Geldingadalsgos Volcano Site Hike by Yiannis Pavlis

Geldingadalsgos Volcano Site Hike by Yiannis Pavlis

Despite this being an otherworldly experience, it begins, like many adventures, in a car park. Ever since the Gerlingadalur eruption began on March 19, 2021, Icelanders—and now vaccinated international visitors such as myself —have made pilgrimages to see the lava spew, bubble, and flow across this stretch of the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern-most Iceland. What’s astonishing is that this once-in-800-years display of nature’s force is only a 45-minute drive south of Reykjavík. It’s even closer to Keflavík Airport, the largest airport in the country—a mere 20 minutes by car. Imagine that: an active volcano one would deem “accessible.” You could land in Iceland in the morning from the United States (there are flights from Boston, JFK-NYC, and Washington, D.C., as of May), await your negative COVID test results at a nearby hotel, and once cleared, see the volcano erupt in the same day.

Yiannis Pavlis: Photos