News

At the beginning of October, the Reykjanes Geopark (Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark) hosted an international conference of European geoparks at Hljómahöll in Reykjanesbær. The conference itself lasted two days, featuring presentations and workshops, along with day trips around Reykjanes on the third day. Approximately 400 participants from 30 countries and over 190 geoparks and institutions attended the conference, which offered around 230 presentations and workshops.

A photo book with photographs and short stories of events in Reykjanes from January 2020 to autumn 2024 has been published. The book contains over 500 photos and the author and photographer is Sigurður Ólafur Sigurðsson.

If you’ve always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights then you might be considering a winter trip to Iceland. But is that the best season for an aurora hunt? To help, let’s take a look at when the statistics suggest you’ll have the greatest chance of seeing them, though remember you’ll need luck on your side too.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the Northern Lights, then you might also be interested to learn why they occur. In this article, let’s take a look at the science behind the aurora and find out what causes this captivating celestial phenomenon.

While many people come to Iceland during the colder months in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights, some leave disappointed. The aurora borealis is as unpredictable as it is wonderful and to see it requires not only careful planning but a lot of luck too. However, you can improve your chances of witnessing this extraordinary natural phenomenon during your Iceland trip by trying to avoiding these common mistakes.

We’re currently close to the solar maximum, which means the aurora borealis has been putting on some fantastic displays. If you’ve seen pictures of the Northern Lights in the newspapers or on social media, while they are always extraordinary, you may have noticed that the displays aren’t always the same colour. Let’s take a look at what colours you can expect to see if the aurora makes an appearance and explore the significance of those different hues.

The Northern Lights can be tricky to track down. A number of factors have an influence on whether or not you’ll be lucky enough to see the aurora borealis during your visit to Iceland and even then, there are no guarantees. But the odds are more favourable over the coming season than they have been for some years. In this article, we’ll explain about solar cycles, sunspots and the solar maximum – and explore how they relate to your chances of witnessing the Northern Lights.

As the 21st century progresses, climate change increasingly dominates the news headlines. The impacts of rising global temperatures are felt all across the Arctic region and even though much of the country sits below the Arctic Circle, they haven’t escaped Iceland. Glaciers are retreating at a concerning rate and other effects such as changing weather patterns are also starting to be felt. But how does climate change relate to the Northern Lights? Let’s take a look and find out.

Iceland’s a great place to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis, and within it, the Reykjanes peninsula is one of its top destinations for seeing the Northern Lights. To have any chance of success, certain conditions need to be met. For instance, you’ll benefit from a strong aurora forecast, coupled with clear skies free of cloud. But you’ll also find it much easier to spot them when they do show up if the place you’re standing is dark – such as in many places across Reykjanes. Let’s take a look at why the peninsula is so well suited to an aurora hunt.

At the International Geological Conference held in Busan, South Korea between August 25 - 31, a new list of one hundred geological sites on the planet was presented, including two sites in Iceland, Reykjanes and Vatnajökull.

There is currently no ongoing eruption. The eruption that began in Reykjanes on the evening of August 22 ended on the 6th of September. This eruption was the 9th one since the eruptions began in March 2021, and the 6th one in the current location. The eruption area is closed to visitors. Follow any updated news here.