- Address: Hafnartún, Selfoss, Iceland;
- Official page: livefromiceland.is;
- Water temperature: 150 ° C;
- Opening hours: 24 hours.
Iceland is called a country of geysers. Therefore, questions about the country in which the Strokkur geyser occurs are rare. It is considered the most active natural source in the country. Eruption of water splashes from the bowels of the earth at Strokkur occurs every 5-7 minutes, and sometimes in triplicate mode. A unique miracle of nature spills the fountain up to a height of 30 meters. Its continuous activity attracts many tourists and naturalists.
History of the Geyser
The first activity of the Strokkur geyser was recorded in 1789. Then, after a serious earthquake, the geyser's channel was unlocked and it began to flow. The source's activity was uneven throughout the entire 19th century. The power of the stream sometimes reached such a level that the spray flew up to 60 meters in height. Strokkur fountained for a couple of centuries, until another earthquake blocked the underground channel and its activity came to naught. The Icelandic Council, the Committee on Geysers, in 1963, decided on the artificial cleaning of the geyser canal. Local residents have made a lot of efforts to eliminate the congestion at the bottom of the pool. Since then, Strokkur once again began to please travelers and residents of Iceland with its activity.
Geyser Strokkur - tourist attraction of Iceland
The seismic region of Haukadalalur is known for its many natural hot springs. The first in the world in terms of capacity Big Geysir , which gave the name to similar water fountains, is only 40 meters from Strokkur. The activity of Geysir is small - it boasts only 2-3 bursts per day. But the geyser Strokkur works for them both, invariably pleasing the eruptions of their viewers. It is impossible to remain indifferent to the power of nature. In the beginning, you see only an uneven hole in the ground, covered with haze. Suddenly, water starts to flow from under the earth - this is only a harbinger of the future eruption. Transparent liquid is poured. The central part of the geyser begins to rise. Right before your eyes there is a huge hemisphere filled with blue sparkling water. The bubbles inside her testify to the birth of a new splash. Another moment - and a huge splashing fountain takes off to a height of 15-30 meters right in front of you. The water temperature at the splash can reach 150 degrees. To avoid burns among tourists, the authorities of Iceland fenced the most dangerous parts of the geyser. But even standing in the vicinity you still have a chance to get wet from Stricksur spray. Having decided to visit this miracle of nature, be sure to stock up on dry clothes so that you can change into it.
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How to get there?
The geyser field of Haukadalur is located 85 km east of Reykjavik , in the valley of the river Hvitau. A trip to the geyser can be combined with a visit to the Güdlfoss waterfall, located a few kilometers away, one of the most beautiful places in Iceland .