Located in southwestern Iceland, Strokkur Geysir is a regularly erupting geyser in Iceland’s Geysir Geothermal Area. Located only a short trip from the capital, Reykjavik, it is easy to reach by car or bus and can easily be included in a day trip.

History

Strokkur Geysir made burst onto the Icelandic scene in 1789 when a large earthquake struck the island. This earthquake unblocked a conduit which created Strokkur Geyir and impacted the thermal area in which it sits. This area, which is known as the Haukadalur Valley, features other geysers, mud pools and fumaroles which may have formed at the same time.

Strokkur Geysir has changed over the years since it made its first appearance. While it reaches a good height nowadays (usually about 15-20 metres / 130 ft), records from 1815 put the height as high as 60 metres / 200 ft.

However this was not to last. Just as Strokkur Geysir was born via an earthquake, it was also taken out by one as well around 1900, which blocked the conduit feeding the geyser. However in 1963 the Geysir Committee recommended unblocking the conduit, the work of which was carried out by local volunteers.

Strokkur Geysir Today

The geothermal area has become one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions outside of Reykjavik. It is one of the three main stops on Iceland’s Golden Circle, which includes Thingvellir National Park and Gullfoss Waterfall. These three features are great examples of Iceland’s major features and all can be visited in a day. In fact there are many bus tours that are offered by a wide variety of tour companies that do this route as a day trip.

In addition to Strokkur Geysir, the geothermal area also hosts also famous geysers, such as “Geysir” or “The Great Geysir”, which has been around since 1150 CE. In fact the English word ‘geyser’ comes from this name. Before Strokkur was created, Geysir was famous for its regular intervals and large eruption height (60 metres / 200 ft on average). Strokkur appearance made Geyser’s eruptions either rare or non-existent. When Strokkur was blocked again, Geyser erupted for a time. Dredging work in 1935 and 1981 renewed the vigour of the geyser, removing silica particulates that built up, blocking the conduit like cholesterol in an artery. An earthquake in 2000 temporarily renewed its regularity and vigour but since then, eruptions have been very rare.

Many people today confuse Geysir and Strokkur, so helpful signs have been added near their respective geysirs.

Visiting Geysir Geothermal Area

The visitable part of the geothermal area is centred around Strokkur and Geysir. There is parking in a couple of different places; the main one is directly at the entrance to the part of the geothermal area with Strokkur and Geysir. All options at the time of writing are available for free, unlike parking at many of Iceland’s natural areas.

There is also no entrance or tickets required to enter the geothermal area.

The area near the entrance has some amenities, including toilets, cafés, shopping opportunities (mostly clothes and souvenirs), and more.

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