On January 23rd 1973 a strange sound of thunder fills the air on Vestmannaeyjar. The earth trembles and the sky lights up with a red and orange glow. A 1500 meter long volcanic fissure erupted at the edge of the town only 200 meters from the nearest houses. About half of the town was lost to the flowing lava. The eruption caused the 200 meter high volcano Eldfell to form. The island was evacuated during the event and once the eruption drew to a close the inhabitants of the island eventually returned and had to dig out their homes from under hills of ash.

An excellent exhibition depicting the story of the eruption on Heimaey in 1973 and how it affected the residents on the island. You also get the story of Surtsey, an island south of Vestmannaeyjar that formed after an underwater eruption making it the youngest land in Europe.

Scenic walking tour through the puffin nesting area Stórhöfði in the southern most point of Iceland