Category: Icelandic Volcanoes

Articles about Icelandic Volcanoes

Iceland has more than 30 active volcanic systems, and at any given moment, one of them is usually reminding us who’s really in charge. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I still get a thrill every time a new fissure opens up on the Reykjanes peninsula or a plume rises over the highlands.

This is where I gather everything Stuck in Iceland has to say about our volcanoes — the famous ones like Eyjafjallajökull, Hekla, Katla, and Grímsvötn, the recent Reykjanes eruptions that have reshaped the landscape just south of Reykjavík, and the quieter giants most visitors never hear about. You’ll find practical travel advice (which volcanoes you can actually visit, which tours are worth booking, what to wear, and when to go), interviews with the geologists, guides, and photographers who know this terrain better than anyone, and honest answers to the questions travelers ask me most: Is it safe? Will I see lava? Do I need a guide?

If you’re planning a trip and want to see Iceland’s volcanic side up close, start here. And if an eruption begins while you’re reading this — it happens more often than you’d think — I’ll point you to the latest updates and the safest way to witness it.


Volcano with new lava in front of it.
Icelandic Volcanoes

The eruption in Grindavik

Early this morning, a volcanic eruption started just outside the little fishing town of Grindavik. The town is situated on the southern coast of the Reykjanes peninsula. Keflavik International Airport is on the north-west corner of the Reykjanes peninsula and is some 27 Kilometers (I7...