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Heimaey

Heimaey brings port life together with a landscape transformed by the 1973 eruption. Eldheimar recounts the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents; nearby lava fields and the climb up Eldfell help convey the scale of the eruption.

Eldfell volcanic cone above Heimaey town and harbour.
Photo by Aerial_view_of_the_Westmen_Isles,_2009-02-01.jpg: Bruce McAdam Camera location62° 55′ 41.37″ N, 20° 27′ 25.92″ W View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap 62.928158; -20.457200 derivative work: Teofilo (talk) Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0
The place

What makes it special

  • Eldheimar tells the story of the eruption that began on 23 January 1973 and the evacuation.
  • The area around the museum shows how lava transformed the town.
  • The climb up Eldfell reveals the cone, the spread of the lava and the harbour.
Eldheimar museum dedicated to the 1973 eruption in Heimaey.
Photo by Diego Delso Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Heimaey
Photo by Diego Delso Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Travel atlas

Articles in Heimaey

Guides to this place

1 article

Heimaey

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Guides to this place

1 related guides

Eldfell volcanic cone above Heimaey town and harbour.

Heimaey: connecting the harbor, recent lava and the memory of 1973

On Heimaey, the Eldfell volcano and Eldheimar Museum help you decide whether a ferry stopover is enough or whether it is worth staying overnight as the sea conditions change.

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Sources and references

This profile summarises our destination guides. Their research sources and the geographical reference are listed below.

Profile updated: 09/10/2026