14/06/2026
🌋🐧 THE ADVENTURES OF OUR PUFFINS: A PHOTOSHOOT IN EUROPE'S MOST UNIQUE GEOTHERMAL PARK 🇮🇸📸
Those who follow our page know that our handmade crocheted puffins are true explorers of the island. They have visited thundering waterfalls, black sand beaches, and most recently, they posed among the icebergs at the beautiful Diamond Beach.
Today, however, we took them – along with a crocheted volcano – to a completely different, much "hotter" location for a special photoshoot: Geothermal Park / Hveragarðurinn, Hveragerði.
We arranged our visit in advance with the park's staff, who welcomed us with incredible warmth, thanks for that.
But what should you know about this place, and why did we choose it for our photoshoot?
🔥 The town where the earth boils beneath your feet
Hveragerði is no ordinary town. It is the only place in all of Europe where a high-temperature geothermal zone (with all its phenomena) is located directly within a populated area, right inside the town! What does this mean in practice? If you were to drill straight down from the surface, the temperature reaches 200°C (392°F) at just one kilometer deep.
We walked around the most beautiful and unique spots of the park with our little puffins and the volcano. Here are the stops of our photoshoot and the park's main attractions:
💦 1. Eilífur (The Geyser)
Of course, we couldn't miss the star of the park, a goshver (erupting hot spring) named Eilífur, which shoots a spectacular column of boiling water high into the air roughly every 15 minutes. The puffins really enjoyed the show!
🍞 2. Earth-baked bread and steam vents
Icelanders are masters at utilizing natural energy. At the park's hot steam vents, traditional dark Icelandic rye bread (hverabrauð) is baked by burying the dough in the ground for several hours.
🥚 3. The egg-boiling station
The puffins also inspected the small hot water pool where visitors can boil their own eggs using nothing but volcanic energy.
👣 4. The healing mud bath
Geothermal clay and mud are known to be excellent for the skin. We snapped a few photos at the park's mud footbath (though luckily, the puffins' feet stayed clean).
🍌 5. The greenhouse - bananas near the Arctic Circle!
Hveragerði is the greenhouse capital of Iceland. The park's greenhouse not only features a cozy café, but thanks to the hot water, it successfully grows tomatoes, grapes, and, most absurdly: bananas!
⚠️ 6. From hot springs to fumaroles
We also took photos at the vents of former hot springs, which are tied to an interesting geological phenomenon. Recent earthquakes altered the underground hydrogeological conditions. The water found new paths deep underground, and as the water level dropped, the hot springs transformed into fumaroles. As a result, instead of water, only hot volcanic steam and gases rise from these vents today.
🧶 A passion for crochet and Icelandic wool
Finally, a little behind-the-scenes secret: I love crocheting, and I especially enjoy using traditional Icelandic wool yarn for my creations. For example, these puffins wearing colorful sweaters are all made from original Icelandic Léttlopi yarn. Of course, I work with other yarns as well and create many other animals (chickens, walruses, polar bears, etc.). I am very proud to be able to craft here in Iceland, using local, or at least locally purchased, materials.
It was a great experience photographing here, and we hope the pictures will help you feel the magic of this place too.
Is there anyone here who loves knitting or crocheting? Have you ever tried Icelandic wool yarns? Tell us in the comments! 👇🐧📸
