Skip to content
Byway
Peak · Iceland

Brennisteinsalda

Brennisteinsalda, a peak in Iceland
Brennisteinsalda, a peak in IcelandBorvan53 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Brennisteinsalda, a peak in Iceland
Borvan53 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Brennisteinsalda, a peak in Iceland
Pole Doctor at French Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Brennisteinsalda, a peak in Iceland
NOTE: This image is a panorama consisting of multiple frames that were merged or stitched in Panorama Studio. As a result, this image necessarily underwent some form of digital manipulation. These manipulations may include blending, blurring, cloning, and color and perspective adjustments. As a result of these adjustments, the image content may be slightly different from reality at the points where multiple images were combined. This manipulation is often required due to lens, perspective, and parallax distortions. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Brennisteinsalda, a peak in Iceland
User:Chris 73 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Brennisteinsalda, a peak in Iceland
Reen Eversdijk from Groningen, The Netherlands · CC BY 2.0

More photographs at the Wikimedia Commons category.

Brennisteinsalda rises to 881 m. Háskerðingur stands 1,281 m to the south, 6.1 miles off. The nearest named place is Bláhnúkur, a peak 0.8 miles away.

About

The story

The Brennisteinsalda (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈprɛnːɪˌsteinsˌalta] ) is a volcano in the south of Iceland. Its height is about 855 m. It is situated near Landmannalaugar and not far from Hekla. The name means in English: sulphur wave. It comes from the sulphur spots which have coloured its sides. But there are other colours, too: green from mosses, black and blue from lava and ashes, red from iron in the earth. It could very well be the most colourful mountain of Iceland and so its picture is often found in books and calendars. The mountain is still visibly an active volcano with hot sulphur springs and vapour at its sides. The hiking trail Laugavegur [ˈlœyːɣaˌvɛːɣʏr̥] passes by. In front of it there is an obsidian lava field.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q280822, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

The record

What the record says

Elevation
881 m
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates63.98089, -19.09557
Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
Cliffs: 38
  • Eldgjá: 11.8 mi
  • Eldgjá: 11.9 mi
  • Eldgjá: 11.9 mi
  • Eldgjá: 11.9 mi
  • Eldgjá: 12.0 mi
Waterfalls: 22
  • Ljósafoss: 7.0 mi
  • Rauðufossar: 7.9 mi
  • Markarfljótsfoss: 8.3 mi
  • Tungnaárfellsfoss: 9.4 mi
  • Sigöldugljúfur: 12.4 mi
Historic sites: 5
Attractions: 4
Hot springs: 2
Museums: 1
On the horizon

Other summits around it

The highest named summits within 12.4 miles of Brennisteinsalda. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
HáskerðingurS 188°1,281 m6.1 mi
LaufafellWSW 239°1,184 m8.8 mi
KaldaklofsfjöllSSW 192°1,167 m6.7 mi
ReykjaföllSSW 200°1,165 m3.8 mi
LitlhöfðiW 278°1,146 m4.6 mi
HrafntinnuskerSW 218°1,141 m4.2 mi
StöðullSSW 212°1,132 m3.4 mi
HáaldaWNW 290°1,128 m2.1 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:1918:2819:31
June solstice02:4921:5523:49
September equinox06:5918:1819:21
December solstice11:09—15:21

Local time (Atlantic/Reykjavik).

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/5327944441

More peaks in Iceland

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Plan a driveMore peaks
Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Brennisteinsalda.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens