Top 10 Iceland’s Volcanoes to Know About

There is a reason why Iceland is called the land of ice and fire. The main factor responsible for its current magical landscape and natural diversity are volcanoes, and more specifically, the volcanism of the entire island. Volcanoes (or volcanic cones) in Iceland come in many different shapes and sizes and possibly there is no other place on this Earth where we could see so clearly such a great variety of them.

Iceland’s most interesting volcanoes

Until recently, Iceland’s most famous volcano was certainly Eyjafjallajökull It was this volcano that halted air transport throughout Europe and much of the world in 2010.

In 2021 and 2022 the most talked-about eruption was Geldingadalir. It was very small and also mild, so it was possible to be observed up close. As long as fresh lava continued to flow from its fissures Geldingadalir (sometimes called Fagradalsfjall and later Meradalir) was the greatest tourist attraction of Iceland. Read more abut it here Iceland’s latest attraction – Geldingadalir eruption.

Historically, the most important were certainly Hekla and Krafla, which are responsible for some of the biggest natural disasters in the island’s history (with Hekla also erupting in the late 20th century and still remaining dangerous). Today’s largest volcano is Bárðarbunga, located under the Vatnajokull glacier, on the eastern part of the island. Its main caldera measures as much as 8 by 11 km!

However, historical momentousness is not the only criterion, and the variety of Iceland is endless and offers many – perhaps slightly less known, but very interesting – volcanoes.

Map: Iceland’s most interesting volcanoes.

So, which Icelandic volcanoes are most worth seeing? Here is our list of the top 10 Icelandic volcanoes:

Askja

Askja – Lake Viti

In the northern part of Vatnajökull National Park lie the Dyngjufjöll mountains, in the midst of which is Askja. The caldera of this still active volcano is almost 50 km²

Inside the Askja caldera there are two volcanic lakes: Öskjuvatn (the second deepest in Iceland) and Viti. And it is Viti that is the reason why Askja is worth visiting more than all other volcanoes in Iceland, and perhaps in the world. Well, the Viti lake (its name means Hell) is filled with warm, sulfurous water in which you can bathe! Yes, here you can take a warm bath directly in the crater of an active volcano! Wow…

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sure, bathing in a professional spa is more therapeutic, and in a tiny spring on the sidelines is perhaps more charming, but bathing in the volcano’s crater lake is, in my opinion, the most interesting and unusual thing you can do in Iceland, and perhaps in all of Europe (the world?). This place is not to be missed!

Getting to Askja is quite difficult, but also possible without (your own) 4×4 car. You can read about how to do it and what else is worth seeing in the area in this article: Askja – volcano with bathing area.

Hverfjall

Hverfjall is an amazing volcano located right next to Lake Mývatn in the north. Its unusual beauty comes from its equally unusual genesis – it is a so-called tufa cone. It was formed by water pouring into the volcano’s chamber, not by an explosion of hot lava. Nevertheless, the cone is (was) connected directly to the so-called volcano’s focus, so it is as much a full-fledged volcano as possible (see How Iceland’s Volcanoes Work).

Dignified, black and beautifully located almost on the edge of a lake, Hverfjall is simply lovely. Its distinctive crater, with an almost perfect circular shape, could serve as an example for many other volcanoes. The walls of the cone are covered with graphite, almost black gravel (in fact, the entire cone consists of such “gravel” – volcanic tuff). In addition, access and ascent to the top of this remarkable volcano are very easy.

You can read more about the unusual and beautiful Hverfjall, including how to reach it and what else to see in the area, here: Hverfjall – a volcano unlike any other.

Thríhnúkagígur

Inside the Thrihnukagigur volcano

Thríhnúkagígur is a dormant volcano that has not erupted in more than 4,000 years. It is located in western Iceland, near Reykjavík, and unlike other volcanoes, it attracts not what is visible on the outside, but what is inside.

The magma chamber of a dormant volcano should be plugged with solidified lava, but in this case all the lava has flowed outward, leaving an open entrance directly into the volcano’s chamber. This allows you to take a day trip inside the volcano and admire the impressive magma chamber! You’ll go inside by elevator, whose shaft reaches as far as 120 meters down. This trip, although expensive, is worth the price and is a very interesting experience.

Thrihnukagigur – a dormant volcano with an unusual magma cave

Hekla

Hekla Volcano

Lying in the southwestern part of the island, Hekla is one of Iceland’s largest and most famous volcanoes. It certainly owes a large part of its popularity to the fact that until the late 20th century it regularly erupted almost exactly every 10 years. Since the last eruption took place very recently – in 2000 – safety around Hekla is taken very seriously.

