The surrounding area is part of the Hengill central volcano, and is geothermally active and experiences very frequent (usually minor) earthquakes.

[1] These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.

Close to the church is a hot spring called Sandhólshver ([ˈsantˌhoulsˌkʰvɛːr̥, -xʷɛːr̥], "sand hill hot-spring"), formed during the violent South Iceland earthquake of 1896.

To the south of Hveragerði, there is the small port of Þorlákshöfn, winter point of departure for the ferry to the Westman Islands.

[9] In Lystigarðurinn Fossflöt, a park which was founded in 1983, a hydroelectric power station can be visited which was built as early as 1902 beside the waterfall Reykjafoss.