The Þeistareykjarbunga is one of the largest shield volcanoes in Iceland that was formed about 10.000 years ago. Its highest point is 564m above sea-level and well visible. The main crater is the Stóravíti crater. The circular crater has a diameter of 800-1.000m and is about 100m deep. The eruption formed a lava field that spans almost to the sea to the north and to Jökulsá river in the east.
Litla Víti or little hell, is right south of Stóra Víti, the big hell, and is an almost perfect circular hole, 100-150m in diameter and 30-40m deep. This is actually not a classical crater because beneath was a lava tunnel that broke in. On the picture above one can see a human standing on the right side in a blue shirt as scale to the size of the crater.
Getting There
Both craters are southeast of Húsavík in an uninhabited area. Getting there requires a 4×4 vehicle and some knowledge of the area. Several tour operators offer guided tours (Travel North, Fjallasýn) or jeep tours (MTB Húsavík) to the area. On these tours guests also have the opportunity to discover lava caves and geothermal active areas.