Eldborg Crater Hike: Walking the Rim of Snæfellsnes’ Spatter Cone

Eldborg is the kind of volcano that looks drawn rather than erupted: a regular oval spatter cone standing alone on the Mýrar lava flats, roughly 60 metres above the surrounding rock. The crater rim is about 200 metres across and drops around 50 metres into the bowl. It formed in an eruption roughly 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, and it has been a protected natural monument since 1974. For guests driving the Borgarfjörður and Snæfellsnes circuit, it makes an easy half-day hike about 50 minutes from The Hvítá Inn.

Getting There from the Inn

From the inn, head north and west along Road 1, then turn onto Road 54 toward the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Watch for the signed turn to Snorrastaðir farm, follow the short farm track, and park at the marked lot. The whole drive is about 50 minutes. Because Eldborg sits at the base of the peninsula, it is a logical first stop on a ferry-free Snæfellsnes loop — you can carry on to Búðir, Arnarstapi and the Snæfellsjökull coast the same day.

The Walk to the Rim

The trail from Snorrastaðir runs about 2.5 km each way, roughly 6 km round trip, so allow about 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on pace and how long you linger on top. The approach is genuinely flat, crossing birch scrub and old lava, and this is the honest part for families: it is easy underfoot but you spend the whole walk watching the trail, because the path threads through a rockstrewn lava field where loose stones and ankle-turning gaps are common. Younger children manage it, but they need to look down, not up.

The final stretch is a short, steep scramble onto the rim, aided in places by a fixed chain. It is brief but hands-on, and can be slick after rain. From the top you get the full oval of the crater and a long view back across the flats toward the Ljósufjöll mountains. Eldborg is a protected site, so stay on the marked rim path and keep off the crater’s inner walls.

What to Bring and When to Go

• Getting there: about 50 minutes’ drive from The Hvítá Inn via Road 1 then Road 54 to Snorrastaðir farm; park at the marked lot.
• Distance and time: roughly 6 km round trip; allow about 1.5–2.5 hours.
• Terrain: flat lava-field approach, then a short chained scramble to the rim.
• Footwear: sturdy shoes or hiking boots with grip — the lava is uneven and the final climb can be slippery.
• Also pack: a windproof layer, water, and a snack; there are no services on the trail.
• Timing: best May through September; the flats are exposed, so pick a drier, low-wind day and start with daylight to spare.

Snorrastaðir is a working farm and has offered horse riding and farm-based accommodation in the past; check current services locally before relying on them.

Where to Stay

The Hvítá Inn sits on the bank of the Hvítá river at Hvítárbakki in Borgarfjörður, about 75 minutes from Reykjavík and roughly 50 minutes from the Eldborg trailhead. That puts you close enough to walk the crater in a relaxed morning and still fold it into a full Snæfellsnes loop, then return to a private-bathroom room the same evening. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Axel Kristinsson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.