For those without a 4×4 car, traveling on the ring road and other paved roads, Hekla is the best opportunity to see fairly up close a huge, dignified volcano with a remarkable history. Those with an off-road vehicle can drive very close or even climb the volcano. You can read more about this remarkable volcano here: Hekla – Queen of Icelandic Volcanoes.

Krafla

Viti Crater, with Krafla Peak in the background

The Krafla volcanic complex is located in the northeastern part of the island and remains volcanically active to this day. The last eruption at the site took place in 1984. Numerous eruptions over time have formed a unique lava field with numerous geysers, bubbling muds and craters. It is a beautiful place where the blue of the water contrasts with the intensely red-orange of the fossilized earth.

Most tourists visiting Krafla take as its cone one of the spur hills located here. Meanwhile, it is just a small ‘mound’ on the crown of the volcano. In fact, Krafla is so huge that its caldera (crater) itself is about 10 km wide, and the underground chamber extends for up to 20 km around the place considered to be its center (at Viti Lake; not to be confused with the aforementioned Viti at Askja – these are two different lakes/craters).

You can read about the volcano, the lava field stretching around it and the power plant located right next to it in this article: Krafla – the great volcano near Myvatn.

Ljótipollur

Ljotipollur (Landmannalaugar)

Ljótipollur is a unique lake in the crater of a volcano that does not have its own separate name. The name Ljotipollur means ‘ugly puddle,’ although the lake has nothing to do with a puddle, much less an ugly one. On the contrary, the volcanic lake is filled with crystal clear water, and its magnificent deep color is breathtaking. It is surrounded by almost vertical black crater walls. In addition, it is located in the midst of colorful mountains (it is the neighborhood of the famous Landmannalaugar), which together create a captivating landscape.

Although getting here is not the easiest thing to do, it is definitely worth seeing this beautiful place, despite its daunting name. Ljótipollur – Iceland’s most beautiful puddle.

For those without a 4×4 vehicle, a sure substitute (smaller, toll-free and not as spectacular) may be the very popular and advertised Kerid near Reykjavik.

Blafjall

Blafjall Volcano is located in the northeast of Iceland, about 15 km from Lake Mývatn. The summit of this volcanic mountain is located at 1092 meters and is best admired just from the lake (in fact, it is quite difficult to miss it while you are there).

The unusual and unique thing about Blafjall is that, despite the fact that it has not seen a glacier for a very long time, it is precisely the so-called subglacial volcano due to its genesis. This is a very interesting phenomenon, because such volcanoes are formed by the eruption of lava, which breaks through the covering layer of ice. As a result, the volcano takes on the peculiar shape of a table mountain – it is a solitary mountain with extremely steep slopes and a truncated, flat top. You can read more about Blafjall in an article on the classification and genesis of Iceland’s volcanoes: Blafjall (How Iceland’s volcanoes work).

Laki

line volcano – Laki

Laki is a rare type of volcano – a rift volcano. It is located in the southern part of the island. Although it is not spectacular in terms of height – its highest peak reaches only 818 meters above sea level. – it has taken on a unique form. This is because, after its spectacular eruption in 1784 century, Laki created a mountain range of craters that stretches as far as 25 kilometers. The more than 40 billion tons of lava that erupted from it during this eruption is the largest recorded amount of lava that flowed during a single eruption in history.

Getting to this volcano is not the easiest thing to do, it is reached via the F206 road, which requires an all-terrain, 4-wheel drive vehicle. However, it is worth the trip to the area, as the sight of a long volcanic fissure overgrown with green moss, which contrasts with the surrounding black lava terrain, is an exceptionally spectacular landscape. In addition, the route itself leading up to the volcano already offers stunning views, and its culmination is the proverbial icing on the cake. You can read more about Laki and other Isladnia volcanoes here: Laki (How Iceland’s Volcanoes Work).

Eldfell

Eldfell volcano

If you want to see Eldfell, you’ll need to get to Heimaey Island by ferry or plane. Eldfell was originally the volcanic Mount Helgafell, and got its modern name more recently. It is a relatively young volcano – its eruption occurred unexpectedly in 1973. Despite the massive destruction it caused, Icelanders not only handled the situation efficiently, but also took advantage of it. They used the solidifying lava to heat water and produce electricity, and the material the volcano spewed out was used to enlarge the airport runway and create foundations for new homes.

