Traversing the Eldhraun lava field is one of the most serene experiences you can have when driving around Iceland on the “Ring Road” (Route 1). The thick green moss dressing the lava wipes out all hard edges and, for a while, the world exists only in the colours of the asphalt, the sky, and the moss.
This disguises the violent past of Eldhraun, which was created in one of the most devastating eruptions in historic times, the Lakagígar eruption. In just eight months from 1783 to 1784, about 15 cubic kilometers of lava surfaced, covering 600 square kilometers (232 sq. mi.). It is the third largest lava flow on Earth after the end of the Ice Age.
Stop by the exhibition Mosar (Moss) in the lovely Skaftárstofa Guest Centre in the nearby Kirkjubæjarklaustur village to learn more.
Traversing the Eldhraun lava field is one of the most serene experiences you can have when driving around Iceland on the “Ring Road” (Route 1). The thick green moss dressing the lava wipes out all hard edges and, for a while, the world exists only in the colours of the asphalt, the sky, and the moss.
This disguises the violent past of Eldhraun, which was created in one of the most devastating eruptions in historic times, the Lakagígar eruption. In just eight months from 1783 to 1784, about 15 cubic kilometers of lava surfaced, covering 600 square kilometers (232 sq. mi.). It is the third largest lava flow on Earth after the end of the Ice Age.
Stop by the exhibition Mosar (Moss) in the lovely Skaftárstofa Guest Centre in the nearby Kirkjubæjarklaustur village to learn more.
