Bird’s-eye view

TRAVEL Geopark

Lunar landscapes

TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir PHOTO: Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson

Faces glued to the flybus windows, “wow!” is something many a first-time visitor to Iceland utters in awe of Reykjanes. The landscapes of Reykjanesskagi peninsula – where Keflavik International Airport is located – is characterised by lava fields, craters, caves, bubbling mud pools and seething hot springs. This is where the North Atlantic ridge rises from the sea. In 2015, Reykjanes was accepted into the UNESCO Global Geopark network for its unique geosites. Afstapahraun lava field stretches 10 km (6.2 mi) from Trolladyngja volcano, from which it erupted over 1,000 years ago, to the peninsula’s northern shore. A walk around the colourful Trolladyngja area and the lava field’s many rock formations – including what appears to be a stonified Viking ship – is an otherworldly experience.

Lava fields in Reykjanes, Iceland, 63° N, +15° C, 10/8, 11:59