Mælifell
About Mælifell
Picture a near-perfect cone coated in bright green moss, standing alone on a plain of black sand at the edge of a glacier. That is Mælifell, the volcano most people mean when they search for Maelifell in Iceland, and it sits in the southern highlands just north of the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap.
Mælifell rises about 200 meters above the surrounding sands of Mælifellssandur. It is a cone built by eruptions beneath Mýrdalsjökull, and it emerged around 10,000 years ago as the glaciers pulled back after the last ice age. The moss that gives the Maelifell volcano its color is fragile and slow to grow back, so the best views are from the track at its base rather than from the slopes.
Getting there is the real project. The mountain lies beside Fjallabaksleið syðri (F210), and you can also come up from the south on Öldufellsleið (F232), which leaves Route 209 east of Vík. Both are highland F-roads with unbridged rivers, so you need a 4x4 and the confidence to judge each crossing, or a seat on a guided super-jeep tour.
Season matters just as much. The roads around Mælifell are usually wet and sometimes flooded, and they are generally passable only from about July into early fall, so check road.is for F-road openings and safetravel.is for conditions before you set out. Iceland has several other mountains named Mælifell, including one near Búðir on Snæfellsnes, so make sure the one on your map is the green cone by Mýrdalsjökull.
Allow a full day from the Ring Road, because the drive in and out is slow even when the rivers are low. It fits best into a wider Fjallabak trip, and on a clear day the white edge of the glacier sits right behind the green slopes.
Good to know
Where is Maelifell volcano?
Mælifell is in Iceland's southern highlands, on the Mælifellssandur plain just north of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. It sits beside the F210 highland road, Fjallabaksleið syðri.
How do you get to Maelifell?
Only by 4x4 on highland F-roads, either along F210 or up from the south on F232, which leaves Route 209 east of Vík. Both routes have unbridged rivers, so many visitors go with a guided super-jeep tour.
When can you visit Maelifell?
The tracks to Mælifell are usually open only in summer, roughly from July into early fall. Opening dates change every year, so check road.is before you plan the trip.
Can you climb Maelifell?
Mælifell stands about 200 meters above the plain, but its moss cover is fragile and slow to recover from footprints. Most visitors enjoy it from the track at the base instead of walking on the slopes.
Why is Maelifell green?
A thick layer of moss covers the cone, and in summer it turns bright green against the black volcanic sand around it. That contrast is what draws photographers out on the long highland drive.
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