Eldvörp Crater Row
About Eldvörp Crater Row
Eldvörp is a crater row on the Reykjanes Peninsula, a few kilometers northwest of Grindavík and west of the Svartsengi power plant. The line of low craters runs for about 10 kilometers across the lava, and a rough gravel track leads to the geothermal area near its middle.
The craters formed during the Reykjanes Fires, a run of eruptions and rifting between 1210 and 1240 that laid down about 20 square kilometers of lava here. Eldvörp belongs to the same Svartsengi volcanic system that has erupted repeatedly at the Sundhnúkur craters since December 2023, which gives a walk here a bit more edge than it had a few years ago.
Steam still rises from cracks in the middle of the row, next to a single research borehole. Women from Grindavík once baked bread in the warm ground, and the old Brauðstígur path, the Bread Path, ran from the town out to the vents.
Eldvörp is about an hour's drive from Reykjavík and roughly 15 minutes from the Blue Lagoon, though the last stretch is a rough track best driven slowly. Plan one to two hours to walk along the craters. Stay on the paths, and never enter the caves or cracks, because the Icelandic Met Office has measured deadly levels of carbon dioxide in a cave near the parking area.
Before you go, check the current volcanic hazard map and any closures on the Reykjanes Peninsula, since conditions around Svartsengi can change at short notice. Summer and early fall give the best footing, while in winter the track and the lava get icy and the daylight is short.
Good to know
Where is Eldvörp?
Eldvörp is on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, a few kilometers northwest of Grindavík and west of the Svartsengi power plant. It is about an hour's drive from Reykjavík.
When did Eldvörp last erupt?
The Eldvörp craters last erupted during the Reykjanes Fires between 1210 and 1240. The wider Svartsengi system they belong to has been active again since 2023, with eruptions at the nearby Sundhnúkur crater row.
Is it safe to visit Eldvörp?
It can be visited, but check the volcanic hazard map and closures first because the Svartsengi area is still restless. On site, stay on paths and keep out of caves and cracks, where carbon dioxide has reached deadly levels.
How do you get to Eldvörp?
Drive toward Grindavík and follow the gravel track west of the Svartsengi power plant to the geothermal area in the middle of the crater row. The track is rough, so take it slowly or walk the final stretch.
How long does it take to see Eldvörp?
Plan one to two hours to walk along the craters and the steaming ground at the center of the row. Add more time if you combine it with the Blue Lagoon, about 15 minutes away.
Why is it called Eldvörp?
Eldvörp means roughly fire vents or fire craters in Icelandic, a fitting name for a line of volcanic craters. Locals also used the hot ground here to bake bread.
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