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.

Icelandic Volcanoes

When an eruption in Iceland turned into a folk festival

How many of us get the chance to see a volcanic eruption up close? Well, not many. But we modern-day Icelanders are privileged people. We don’t always appreciate our privilege, but when the eruption in Iceland began on the 19th of March in the Geldingadalur valley,...

History and Culture, Icelandic Volcanoes

Laki eruption caused a hellish nuclear winter in Iceland

Most people who visit Iceland have a vision of a progressive Nordic country with friendly people, stunning nature and rich cultural history. Of course, that is really nice and these good people are right. Iceland is really beautiful and even if we grumble sometimes, Iceland...

Icelandic Volcanoes

The Enormous 1973 Eruption in the Westman Islands

The eruption in the Westman Islands in 1973 is seared into the collective memory of Icelanders. It encapsulates so many interwoven dramatic narratives. My dear, there seems to be an erupting volcano in our garden There is the sudden terrible threat of the volcanic eruption....

Icelandic Volcanoes

Iceland: Fire and Ice Video – See This Incredible Iceland Drone Video

I had the pleasure of receiving a message from Ross Vaughn, the other day, who recently visited Iceland armed with his Canon camera and drone. He made excellent use of this equipment and created a lovely Iceland drone video called Iceland: Fire & Ice (please...

Icelandic Volcanoes, Photography Tours to Iceland

Me, Myself, Iceland and the Volcano!

Iceland has always been a country in which I was interested, because of its people and the forces of nature. Miles of stony deserts, barren and colorful highlands, vast glaciers, and smoking lava fields. But the deepest impression of the forces of nature was left...

Icelandic Volcanoes

All Information About The Eruption in Iceland in One Place

Currently, there is a fairly large eruption going on in the Icelandic highlands, just north of Vatnajokull glacier, in a place called Holuhraun. As far as we know, there is no danger to air travel, people, or property at this time. You can stay current...

Icelandic Volcanoes

Clearing the Ash From the Eyjafjallajokull Eruption

In April and May 2010 Iceland was in the grip of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption. The international consequence was, as some may remember, a lot of grounded international flights. In Iceland the disgusting ash from the eruption seemed to permeate everything. Fortunately for us living here...