Eldhraun is a vast lava field covered by thick, bright green moss, formed in the Lakagígar (Laki) eruption of 1783–1784 and crossed by the Ring Road near Kirkjubæjarklaustur in South Iceland. You can see it from the road and stop at a pull-out; the lava stopped just outside Kirkjubæjarklaustur on 20 July 1783. This page contains partner links: if you book, we earn a commission at no cost to you.
Highlights
The moss carpet
the lava is bright green when it rains and a grey hue on dry days, giving a smooth, rolling look.
The road through the lava
Route 1 runs through the field, more than a hundred kilometres from the fissure that opened in 1783.
The viewpoint near Kirkjubæjarklaustur
a good place to stop the car and look over the field, about 4 km before the village.
Lakagígar and Eldgjá
nearby attractions: the Laki craters and the Eldgjá canyon.
Practical info
Tips
- The moss is fragile: the field is also called Skaftáreldahraun, one of the largest lava fields formed in the last 1,100 years, and walking on the moss damages it for years. Take pictures from the road and its pull-outs, and do not step onto it. The Katla Geopark gives the area as roughly 565 to 580 km² and over 12 km³ of lava. The nearest services are in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, where the easy 5 km Ástarbrautin (Love Path) walk is a short alternative on foot. Eldhraun sits between Vík and Skaftafell on the Ring Road, so it is a stop for a road trip rather than a day trip from Reykjavik; see Reykjavik to Jökulsárlón, Skaftafell and Vík. A rental car is the practical choice: the Discover Cars page for Iceland is linked in the box above, with Iceland car rental.
How to get there
The field lies along Route 1 around Kirkjubæjarklaustur, between Vík and Skaftafell.
Opening hours
Nearby
See on the map →
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