Rauðhólar

The Rauðhólar formation contains 150 dark maroon pseudocraters spread across the Elliðaárhraun lava fields, with the largest cone measuring 212 meters in width.

During World War II, workers extracted 95,000 cubic meters of material from Rauðhólar for the construction of Reykjavík Airport and various military installations.

The adjacent geological formation called Tröllabörn received its name from Icelandic folklore, connecting the spatter cones to ancient tales of trolls.

Visitors can reach Rauðhólar by taking a 15-minute drive southeast from Reykjavík along ring-road 1, with dedicated parking areas at the site entrance.

The internal structure of these pseudocraters reveals multiple eruption phases, resulting from interactions between molten lava and water bodies 5,000 years ago.

Inception: 1974

Elevation above the sea: 220 m

GPS coordinates: 65.94901,-16.52736

Latest update: March 17, 2025 19:52