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Jon Heidar, Editor of Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine
I love hiking, especially when it leads you to new places. I am so lucky to live in a country that is bursting at the seams with hiking trails. These can be challenging multi-day trips, such as Fimmvörðuháls, Laugavegur, and Kjölur. Then there are the insane military-grade hiking trails, such as the 24 peaks route in the mountain range above the northern town of Akureyri. But don’t worry, this article is not about anything demanding. I will tell you about the lovely hiking trail to the impressive Eldborg crater in the west of Iceland.
Ancient Eldborg has a fitting name
I case you were wondering, Eldborg literally ‘Fire-City.’ The name is fitting, it once gushed out vast quantities of lava in a fiery eruption. Eldborg crater rises 60 meters (197 feet) above a large lava field. Its circumference is about 200 meters (656 feet), and its depth is about 50 meters (164 feet). Geologists believe that the main volcanic activity in the area happened some 5 – 8.000 years ago. The crater is quite steep, so nobody should be venturing down into the cavity. Eldborg received protected status in 1974.
Easy hike
The hike to Eldborg is an easy 2.5 Kilometers (1.5 miles) from the farm of Snorrastaðir. Snorrastaðir is both a working farm and has accommodation for travellers.
Well worth hiking up to Eldborg crater
We hiked up to Eldborg crater on a mild day in May; the weather was perfect for hiking. The hiking trail is marked out, and I daresay it is nearly impossible to miss it. The climb to the crater has been made easy with chains where the incline is trickiest and steepest. But most people will not have any difficulty going up. The top of the crater offers a beautiful view. On a clear day, you will see the Snæfellsnes peninsula, an impressive mountain range, and the vast lava field which surrounds Eldborg.
So if you are travelling from to the Snæfellsnes peninsula, it is well worth considering a beautiful hike to see this impressive relic of Iceland’s fiery past.
How to get to Eldborg crater
From Reykjavik, drive to the town of Borgarnes. Turn on the road no. 54. See the location on Google maps.
