The best MTB trails around Hafravatn

It's a nice and easy walk to get here. Recommend.

Founded around 874 by Ingólfur Arnarson, Reykjavík is Iceland's oldest permanent settlement. Its name means "smoke bay," a reference to the surrounding geothermal fumes. However, the city remained largely insignificant and consisted of farms until the 18th century. The key turning point came in 1786, when Denmark granted the settlement city rights, making it a center of the wool industry and trade. Today, Reykjavík is the capital of Iceland and an important center for culture and politics. Early Settlement and Naming (c. 874 AD) First Settler: The Norse settler Ingólfur Arnarson is considered Iceland's first permanent resident. He settled in the area that is now Reykjavík around 874. Naming: Arnarson named the settlement Reykjavík ("Smoke Bay") because he saw the steam from the surrounding hot springs and mistakenly thought it was smoke.

As of August 18, 2025: Iceland experienced its twelfth volcanic eruption in just over four years. On the sparsely populated Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik, the earth opened up again on Wednesday, July 16. Since Tuesday, August 5, no more lava has been escaping from the eruption fissure located approximately seven kilometers northeast of Grindavik. Volcanologists believe it is highly likely that the eruption has ended for the time being. The temporarily closed campsite in the town of Grindavik is now freely accessible again.

Really impressive in the old lava fields

Reykjavík [ˈreikjaˌviːk] ⓘ is the capital of Iceland and the northernmost capital city in the world (latitude 64° 08' N, 269 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle). The city forms the municipality of Reykjavíkurborg (Icelandic: "City of Reykjavík") with some rural areas and several islands. Reykjavíkurborg is by far the largest municipality in the municipality association Höfuðborgarsvæðið (literally: "the capital area" or "capital area"), which comprises seven other municipalities. At the beginning of 2024, a total of 136,894 people lived in this densely populated municipality association.[1] Wikipedia

Árbær was an established farm well into the 20th century, and the museum opened there in 1957. Árbær is now an open air museum with more than 20 buildings which form a town square, a village and a farm. Most of the buildings have been relocated from central Reykjavik. Árbær Open Air Museum tries to give a sense of the architecture and way of life and lifestyles of the past in Reykjavík and during summer visitors can see domestic animals. There are many exhibitions and events held at the Museum which highlight specific periods in Reykjavik's history. These include craft days, vintage car displays, Christmas exhibitions and much more. There is something for everyone at Árbær Open Air Museum. (https://visitreykjavik.is/arbaer-open-air-museum)

The fissure is surrounded by ancient lava flows that have cooled and solidified, forming a rugged, rocky landscape. Despite the volcanic terrain, the area is home to a surprising amount of vegetation adapted to lava soil, as well as birds and other animals typical of Iceland.

It is a unique geological feature located near Reykjavik in Iceland. It is a canyon formed by a volcanic fissure in the Hafnarfjörður region on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It is a fascinating place for both its geology and natural beauty. Near Búrfellsgjá is the Búrfell crater, which is an impressive volcanic feature in itself. This crater is almost perfectly shaped and offers a closer look at the volcanic activity that formed the region.