Mount Hekla is one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes and has erupted more than twenty times in the last thousand years and five times since 1970, the year 2000 being the most recent. Hekla is also one of Iceland’s highest mountains, towering 1480 metres above sea level. It is visible from a great distance and a prominent feature in the landscape along the south coast. Due to its activity, it is constantly growing, layer upon layer with each eruption. Mt Hekla is a cone volcano on a 5-kilometre-long volcanic ridge in an active volcano system that spans over 40 kilometres. In Icelandic folklore, it is said that Hekla is the doorway to hell, though a spectacular one. The surrounding landscape is breathtaking, with the mountain slopes and rifts coated with pumice and ash that make the mountain seem almost golden in the sunshine.
Hekla
South coast, Iceland
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360° view
Climate
The South Coast of Iceland is known for its unpredictable and ever-changing weather. The region is characterized by a subarctic oceanic climate, which means that the temperatures are relatively mild, but the weather can be quite stormy and windy.
Data source Temperature averages
Lighting
The longest day in Iceland is multiple days from May through July when the sun doesn't set. The daylight hours in Iceland on the shortest days of the year are 4-5 hours per day (December to January).
Data source Accessibility
From the main road to the parking lot at Mount Hekla lies a rough gravel road of almost 20 kilometers. The hike up to the top of the mountain takes around 7 hours and is almost 17 kilometers long, relatively easy. To use the mountain as backdrop, you follow road 26 and choose the best viewpoint for you.
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Basecamp and facilities
8 kilometers from the mountain lies a small/medium parking lot that could be used for basecamp. However, if you want to use Hekla as backdrop, you could choose many offshoots from road 26 as basecamp, depending on where you film. There are a few hotels and guesthouses along that route that could be used as basecamp. Phone coverage is excellent.
Risk factors
Mt Hekla is a young and active volcano, constantly monitored by the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. The hike up the mountain is almost 17 kilometers back and forth and takes about 7 hours. The road up to Mt Hekla is rough gravel road.
Visitors
The area is a low tourist attraction, but locals hike regularly and almost every day to the mountain and back.
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