There is but one famous Iceland geyser and its name is Stokkur… It’s located in Iceland’s famous Golden Circle which is made up of Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, and of course, the amazing Stokkur geyser.
The dozens of people standing around anxiously awaiting the eruption of Stokkur Geyser!
Stokkur Geyser erupting after a long 6-7 minute wait… Keep in mind it was freezing out here this day!
Part of the landscape and geothermal area around Stokkur Geyser
While not as large of an eruption as it used to be (launching 60 meters into the air back in the 1800’s), it is still an impressive sight to see today and more than worth the travel time from the city of Reykjavik which is only about an hour and twenty minute drive. When you first arrive, be prepared for the mass of tourists! There will likely be tour buses everywhere. If you would prefer to see this Iceland geyser to all to yourself (who wouldn’t…) then I’d recommend arriving early morning before 9am or late in the day. You can usually avoid the crowds during these times since Stokkur geyser is usually the middle point along the Golden Circle tour that most people will take from Reykjvaik.
Some of the mud pools and hot springs around the geothermal area of Stokkur Geyser
Stokkkur – Most visited, most famous Iceland Geyser
For some quick fun facts on this natural phenomenon, Stokkur geyser was first ‘discovered’ all the way back in 1789 though it was sure to have been erupting much earlier than that time period. Typically it reaches heights of around 10-20 meters though on a non-windy day, it can reach heights of 40 meters when it erupts (around 130 feet!) It’s quite a site to see to and it’s a well earned wait. Sometimes you’ll have to wait as much as 8 minutes with your camera ready and out in front of you. Yep, those arms of yours will get tired and just went you think you’re ready… BAM! Here comes water shooting up in the air – chances are you won’t be ready so go ahead and plan on catching the next one since the photo you just took is likely blurry!
Standing next to a deep blue colored hot spring
There are several others geysers throughout Iceland though Stokkur is known to be the biggest. In particular, this one is part part of Haukadalur geothermal area and as you walk through, you’ll notice many more geothermal hot spots (as I like to call them) surrounding you. Namely, things such as mud pools and other hot springs. If you can’t make it by car, don’t worry, you can catch one of several tour buses that run from Reykjavik and although they’ll charge for the tour (which would include the rest of the Golden Circle highlights), there isn’t currently an admission cost to visit Stokkur and the Haukadalur geothermal area. I do hope you make it so you can stand up close and personal with the most famous Iceland geyser! If you want more info about it, check out the link at Extreme Iceland…
Looking out over the crowds at Stokkur Geyser
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2 Comments... Join the conversation below
Fantastic write up Rory, Iceland is still a place to tick off. Do you have any recommendations of places to stay central, with easy access?
Tez Ferguson recently posted…Bourkes Luck Potholes
Thanks Tez, Iceland is truly an amazing place to put at the top of your list… For places to stay centrally, are you looking for a location there as a home base that you can use to explore as day trips around the country?