The rim of the Eldfell volcano on Heimaey island.

©Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock

Heimaey

The small town of Heimaey (hey-my) is encased in a fortress of jagged lava; its port sits at the end of a contorted waterway that carves a path between towering cliffs dotted with bird nests. Although only a few kilometres from the mainland, Heimaey feels light years away, lost amid the frigid waters of the North Atlantic.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Helgafell volcano and red lava slope of Eldfell volcano on Vestmannaeyjar Island Heimaey.

    Eldfell

    Heimaey

    The 221m-high volcanic cone Eldfell appeared from nowhere in the early hours of 23 January 1973. Once the fireworks finished, heat from the volcano…

  • Eldheimar

    Eldheimar

    Heimaey

    More than 400 buildings lie buried under lava from the 1973 eruption, and on the edge of the flow ‘Pompeii of the North’ is a museum revolving around one…

  • Skansinn

    Skansinn

    Heimaey

    This lovely green area by the sea has several unique historical sights. The oldest structure on the island, Skansinn was a 15th-century fort built to…

  • Eldfellshraun

    Eldfellshraun

    Heimaey

    Known as Eldfellshraun, the Mars-like land created by the 1973 lava flow is now criss-crossed with a maze of otherworldly hiking tracks that run down to…

  • Sæheimar

    Sæheimar

    Heimaey

    The Aquarium & Natural History Museum has an interesting collection of stuffed birds and animals, videos on puffins and catfish, and fish tanks of…

  • Stóraklif & Heimaklettur

    Stóraklif & Heimaklettur

    Heimaey

    The top of the craggy precipice Stóraklif is a treacherous 30-minute climb from behind the N1 petrol station at the harbour. The trail starts on the…

  • Landlyst

    Landlyst

    Heimaey

    Shockingly, three out of four of Heimaey’s babies once died of tetanus, due to water deficiency and contaminated soil. In the 1840s an island woman,…

  • Sagnheimar Byggðasafn

    Sagnheimar Byggðasafn

    Heimaey

    Housed in the city library, this interactive folk museum tells the story of Heimaey from the era of marauding pirates up to the 1973 eruption and beyond…

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