Of the 30 volcanic systems on Iceland, four are currently active, says Magnús Tumi Gudmundsson, professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland. These magma-spewing mounds are responsible for 80 percent of the country’s seismic activity, including glowing fissures that splinter the landscape for up to 2 miles. Despite the danger they present, Iceland’s volcanoes are luring travelers, not scaring them away.
“To witness these powerful forces, the roar of Earth, is mind blowing,” says Ingimundur Stefansson, an Icelandic tour guide. “Man is a small potato in such a world.”
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In part because of our fascination with the lava-loving caps, a destination previously known for roughing-it experiences has developed a luxury market. Now you can travel between distant locations in comfort, experience the volcanoes on foot or from the sky, and return at night to a plush suite on a glacial lagoon or a private lodge with its own sauna and chef.
Iceland emerged from the ocean via volcanic eruption roughly 16 million years ago. Situated along the 25,000-mile Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the confluence of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, the island is still one of the most seismically active places on the planet.
“Iceland is a place that’s being ripped apart, and the volcanism is filling it in,” or causing the island to spread out, says Gudmundsson. The country used to average one land-based eruption every five years. “We’ve had ten eruptions in the last four years, some much larger than others,” Gudmundsson says.
The resulting ash from the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, in the south, was dense enough to trigger the largest airspace shutdown since World War II. In 2021, the western Fagradalsfall system on the Reykjanes Peninsula awoke after 6,000 years of dormancy; it’s still making headlines today. The coastal town of Grindavík was evacuated after a 2023 eruption unleashed lava moving at 7,400 cubic meters per second, the fastest ever recorded.
Events like these have been a “big draw for guests,” says Ryan Connolly, cofounder of bespoke tour company Hidden Iceland. “Requests [to visit volcanoes] ebb and flow depending on how the global media reacts to the eruption,” he notes, and are often paired with experiences related to the midnight sun, puffin spotting, and whale watching.
Connolly advises viewing erupting volcanoes only by private helicopter ride. Most take off from Reykjavík, and fly over the flame-colored flows of systems like that of the Reykjanes Peninsula. On a cloud-free night, you might even catch a glimpse of the blue-green glimmer of top attraction Blue Lagoon—which was temporarily evacuated last November when lava crept into its parking lot.
“To take in [the volcanoes] fully, one needs to see things from the ground, too,” Stefansson says. He recommends visiting the lava fields and pseudo craters near Reykjavík on foot, 4×4, or Super Jeep. About 40 minutes outside the capital, you can walk through colorful, 5,000-year-old lava tube caves, like Raufarhólshellir.
Glacier hiking, another marquee experience in Iceland, is linked to volcanoes. “Ten percent of Iceland is covered by glaciers,” says Gudmundsson. “Volcanoes stay built up on high ground, and the precipitation near the top becomes mostly snow instead of rain.” Because of this, Gudmundsson says, about 35 percent of Iceland’s volcanic eruptions happen through glaciers.
Katla, on the south coast, is the most famous example of the marriage between volcano and glacier. It last erupted in 1918, causing a flood more powerful than the Amazon River. Today, you can hike or go ice climbing on Mýrdalsjökull, the half-mile-thick glacier atop Katla. Or view Mýrdalsjökull and neighboring glacier Tindfjallajökull while hiking the currently inactive Eyjafjallajökull. Guides can help first-time visitors navigate the word soup.
Although hostel-like accommodations have long been available near volcanoes, Hof Luxury Villa, which opened last spring about an hour from Katla in remote Hella, offers a serious upgrade. The 2,300-square-foot lodge has two bedrooms with en-suite baths, a living room and dining room with fireplace, and a glass-walled Northern Lights viewing lounge. The property has its own hot tub and sauna, and a chef who prepares three daily meals catered to guests’ dietary preferences.
Both dormant and active volcanoes coexist with glaciers at Vatnajökull National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The landscape around a nearly 3,000-square-mile glacier shifts frequently as roiling magma thrusts the ground upward, and glacial rivers carve canyons into the basalt. Stay at the park’s edge on a glacial lagoon at Hótel Jökulsárlón, which opened in 2024. Its standard rooms and suites play with texture, woods and fabric on the wall in moody hues that complement the landscape, which is readily available through picture windows, and in some cases, a wall of windows. Would you like mountain or glacier views? They all but ensure a Northern Lights sighting on clear nights—especially with the solar maximum currently producing its most colorful displays in a decade.
Seismic activity also creates spurting geysers and toasty geothermal pools, particularly in magma-rich areas like the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and around Borgarfjörður fjord, both in the west. While the Blue Lagoon gets most of the attention, the private geothermal pools at Sky Lagoon deliver a higher-end experience. The property recently underwent an expansion, adding a second ocean-facing sauna, featuring the largest glass window in all of Iceland, plus programming that nods to Icelandic bathing culture. Want even more privacy? The ultra-luxe Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland has exclusive-use pools and spa, a 60-suite hotel, and a Michelin-starred restaurant so you never have to leave the lagoon.
The new-in-’22 Hvammsvík Nature Resort, 45 minutes north of Reykjavik along the Hvalfjörður fjord, has eight natural hot springs, varying in size and temperature, that guests can enjoy with a day pass (a “comfort” wristband comes with access to the swim-up bar). Groups can also rent one of the 12 freestanding houses and lodges, which sleep anywhere from two to nine. The Hilltop House has a private hot spring—yet everyone staying on the property has access to The Barn, a brand-new rec room, gym, and lounge.
To see the aftermath of volcanoes past, take a 40-minute ferry ride from Landeyjahöfn, about halfway across the southern coast, to the Westman Islands. Here you can tour Heimæy, a town partially buried by a 1973 eruption that coughed molten lava nearly 500 feet into the air. The Eldheimar museum, constructed to encompass some of the better-preserved buildings, documents the catastrophe and the excavation process.
As new volcanic eruptions continue to reshape Iceland, they offer a singular opportunity to witness the raw dynamism of the Earth in action. “Seeing nature’s creation of land and landscape is an attraction, a thrilling exploration by itself,” Stefansson says. “And who does not want to be an explorer?”
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