A half-hour drive (40 km/24 mi) north of Borgarnes lies one of the country’s most beautiful scoria craters, Eldborg, which rises over 60 meters above the scrub-covered Eldborgarhraun lava field. Eldborg formed in an eruption about 5,000 years ago, and it is believed that another small eruption occurred in the area just as Iceland was being settled in the 9th century. Eldborgarhraun covers 30 square kilometers, making it the largest lava field in the Hnappadalur area. An easy, beautiful, one-hour hike leads from the farm Snorrastaðir in Hnappadalur through the scrub-covered lava to the top of Eldborg. From there, you have a stunning view west towards the famous Snæfellsjökull glacier and across the entire Borgarfjörður region, south to Akrafjall mountain near the town of Akranes. A destination worthy of its distinction, Eldborg was declared a protected site half a century ago, in 1974.
Eldborg 20/06/2024 : A7R III, A7R IV, RX1R II, GX617 – FE 2.8/100mm GM, FE 1.4/24mm GM, FE 1.2/50mm GM, 2.0/35mm Z – Photos & text: Páll Stefánsson
