Luoghi d'interesse: 
Landmannalaugar, or the 'People's Pools', is a vast area of stunning and unique beauty in the heart of Iceland's southern Highlands. Throughout the summer, it is one of the most popular places for hiking -- either over one day or several -- and natural hot spring bathing.
Geology
Landmannalaugar is a truly rare area, both geologically and aesthetically. The dramatic region can be found nestled beside the raven-black Laugahraun lava field, a sweeping expanse of dried magma which originally formed in an eruption in 1477.
Landmannalaugar itself is made up of windswept rhyolite mountains, a rock type that creates a full spectrum of dazzling colour. Shades of red, pink, green, blue and golden yellow make for an ethereal location.
Landmannalaugar was historically best known for its natural geothermal baths, hence its name the People's Pools. For centuries, it served as an area of shelter and respite for weary travellers who use these soothing springs as a means to relax after tiring excursions.
Originally, those attending were settlers crossing the barren highlands, but today, they are tourists after an exciting trip.
Today, visitors to the Highlands should always bring a swimsuit and towel, just in case one of these naturally occurring hot pools should crop up along the hiking trail.
The most popular road leading to Landmannalaugar, Sigölduleið, has such springs, and takes you past multiple stunning natural features, including Bláhylur lake, a magnificent body of water nestled in a dormant volcanic crater.
Landmannalaugar can be reached by car in one of two ways. The quickest is driving through West Iceland, either via Selfoss or Þingvellir National Park. A longer but more scenic route would take you along the South Coast of Iceland. This is Iceland’s most popular sightseeing route, aside from the Golden Circle, due to its wealth of sites.
Of course, like many of Iceland’s destinations, Landmannalaugar can also be reached via helicopter, for those who are travelling with less of a concern for budget. Those on more of a shoestring can buy a bus pass that will take them to the region.
Hiking
Landmannalaugar marks the northern end of the Laugavegur, one of Iceland's most popular hiking trails. This route connects Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk, the ‘Valley of Thor’, ending at the beautiful Skógafoss waterfall.
It is also home to many other notable trails, however, including the path onto the mighty Mt. Brennisteinsalda, the ‘Sulphur Wave’ crater. Visitors can also traverse the trail up the Bláhnjúkur volcano, the 'Blue Peak', whose summit allows for a sweeping view of up to five glaciers on clear days.
Multiple operators run daily tours to Landmannalaugar from mid-June to mid-September, during which time the Icelandic Touring Association operates a small shop, three campsites and a mountain hut equipped with sleeping bags and accommodation for up to 80 visitors.
It is only recommended you take a multi-day hike with an operator. If visiting Landmannalaugar without a guide, you will need a four-wheel-drive.
Hekla, nicknamed ‘the Gateway to Hell’ in the Middle Ages, is one of Iceland’s most explosive, unpredictable and powerful volcanoes. It has erupted twenty to thirty times since settlement, and remains active to this day.
Geography of Hekla
Hekla is located in the south of Iceland, just north of the country’s most famous volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, which last erupted in 2010, causing planes to be grounded and reporters to be tongue-tied for weeks. A dominant peak, standing at 1,491 metres tall (4,892 feet), it can be seen for miles around.
Hekla is part of a 40 kilometre (25 mile) rift, the most active part, called Heklugjá, being under the volcano itself. There are many craters at the peak, two of which are known to erupt more than the others.
Unlike Eyjafjallajökull and Iceland’s other most active volcano, Katla, Hekla does not sit underneath any significant glacier, meaning its eruptions should not cause ash clouds to the same degree. In spite of this, some have been so great that the ash produced was still enough to change the climate of the northern hemisphere for years.
Hekla has also produced one of the greatest lava flows of this millenium of any volcano in the world, at eight cubic kilometres. Approximately 10 percent of Iceland’s landmass was brought up by lava from Hekla.
History of Hekla
The first recorded eruption at Hekla was in 1104, and it was so great and significant that it drew attention across Europe; the effects it had on the weather, on people’s breathing, and on agriculture lasted for years.
This, however, was not the first time it had done so; undiscovered by man, it had contributed to a third of all volcanic ash across northern Europe for the past seven millenia.
It would not significantly erupt again until 1300, although it had been recorded going off several times in between; one of the most notorious things about Hekla is its unpredictability, sometimes exploding within a decade of its last eruption, sometimes laying dormant for nearly a century.
For this reason, the farms around it were largely abandoned, partly explaining why today there are few settlements in Iceland’s south.
Further serious eruptions occurred in 1693 and 1845 with international consequences, but none as significant as the one that began in 1947. Lava bombs weighing over 20 kilograms (44 pounds) landed 32 kilometres away; some as large as 50 square metres (538 square feet) were thrown a kilometre. It took just 52 two hours before the enormous cloud of ash was covering Helsinki.
It would be thirteen months before the eruption stopped, ebbing and flowing with power, but constantly pouring ash into the atmosphere, poisoning crops and livestock.
It is likely many died of respiratory problems as a result, but Hekla even directly killed one person. A scientist filming the great lava flows from the crater, some of which were 15 metres (49 feet) tall, was struck by a block of lava.
Hekla erupted again in 1970 for two months, but since has only gone off for a few days at a time, in 1981, 1982, 1991 and 2000.
