Haukadalur Valley of Geysers


One of the attractions of the Icelandic Golden Ring is the Haukadalur Valley, located in the south-western part of the country. Its popularity is due to the hot springs, which are in abundance here. A total of more than 30, the most famous are the Stekkur and Geysir geysers - symbols not only of the valley, but also of Iceland .

Geyser Geysir

Geyser Geysir is the most famous geyser in Iceland, but seeing its eruption is considered a great success, because it can subside for a couple of days, months, and even years. So, for example, after the earthquake in 1896, this geyser began to throw out a column of water several times a day, in 1910 eruptions were every 30 minutes, in 5 years this interval lasted up to 6 hours, and a year later Geisir began to erupt so rarely, which gradually became clogged with quartz deposits. In 2000, another earthquake again triggered a geyser, and it erupted 8 times a day, although the height of the discharged water reached only 10 meters. Now he irregularly throws water at a height of 60 meters, and it is almost impossible to predict it. In a sleepy state, the Geysir geyser is an ordinary small lake with a diameter of 14 meters.

Geyser Strokkur

Geyser Strokkur won an honorable second place not in vain. Unlike Geysir, it erupts every 2-6 minutes, although the water rises by 20 meters. But, nevertheless, the spectacle of water release will not leave anyone indifferent, especially when eruptions occur in a row, with a series of up to three emissions.

Geyser Strokkur is located 40 meters from Geysir, and because of its regular eruptions, it is gradually becoming more and more visited.

The Benefits of Geysers

If for tourists geysers are, first of all, a natural attraction, then the local population makes wide use of their energy. Thanks to geothermal sources, many houses, greenhouses and even parks are heated. An example of a heated park is Eden Park, where you can walk among the tropical greenery, and enjoy the warm air at a time when the rest of Iceland is cold enough, and even the greens are not found everywhere.

Other natural attractions

These two geysers are not the only ones in the Haukadalur valley. Here there are many small geyser springs that erupt at very low fountains, or just like bubbling puddles.

In addition to geysers, tourists are sure to be interested in, the blue-blue Lake Blaisi, as well as the Güdfoss waterfall at the foot of the Iceland Plateau, 10 km north of Haukadalur.

Near the valley is a small mountain Laugarfal, which offers a magnificent view of the valley of the geysers. She is also notable for the fact that in 1874 the king of the Danish kingdom was there, and while he was walking, his subjects cooked eggs in a hot spring. From that time, locals do not call these mountains otherwise than as Royal stones.

Tips for tourists

  1. One of the main tips - do not go close to the geysers. First, it can suddenly erupt, and you scald. And secondly, there is a danger of stumbling and falling into the source. Their depth sometimes reaches 20 meters, and can be welded alive. And, although the most dangerous areas are fenced with hedges, it is not worth neglecting this advice, so as not to spoil your whole rest in Iceland.
  2. If you want to swim in the geyser water, you can go to special places for swimming, where the water is not so hot, and can not cause harm to health.
  3. Walking in the valley of Haukadalur, be ready for the smell of sulfur that accompanies the eruptions of geysers.
  4. Having decided to observe the eruption, make a correction to the wind, otherwise the spray from the firing water will soak you from head to foot.
  5. If you have a tripod for the camera, it will not be superfluous to capture it - while you will wait for the eruption, you do not have to keep the camera a canopy.

Where is and how to get there?

The Haukadalur Valley is located 100 km east of Reykjavik . If you decide to visit it yourself, and not as part of an organized tour, then you can get to the Valley of Geysers by car. Moreover, when planning a trip, it must be borne in mind that from autumn to spring roads can be covered with ice and snow, and an inexperienced driver is better not to take risks, but to go by bus as part of the excursion group.

If you eat by car, then your path lies along Highway 1, then turn off onto road 60 and go along it to Simbahöllin. Then on 622 you reach the valley of Haukadalur. The journey takes about 6 hours.

Or you can fly to Reykjavik by plane to Isafjordur , and then by car, get into the valley of the geysers.