Laki Craters

About Laki Craters

The Laki Craters, or Lakagígar in Icelandic, are a line of more than 130 volcanic craters running for over 25 kilometers through the highlands of South Iceland. Today they are soft green with moss, which makes it hard to picture the eruption that started here in June 1783 and lasted until February 1784.

That eruption, known in Iceland as Skaftáreldar, poured out around 14 cubic kilometers of lava and huge clouds of poisonous gas. More than half of Iceland's livestock died, and the famine that followed killed about a fifth of the population. Its haze spread across Europe and lowered temperatures far beyond Iceland.

The crater row is part of Vatnajökull National Park. Mount Laki, the hill that the fissure cuts through, has a 2-kilometer trail to the top that takes 1 to 1.5 hours and gives the classic view along the craters in both directions. Tjarnargígur, a crater holding a small pond, has an easy 500-meter path, and there are toilets and picnic tables at both parking areas.

Getting there takes planning. Road F206 leaves Route 1 a few kilometers west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur and runs about 50 kilometers to the craters, so allow roughly 2 hours each way. The park lists four unbridged river crossings on the way, which can rise after rain, so you need a capable 4x4 and should ask at the Kirkjubæjarklaustur visitor center about conditions.

The road opens only in summer, so July and August are the realistic months for a visit. Plan a full day from Kirkjubæjarklaustur, with time for Fagrifoss waterfall on the way in. If driving F206 is not for you, a helicopter flight from Skaftafell lands near the craters and covers the trip in a little over an hour.