Glaciers and Volcanoes Iceland: Where Ice Meets Fire

Iceland has a way of making a memorable first impression. You arrive expecting snow and steam, maybe a volcano or two in the distance — but the longer you spend here, the more you realise that nothing in this landscape exists in isolation. Glaciers don’t simply sit on mountaintops. They spill, creak and grind over volcanic rock. Volcanoes don’t just erupt into open air (though that’s been the norm in recent years); many of them sleep beneath hundreds of metres of ice. In Iceland, fire and ice are not opposites. They are collaborators in shaping the landscape.

This geological duality — glaciers and volcanoes layered one atop the other — is what gives Iceland its character. It’s also what makes exploring the country on foot, especially on glaciers, such a powerful experience. Walking across ice that conceals active volcanic systems below is not just a physical adventure; it’s a reminder that the ground beneath your feet is alive.

For travellers who want to understand Iceland beyond the postcard views, glacier walks and hikes offer a front-row seat to this ongoing interaction between heat and cold, creation and erosion. This is the story of how Iceland came to be shaped by fire and ice — and how you can experience it all firsthand with Icelandic Mountain Guides.

Iceland is one of the youngest landmasses on Earth. In geological terms, it is barely out of its infancy. The island rose from the North Atlantic Ocean through repeated volcanic eruptions, building layer upon layer of lava over millions of years. Later, as the climate cooled, massive ice caps formed on top of this volcanic foundation, reshaping it with immense pressure and slow, relentless movement.

Today, around 11% of Iceland is covered by glaciers, an extraordinary figure for a country so volcanically active. This coexistence defines the Icelandic landscape: jagged ridges carved by ice, smooth plains formed by lava flows and wide valleys created by glacial floods triggered by eruptions beneath ice caps.

Nowhere else on Earth is this relationship so visible or so accessible for those wishing to experience it. In Iceland, you can hike on a glacier that rests atop an active volcano, cross ice that has been fractured by geothermal heat, and stand where meltwater from an eruption once reshaped the land in a matter of hours.

To explore Iceland is to explore a conversation between opposing forces — one that has been ongoing for thousands of years and is still unfolding today.

Iceland exists because it straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a massive underwater mountain chain where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart. In most places, this ridge lies deep beneath the ocean. In Iceland, it rises above sea level, allowing volcanic activity to occur on land rather than underwater.

As the plates separate, magma rises to fill the gap, creating new crust. Over time, this process has built the island itself. The result is a country with more than 130 volcanic mountains and around 30 active volcanic systems, spread across distinct volcanic zones.

Different regions of Iceland tell different chapters of this volcanic story. In the southwest, frequent eruptions have shaped the Reykjanes Peninsula with young lava fields and geothermal areas. In the north, older volcanic formations dominate, weathered by time and ice. In the south and southeast, volcanoes interact directly with glaciers, producing some of Iceland’s most dramatic (and sometimes dangerous) landscapes.

Historic eruptions have left indelible marks. The explosive 1362 eruption of Öræfajökull buried fertile farmland beneath ash. Subglacial eruptions beneath Katla have repeatedly caused massive glacial floods, known as “jökulhlaups,” reshaping coastlines and river systems. These events remind us that Iceland’s volcanoes are not relics of the past, they are active participants in shaping the present.

Glaciers in Iceland, meanwhile, formed during colder climatic periods, when snowfall exceeded summer melt year after year. Over time, layers of compressed snow turned into dense ice, accumulating into vast ice caps that began to flow outward under their own weight.

Iceland’s glaciers are dynamic, constantly moving and changing. As they advance, they grind down the volcanic bedrock beneath them, carving valleys, sharpening ridgelines and transporting enormous amounts of sediment. As they retreat, they leave behind moraines, lagoons and newly exposed terrain.

The largest of these ice caps is Vatnajökull, Europe’s biggest glacier by volume. Covering around 8% of Iceland, it hides multiple active volcanoes beneath its ice, including Grímsvötn and Bárðarbunga. Other major ice caps include Mýrdalsjökull, Langjökull, Hofsjökull and Snæfellsjökull, each of which interact with the land below in their own unique ways.

