South Coast · Iceland
Eldhraun moss-lava stop · Route 1
Free gravel stop on Route 1 in the moss-covered Eldhraun lava field (1783 Laki eruption), with viewpoints next to it.
See tonight's live score and best time to go for Eldhraun moss-lava stop in Aurora Atlas
Why it works for the aurora
- View
- Flat lava field all round; low northern horizon to the highlands..
- Darkness
- Very dark sky, grade 0 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. No towns or road lights nearby; the faintest aurora shows.
- Aurora
- Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.
Getting there
- Distance
- About 9 km by road from the middle of South Coast (estimate), roughly 10 min by car.
- Parking
- Free gravel car park by a lava-field viewpoint.
- Coordinates
- 63.7460, -18.1610 · Open in OpenStreetMap
Before you go
Route 1 traffic: park fully inside the stop and stay on the gravel.
Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Iceland before a night drive. See our winter safety note.
Spot information from openstreetmap.org.