Though the 2000 one seemed inconsequential, it was later discovered that it proved that Hekla was even more frightening than was already thought. The remains of a pyroclastic flow, the most dangerous element of an eruption, where searing ash and rock travel at enormous speeds and raze all they meet, had occured for over five kilometres (three miles).
Hekla today
In spite of its volatile nature, Hekla can still be considered a safe place to visit; there are hiking opportunities all around it, and some tour operators embark in super jeeps journeys to its slopes. Visitors should not be afraid of the volcano’s potential, just aware of it.
Of course, before heading to Hekla if travelling without a guide, ensure you check the meteorological office’s website to ensure that there are no alerts that an eruption may be imminent. The volcano is monitored constantly.
In spite of this, Hekla remains as unpredictable as it ever was, and visitors are warned that in spite of every good measure, there is always a chance an eruption could start without being noticed.
Volcanologists also warn that it is overdue, and due to this volcano’s patterns, the warning time between knowing an eruption is imminent and it occurring will often be just an hour or less.
Krakatindur is a 858 m volcano in Rangarvallasysla in South Iceland.
The volcano is located in the Nyjahraun lava field and belongs to the Hekla volcanic system.
Blahnjukur (a.k.a. Blahnukur) is a volcano in the area of Landmannalaugar, in the south highlands of Iceland.
Blahnjukur's name ('Blue Peak') comes from its blue-black colour, due to lava flows and volcanic ash. Next to Blahnjukur is the volcano Brennisteinsalda.
Blahnukur is popular for hiking and offers a magnificent view from the top, wherefrom five glaciers may be sighted.
Brennisteinsalda (ca. 855 m) is a volcano in the area of Landmannalaugar National Park, in the south highlands of Iceland.
Brennisteinsalda is a highly colourful mountain, coloured by suplhur (wherefrom it gets is name, 'Sulphur Wave'), blue and black lava and ashes, green mosses and red iron. In front of the mountain is an obsidian lava field.
The popular Laugavegur hiking trail passes Brennisteinsalda and nearby is the Blahnukur volcano.
Ljótipollur is an explosion crater and crater lake in the south Highlands. Its name means ‘Ugly Puddle’, despite the fact it is an incredibly beautiful site. It is part of the Veiðavötn volcanic area.
Ljótipollur is located in the southern highlands, in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. It is most easily reached by those who go to Landmannalaugar, and take the four-hour hike to it and back.
Landmannalaugar is a highland oasis, open throughout the summer months, with colourful rhyolite mountains and hot springs. It is a hiker’s paradise, marking one end of the Laugavegur trail that ends in Þórsmörk. Though this journey takes four days, Ljótipollur is a perfect example of a hike within Landmannalaugar that can be done within hours.
Those in Landmannalaugar who wish to take a shorter hike should take those to Mount Brennisteinsalda or Mount Bláhnúkur.
Ljótipollur is a beautiful feature, with blue waters, green vegetations growing up and down its slopes, and vividly coloured red lava rock surrounding it.
Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Pietro
Landmannaleið, or the F225, is a highland road that leads to the Fjallabak Nature Reserve and towards Landmannalaugar, a region of rhyolite mountain, hot springs and hiking trails.
This route is well-known for being much more adventurous than the standard routes into these areas; it crosses rivers, is surrounded by lunar landscapes, and is pretty bumpy. While a two-wheel-drive should never be taken down here, a super jeep can allow you to enjoy the journey safely.
Off-road driving is completely illegal in Iceland, but Landmannaleið is a road where this does not matter, due to its remoteness and uninterrupted surrounding nature.
Frostastaðavatn is a lake in the southern region of the Highlands of Iceland. Its shores are accessible via the Highland routes of the F208 and F205, and only in a four-wheel-drive in summer.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia, Creative Commons. Photo by Gestumblindi
Geography of Frostastaðavatn
Frostastaðavatn is located in a highly volcanic area. Minerals from past eruptions and current geothermal activity often provide parts of the lake with vivid blue or green colouration, due to the elements brought up from the core of the earth.
The lake is close to many beautiful highland areas. Most notable amongst these is Landmannalaugar, a spectacular Highland area best renowned for its colourful, rhyolite mountains and abundance of hot springs that you can bathe it. This region is one of the starting points of the Laugavegur Highland Route, and often visited taking the multi-day trek. It is also visited on other hiking tours and some super jeep excursions.
Frostastaðavarn is also close to one of the country’s most notorious and explosive volcanoes, Hekla. Still active, it has erupted up to thirty times since settlement, with various degrees of damage. In 1104, the eruption affected the weather across Europe, and subsequently the success of agriculture, for years. It has since been nicknamed ‘the Gateway to Hell’.
The lake is approximately 2.6 square kilometres and an elevation of 572 metres above sea level. Its wildlife is diverse, with a wealth of birdlife nesting in the area. The waters themselves are pregnant with Arctic Char, one of the most common species of fish in the country’s freshwater.
Due to its elevation and the colourful rhyolite mountains that surround it, visitors will find themselves privy to some incredible views over Iceland’s interior. The Highlands, due to how hard they are to get into and the few months of the year they are accessible, have some of Iceland’s most magnificent but little-seen landscapes.
Italiano