Walking on an Icelandic glacier is not a static experience. You move through crevasses formed by ice flow, across ash-streaked snow that tells the story of distant eruptions and past meltwater channels shaped by geothermal heat. These glaciers are not frozen in time; they are constantly responding to both climate and volcanic forces.

Sólheimajökull: Ice on the Edge of the South Coast

Flowing from the larger Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, Sólheimajökull is one of the most accessible glaciers in Iceland and one of the most visually striking. Dark volcanic ash layers streak through its ice, providing visual evidence of eruptions from nearby volcanoes over centuries.

This glacier offers a tangible sense of Iceland’s geological tension. Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier from the larger Mýrdalsjökull, that covers Katla, one of the country’s most powerful volcanoes.

On the surface, you walk among ice ridges, crevasses, and meltwater pools that shift from season to season. It’s an ideal place to experience the contrast between fragile ice formations and the raw volcanic landscape that surrounds them.

Standing on Vatnajökull feels like stepping onto another planet. Its scale is immense, and the horizon is epically wide and quiet. Yet beneath this calm surface lies intense geothermal activity, with several active volcanoes hidden deep beneath the ice.

Glacier walks here reveal how ice responds to heat from below, creating ice cauldrons, deep crevasses and complex flow patterns. This is a place where the relationship between glacier and volcano is not theoretical; it’s written directly into the landscape beneath your boots.

Mýrdalsjökull covers the infamous Katla volcano, known for its explosive eruptions and powerful glacial floods. The glacier itself is broad and imposing, shaped by both accumulation of snow and the geothermal forces beneath it.

Exploring this glacier offers insight into one of Iceland’s most closely monitored volcanic systems. The terrain tells a story of tension and release, of ice thick enough to suppress eruptions, yet vulnerable to sudden melting when volcanic activity stirs below.

At the tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula rises Snæfellsjökull, a glacier-capped stratovolcano steeped in both geology and legend. This is the mountain that inspired Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and standing on its slopes, it’s easy to understand why.

Snæfellsjökull offers sweeping views of ocean, lava fields, and ice in a single panorama. It is a powerful symbol of Iceland’s “ice and fire” identity—where myth, science, and landscape intersect.

The most meaningful way to understand Iceland’s glaciers and volcanoes is to walk among them. Glacier walks offered by Icelandic Mountain Guides are designed to bring visitors safely and respectfully into these environments, guided by experts who understand both the terrain and its deeper story.

From introductory glacier walks on the South Coast to more immersive hikes on Vatnajökull, these experiences allow travellers to:

• Walk on ancient ice shaped by volcanic eruptions
• Learn how glaciers form, move and change
• See firsthand how volcanic ash alters ice flow
• Explore crevasses, ridges and ice formations up close

All tours are led by certified guides and include necessary glacier equipment, allowing participants to focus on the experience rather than logistics. The emphasis is not just on reaching a destination, but on understanding where you are standing and why it looks the way it does.

These glacier walks are not about conquering nature. They are about moving through it thoughtfully, gaining insight into the forces that continue to shape Iceland every day.

Iceland’s reputation as the “land of fire and ice” is not a cliché, it is a literal description of a country built by volcanoes and reshaped by glaciers. These forces are not locked in the past. They are active, visible and deeply intertwined.

To walk on an Icelandic glacier is to step into that story. You feel the cold of the ice, see the dark traces of volcanic ash and understand that beneath your feet lies a restless Earth. It’s an experience that deepens your appreciation of Iceland’s landscapes and reminds you that this island is still being written, layer by layer.

For adventure-minded travellers, glacier walks and hikes offer more than scenery. They offer connection—to geology, to time, and to the remarkable balance between fire and ice that defines Iceland.

And once you’ve felt that balance, Iceland never quite looks the same again.

Experience the duality for yourself with Icelandic Mountain Guides.