Today Eldfell (which means Mountain of Fire in Icelandic) reigns just above the city, and a unique Eldheimar museum has been established on the land that was flooded by lava. Archaeologists in the early 21st century decided to dig up the lava-flooded houses, and to their eyes appeared a sight like from Pompeii – the houses they found looked as if time had stopped in them. They found tables set with dishes, and closets full of clothes and other things buried in them. It is this ‘innards’ of a still-living city that makes Eldfell attractive. You can read more about this volcano in an article about the entire archipelago in which Heimaey lies: Vestmannaeyjar – islands on the south coast of Iceland and in an article about the types and effects of volcanoes in Iceland: Volcanoes of Iceland (Eldfell).

Meradalir (Fagradalsfjall / Geldingadalir)

Geldingadalir/Fagradalsfjall volcano during 2021 eruption

The latest volcanic eruption lies in a very seismically active region of the Reykjanes peninsula. Its first episode took place between March and September 2021, and the second one in August 2022. At the time of the eruption, the volcano was certainly Iceland’s biggest tourist attraction. It will certainly be so again if/when the eruption begins again.

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for accurate and up-to-date information in this regard, please visit the article Iceland’s newest attraction – Geldingadalir eruption The article is continuously updated.

The eruptions themselves (both the 2021 one and the 2022 one) were rather small and mild, but precisely because of that, they were also relatively safe to watch up close.

As an aside: the new eruption fissure was formed in the Meradalir Valley. The previous crater, on the other hand, was formed in the neighboring valley – Geldingadalir, on the slopes of the Fagradarsfjall mountain. Hence the eruption already serves three names….

Hiking trails have been marked out to both eruption sites, but it is a route of about 7 km, and due to the rather difficult mountainous terrain, it will take up to 4-5 hours of walking (one way!!). So it is necessary to be very well prepared for such a trip. At the same time, as of the end of August 2022, there is little interesting to see on the site, so spending a whole day on a trip to such a place seems excessive.

For more detailed information about this latest wonder of Icelandic nature and how best to visit it, see our separate article: Iceland’s newest attraction – Geldingadalir eruption.

Extra: Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters

Skutustadagigar and the famous flies from lake Myvatn

Number 11 on this list is a bonus, because sensu stricto is not a volcano. However, it definitely has to be on the Top10 volcanoes list and is definitely a must-see. Skútustaðagígar are completely unique even though (or precisely because) they are not volcanoes, but a group of so-called pseudo craters. Pseudo-craters look like mini-volcanoes, but they are not, because they were not formed by the direct action of a volcanic focus or lava chamber of a volcano.

So you can read about how Skútustaðagígar were formed, where they are located and how to visit them in a separate article: Skutustadagigar – unique pseudocraters.

Extra 2: minor interesting volcanoes

In addition to the list of the truly most interesting volcanoes in all of Iceland indicated above, three more are worth noting. They are somehow not particularly spectacular, but they are very easy to visit. Therefore, if you’re in their vicinity, it’s worth stopping for a while to see them up close, even if it’s not worth going to the area specifically for them. The three volcanoes are Grabrok, Saxholl and Eldborg. As it happens, all three lie on or near the Snaefellsnes peninsula.

Grábrók
From the crown of Grabrók you can see very clearly how the lava poured and solidified during the recent eruptions. At the same time, it is tangible proof that for Icelanders, volcanoes are a perfectly ordinary thing – they build their houses almost based on these lava outpourings…. The path that leads to Grabrok from the parking lot is easily accessible to everyone, and the view from the top is of the magnificent surrounding landscape, fancifully shaped by lava. Grabrok – volcanic crater surrounded by houses.
Saxholl
If you’re visiting the Snaefellsness peninsula, the Saxholl is worth a look. It may not be as picturesquely surrounded, but is otherwise quite similar to Grabrok. A small but distinct volcanic cone with a convenient path to the top. Such a miniature of a large volcano, available for anyone to visit.
Eldborg
Eldborg lies almost directly ‘at the entrance’ to the Snaefellsnes peninsula. It’s a lonely but beautiful crater; a textbook example of a spatter cone (literally, a splashed cone) crater. Unlike the previous two examples, the parking lot from which we set out to view it is not at the very foot of the volcano, but about a 2-hour walk away. However, this allows us to have a really wild volcano completely to ourselves, so if you have some free time – it’s worth coming here. More about where it lies, what it looks like and how to visit this volcano can be found in a separate article: Eldborg – an unusual crater with jagged walls.