Eldgja

Eldgja is a volcanic fissure running roughly forty kilometres north-east from Myrdalsjokull, up to 270 metres deep and 600 wide in places, and it is generally described as the largest such canyon in the world. It opened in an eruption around the year 939, shortly after Iceland was settled, and the lava it produced covered a very large area; the same event is now linked in the scientific literature to cooling and hardship recorded across Europe in the following years. The waterfall Ofaerufoss drops into the canyon partway along. A natural stone arch stood over the lower fall until it collapsed in the spring of 1993, so photographs showing it predate that.

What's there

• A forty kilometre fissure - up to 270 metres deep, the largest of its kind.
• An eruption around 939 - just after settlement, with effects recorded far beyond Iceland.
• Ofaerufoss inside the canyon - the fall reached by a walk from the parking area.
• An arch that is gone - the natural bridge collapsed in spring 1993.

When to go

July to early September while F208 is open. Half a day.

Practical notes

Getting there needs a four-wheel drive and includes a ford that can be impassable after rain. The walk to the fall crosses loose ground and takes longer than the sign suggests. The scale is hard to read from inside. No facilities beyond a summer hut.

Nearby

Langisjor is north; Landmannalaugar is at the far end of F208.

Key facts