As an international landscape photographer, it’s hard to turn down an opportunity to stand on top of a volcano and literally walk down to Kerið lake, a volcanic crater lake in Iceland. Standing on top was steep embankments on each side the rim providing vantage points to give ideal viewing of the Icelandic green scenery and amazing views of the crater lake like I showcase above.
The Kerið Lake
Kerið, often called kerid or Kerith, is part of the Grímsnes area in south Iceland which is conveniently in the ever popular Golden Circle. The crater itself is relatively young with an age of about 3000 years old which is half the age of other surrounding volcanoes Seyðishólar and Kerhóll. The young age contributes to its very distinct features and rugged terrain.
It is likely that this caldera didn’t form from an explosion like most do but rather a from the collapse of a magma tube. Regardless the unearthly colours remain a site to be seen. The crater for the most part has little vegetation however the one side has more vegetation and gentler slope with moss and low-lying vegetation. In the middle of the 55 m deep, 170 m wide and 270 m across caldera is the eye with a dark aqua-marine lake due to the minerals from the soil. The lake (depending on rainfall) ranges from a depth of 7 to 14 meters.
Getting to Kerið
Getting to the volcano was a short distance from our flat in Þingvellier National park, Iceland, however I since most of you are arriving from Reykjavík for a quick stop over. Kerid is a short 55-minute trip from Reykjavík via Þjóðvegur 1 and roughly 1.5 hour drive from Keflavik International Airport. If you make your way to Kerið, I recommend going to Selfoss, which is a quick 15-minute drive. Directly next to the crater is a parking lot where you can park and explore.
In the early 2000’s this excursion was free just as most excursions in Iceland are, however the owners of the land imposed a small fee of 400 Icelandic Króna (about $5.00 Canadian Dollar) to get access to such a unique site. In my opinion this fee is well worth it.
This spot is easy and convenient to get to. If you have small children keep them next to you as it’s very easy to fall into the eye. Take a walk around the rim and venture down to the lake. It’s truly amazing to see the volcano in different perspectives.