Stand on the edge of a volcanic caldera
The 10 km in diameter Krafla caldera is located along a 90 km long fissure zone in the north, not far outside of Mývatn. It erupted a staggering nine times between 1974 and 1984, with 29 total eruptions in recorded history. Krafla stands an impressive 818 metres tall and its caldera is 2 km deep.
The western side of Krafla is an active geothermal area, rich with fumaroles and solfataras (bubbling mud springs). This is also where you’ll find the colourful peak Leirhnjúkur. It is a 525 metre tall active volcano surrounded by mud pots and fumaroles, hence its name, which translates to “mud peak.”
The surrounding Leirhnjúkur lava field is an impressive sight to behold. The black, craggy and ominous-looking terrain is a testament to the Earth’s raw volcanic energy.
On the northwest side of the Krafla caldera is Víti an explosion crater, 300 metres in diameter with green lake inside of it. The name Víti, meaning Hell, comes from the old belief that hell was located under volcanoes.
From the Krafla parking area it’s roughly a 20 minute walk to the edge of the rim. A marked path to the caldera guides visitors through sulphur vents and rocks that are still warm to the touch from the “Krafla Fires,” a long lasting fissure eruption from 1977 to 1984.
View North Iceland
