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Tag: Volcanoes

Volcanoes

Gently erupting volcanoes with gushing lava flows & fountains are a volcano geek’s wildest dream come true. When they are quiet, they also offer stunning hiking routes in otherworldly landscapes.

Standing next to a line of 8 erupting craters is a whole new level of the mind being blown. This was completely Off The Scale.

I stood utterly mesmerized looking upon the creation process of Earth itself.

And then there’s this beautiful yet ‘unpronounceable’ volcano, silently looming in the background. Until it erupted into world fame…

Fagradalsfjall – The spectacular Iceland volcano

Fagradalsfjall – The spectacular Iceland volcano

The greatest show on Earth started in Iceland in March 2021. Reykjanes kicked into action and coughed up a new volcano in Geldingadalur, a secluded valley below Fagradalsfjall. What followed is a series of breathtaking events so incredible it has blown the minds of people around the world. Multiple craters appeared, erupting simultaneously, until one of them took over and turned into a giant lava geyser. Fagradalsfjall is one of the most versatile eruptions the world has ever witnessed. Read all about this extraordinary volcano (and how to get there) in this extensive article.

La Palma – Cumbre Vieja Volcano Route

La Palma – Cumbre Vieja Volcano Route

On the same day that Fagradalsfjall in Iceland subsided, the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma cracked open a new crater and roared into life on 19 September 2021. But this is no friendly flowing volcano like the gentle Fagradalsfjall. Cumbre Vieja Natural Park offers stunning hiking routes amongst volcanic cones and giant craters. Now that this fierce volcano has settled down again, the Cumbre Vieja Ruta de los Volcanes (Volcano Route) is one of the finest walks you can do on La Palma.

Kerlingarfjöll – Steaming valleys and surreal landscapes

Kerlingarfjöll – Steaming valleys and surreal landscapes

The hot spring valley of Hveradalir in the Kerlingarfjöll mountains is something out of this world. Breathtaking views unfold into a steaming geothermal valley padded with snowfields clinging to the slopes, and shapes and colours so magnificient that you wonder if it’s even real. It’s like you’ve stepped into a surrealistic painting. Find out how to get to this otherworldly landscape and hike around the steaming valleys in the Icelandic highlands.

Thórsmörk – The fabled valley

Thórsmörk – The fabled valley

The fabled valley of Thórsmörk is the stuff of fairytales and epic sagas. It’s so beautiful that it almost seems unreal. Thórsmörk is full of folded valleys and convoluted gorges, glaciers with volcanoes underneath and bizarrely shaped mountains. You have to see it for yourself to believe it’s real. These spectacular hikes are a great way to do so.

Fimmvörðuháls – The fiery pass across Eyjafjallajökull

Fimmvörðuháls – The fiery pass across Eyjafjallajökull

The Fimmvörðuháls hike between Skógar and Thórsmörk is nothing short of epic. This 26 kilometer walking route takes you over the fiery pass across Eyjafjallajökull and into the fabled valley of Thórsmörk. On the top of the pass you can see the giant lava flows and new craters from the 2010 eruption. But is it possible to do all this in one day? Read all about Fimmvörðuháls the easy way, the hard way, and an unexpected grand encore on that ridiculously steep (but utterly beautiful) Útigönguhöfði mountain.

Reykjanes – Hidden treasures beyond the barren landscape

Reykjanes – Hidden treasures beyond the barren landscape

Reykjanes Peninsula is smoking hot. It may look desolate on first sight, but there are a lot of hidden treasures in its rugged interior. Including active (and sometimes erupting!) volcanoes. You will also find a myriad of steaming vents, bubbling mudpools, colourful rocks & mountains, tranquil lakes, faulty fissures and lava flows covered in thick fluffy moss. It’s a volcanic playground well worth exploring.

Island hopping on the Aeolian Islands

Island hopping on the Aeolian Islands

The Aeolian Islands in south Italy are the stuff of legends and a geological paradise. Stromboli, the ancient lighthouse of the Mediterranean, is famous for its fountain eruptions. Vulcano gave its name to the eruptive mountains we now know as volcanoes. Regular ferries from Naples or Milazzo on Sicily to Stromboli, Lipari and Vulcano make it easy to go island hopping between volcanoes on the Aeolian Islands.

Vestmannaeyjar walking tracks – The best hikes on Heimaey

Vestmannaeyjar walking tracks – The best hikes on Heimaey

An overview of the best walking tracks around Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar. With its incredible density of spectacular sights and features, this stunning island just off the south coast is a must-see if you’re visiting Iceland. There are steep and craggy mountain ridges, dramatic sea cliffs, hidden beaches, a couple of volcanoes, mossy lava flows and a magical valley. Vestmannaeyjar is also home to the biggest puffin colony in the world. Find out more in this article.

The walking track to Helgafell – The twin volcano

The walking track to Helgafell – The twin volcano

Helfgafell offers sweeping surround views of brooding volcanoes and a heart-shaped crater. For a long time, Helgafell was the ruling volcano on Heimaey. The one that merged the chain of rocks to the north and Stórhöfði to the south into the present island, its classic volcano-shaped silhouette dominating the interior. Hike to the top and you may have Helgafell with its beautiful views virtually for yourself.

The walking track to Eldfell – The Fiery Mountain

The walking track to Eldfell – The Fiery Mountain

The hike to the top of Eldfell is the one every visitor to Heimaey wants to do. It’s the famous volcano that erupted out of nowhere in January 1973. Eldfell is very colourful, the track is easily accessible, and the views are absolutely stunning in all directions. From the top you can gawk onto the impressive lava flow that was furiously roiling & boiling only a few decades ago, and single-handedly enlarged the island by several square kilometers. It’s incredible to think it didn’t even exist just over 50 years ago.