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,…

  • Herjólfsdalur

    Herjólfsdalur

    Heimaey

    Sheltered by an extinct volcano, green and grassy Herjólfsdalur was the home of Vestmannaeyjar's first settler, Herjólfur Barðursson. Excavations have…

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