similar things the
look, feeling and experience varies greatly between all these places.
There is also a rather popular geothermal area with no geysers at all, called
Nesjavellir. This is very close to Thingvellir and easily done in the same
tour and it is also the home of one of the main gathering stations of geothermal
energy.
They offer tours around the gathering station itself and explain the whole
process, including everything that goes on underground. Very popular with
tourists and I would certainly recommend it.
You should perhaps verify this before going there, but as far as I know it
is still free.
Currently, I am not going to provide any information on the scientific aspects
of the hot springs but if you are interested let me know and I shall certainly
look into it.
For some pictures from Námaskarð (and Mývatn) try this link here
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