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Is it safe to travel to Iceland in 2025? All about the volcanic eruption near the Blue Lagoon holiday hotspot
The Icelandic government carefully monitors volcanic activity to make decisions about flights to the country
NEWS of another volcanic eruption in Iceland have stoked fears about travelling to the popular tourist destination.
Seismic activity has already begun, prompting a red alert to be issued for some areas in the country.
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Is it safe to travel to Iceland?
Molten magma started flowing beneath Sunddhnúksgígar on April 2, before news broke that some lava had broken through the surface.
Iceland is located on the fault line between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, which makes it a seismic hotspot.
The country carefully monitors seismic activity as a result, in order to protect tourists and residents.
Travel to Iceland has continued, tough, despite the eruption.
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Red alerts for the affected areas have been issued.
The government has issued advice on what you should do in the event of a volcanic eruption.
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's advice, tourists should defer to the Icelandic government's advice.
The Foreign Office said: "Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common in Iceland given the country’s natural geography.
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"In the event of an eruption or wider seismic activity follow the latest advice issued by the authorities."
What should you look for in a good travel insurance policy?
TRAVEL insurance policies can vary a great deal, making it hard to know whether a policy is good enough for your trip.
Here are the six essential areas that travel insurance policy should cover:
- Medical expenses - A good policy will give cover of £1million or more for travel in Europe and £2million or more for the USA
- Repatriation service - The costs of getting you back to the UK for medical reasons should be covered automatically by your policy
- Cancellation and curtailment - A good policy will cover you for £2,000 or more if you have to cancel or shorten your holiday
- Missed departure - Covers additional accommodation costs and travel expenses up to £500 or more if you miss your flight due to circumstances out of your control
- Delay - You'll usually be covered for £250 or more if your travel plans are delayed due to circumstances out of your control
- Baggage cover - Covers you if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen. Look for policies that have cover of £1,500 or more.
They added: "The Government of Iceland monitors any seismic and volcanic activity closely and infrastructure is robustly designed, but not all events can be anticipated and can pose risks to your travel plans including travel delays and cancellations due to rock falls and landslides, sudden flooding and poisonous volcanic gases near eruption sites."
It is also advised that travellers have insurance for their trip, which covers them in the event of cancelled flights & accommodation or in the event of injury.
Was the eruption expected in Iceland?
According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, the eruption was already being monitored before it began.
As soon as the underground seismic activity began, the office issued information on the outcome of the eruption.
The office said: "The most likely scenario is that this period of magma buildup will end with a magma intrusion and/or an eruption, likely emerging first in the area between Sundhnúkur and Stóra-Skógfell."
Since then, they have kept tourists and residents updated about any lava sightings.
Will my flights be cancelled?
Flights to Reykjavik are not expected to be disrupted by the eruption.
Volcano erupts near Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon spa
EasyJet have confirmed that they will continue to fly to Iceland, despite the eruption.
A spokesperson for the airline said: "As Keflavik Airport is not affected by the eruption and is fully operational, there is currently no impact to our flying programme and we continue to monitor the situation."
There is also a precedent for volcanic activity not causing flight cancellations, as the 2023 and 2024 eruptions did not affect air travel.
Although the 2010 eruption did ground flights and forced 20 countries to close their airspace, this was due to particular traits exclusive to that volcano.
The volcano was directly under the jet stream, which was unstable at the time, launching ash directly into the stream.
Since Sunddhnúksgígar is not beneath the jet stream, airlines do not have to worry about ash as they did in 2010.
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Is Reykjavik safe from a volcanic eruption?
The volcano sits just 20 miles south-west of Reykjavik.
Although there is not an urgent threat to life in the Icelandic capital, the area surrounding the mountain is under a red alert.
It has not been confirmed how Reykjavik will be affected by the eruption, but the Icelandic capital is not expected to become unsafe.
Is the Blue Lagoon open?
Residents have been evacuated from Grindavík, which is home to the Blue Lagoon.
The entire area is under red alert, as it is so close to the eruption site.
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The Blue Lagoon has been closed in order to keep residents and tourists safe.
Grindavík had been a dormant site for over 800 years before experiencing seismic activity once again in 2020.