This beautiful crater near the Hólmsá ford on the F210 can be reached on a short hike. However, you have to climb quite steeply to get this view of the crater, the upper stream of Hólmsá and the Mýrdalsjökull glacier in the background. But it is always worth it. The crater is hidden in the mountains above Hólmsá. If you are on the east side of the ford, a track goes a little way north and from the parking lot at the end you can hike up to the crater and the lake Hólmsárlón.
I had even taken my tripod with me here so that I could work with the polarizing filter in peace. The surface of the lake in particular was very reflective and I really wanted to have the bottom of the moss-lined lake in the picture. I hadn’t used a polarizing filter for the first shot as it didn’t work due to the position of the sun. But in the second picture, I’m looking at the red cinder rim of Rauðibotn, which gives it its typical red/green contrast:
If you don’t want to walk the steep path up to the crater rim, or if you don’t have a head for heights, there is an alternative. The hiking trail leads along the Hólmsá river past the crater to Lake Hólmsárlón. Along the way, you have a beautiful view of the crater along the outflow. I photographed it here again as a panorama:
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