Guest post about Kerið crater on the Golden Circle by Rachael Yerkes of eazypeazymealz.com.
Visiting Kerið Crater in South Iceland
Of the many visually stunning things to see in Iceland along the Golden Circle, Kerið rates highly amongst my favorite spots. Not only is it serene and beautiful, but offers great views, exciting photo opportunities, and if you choose to hike down to the lake, some great exercise.
What is Kerið?
Kerið is a volcanic crater lake located North of Selfoss, in the Grímsnes area in south Iceland, along the Golden Circle.
While it is not the only crater lake in the area, it is a well known one because it is one of the lakes with the most caldera still intact,
Kerið was formed by a cone volcano that erupted, once the magma emptied from the reserve, the weight of the cone collapsed into the empty magma chamber. It is now currently a pool or water, or a crater lake.
The lake that is pretty shallow, and due to the minerals it is a stunning turquoise color. It is vivid, and hard to believe the color is real.
It is believed that this crater lake is formed by ground water, not rainfall, as it sits at the same height as the water table.
Kerið Caldera
The outside, or volcanic rock that surrounds the crater lake is called the caldera. The caldera at Kerið is composed of a red volcanic rock. Much of the volcanic rock in Iceland is black, so it is a fun sight to see the red!
The caldera is approximately 55 m deep, 170 m wide, and 270 m across. And it is about 3000 years old.
Visiting Kerið crater
It is about 400 ISK fee to enter the area, but you can walk, wander, and enjoy for as long as you want. There is a great parking lot. But no bathroom facilities, so keep this in mind when visiting.
If you want to walk the whole thing, stop for photos, enjoy the views, and go down to the lake, you should plan about an hour or so for your visit.
Be careful while taking photos, the edges are steep, and a fall could be fatal. There is a trail, and several observation points and some handrails to help make your experience enjoyable and safe.
Don’t miss Kerið when visiting the Golden Circle in Iceland. And if you want more info on the Blue Lagoon or Snorkeling Silfra, check out these posts:
Blue Lagoon Iceland
Snorkeling Silfra Fissure
Thanks Rachael of Eazypeazymealz.com!