Lava field

About Lava field

Lava fields, called hraun in Icelandic, cover large parts of Iceland and are one of the first things visitors notice on the drive from Keflavík Airport. They form when lava from an eruption spreads across the land and cools into rock. Some are only a few years old and still bare and black; others are thousands of years old and buried under thick grey-green moss.

Icelandic lava comes in two main textures. Smooth, rope-like pāhoehoe lava (helluhraun) is relatively easy to walk on, while rough, blocky aa lava (apalhraun) is sharp, loose and slow going. Many fields also hide lava tubes and caves, such as Vatnshellir on Snæfellsnes and Raufarhólshellir near Reykjavík, which can be visited on guided tours.

On the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, Berserkjahraun, between Grundarfjörður and Stykkishólmur, is one of the easiest fields to explore. It was created by a group of scoria craters roughly 4,000 years ago and is tied to a saga story about two berserkers who cleared a path through the lava. It is free to visit and reached on Road 558, off Route 54. On the Reykjanes Peninsula, a series of eruptions since 2021 around Fagradalsfjall and north of Grindavík has produced some of the youngest lava in the country.

The moss that covers older lava is fragile and takes decades to recover once trampled, so stay on marked paths and pull over only where there is a proper parking area. Young lava can have hidden cracks, thin crusts and sharp edges; wear sturdy boots and never walk on lava that is still steaming. Access to recent eruption sites on Reykjanes can be closed at short notice, so check the civil protection and Safetravel updates before going.

Lava fields can be seen all year from the road. Summer gives the best walking conditions, while in winter a light snow cover shows the shapes of the lava but also hides holes and cracks.