Reykjavik Erupts

Reykjavik Erupts was a bit of a last minute tour booking. We called in at one of the tourist information centres and booked it the day before and I’m so glad we did because it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. Our group was very small; just me, Scott, Marios and our knowledgeable guide Dofri. After lunch we bundled into a 4×4 and set off to explore the volcanic landscape of Iceland!

This lava field was immense. We hiked up a steep lava formation to find rock, moss and fog as far as our eyes could see. One thing to note is that you’re advised to avoid walking on the moss in Iceland — this is because it takes around 100 years to fully grow. So in a single footstep, you could do a lot of damage.

We made our way along twisty black roads to Kleifarvatn lake where we stopped to explore the shore and take a few photos.

Did you spot the face in the rock above?

Next stop — Seltún. A geothermal area covered in hot springs and mud pots, mottled with colourful mineral deposits.As I looked around I felt like I was standing on the surface of Mars! Sulphuric hot water and gas rising to the surface made everything smell like eggs. I didn’t find it too bad but Scott looked a bit green on a couple of occasions.

My favourite part of the day was walking up to this mud pot as the sun was setting. It was incredibly peaceful and to my delight, Dofri had bought along hot chocolate and a tin of Kleinur (Icelandic doughnuts)! The four of us stood eating and drinking looking out over Seltún.

I could have spent forever up here but the sun was disappearing and it was time to head back to Reykjavik. We had such a good day. Choosing which photos to show you was difficult because I wanted to share them all. But hopefully the ones I’ve chosen have given you a taste of Iceland’s volcanic landscape. Maybe one day we’ll get to go back…