In 2021, 2022 and July, volcanic eruptions in a nearby uninhabited area became major tourist attractions, attracting about 680,000 visitors, according to the Icelandic Tourism Board.
In October, signs of land expansion were detected near the Blue Lagoon, a hot bath famous for its turquoise water and popular with tourists. The site was partially reopened on Sunday.
Until March 2021, the Reykjanes Peninsula, south of the capital Reykjavik, had been untouched by volcanic eruptions for eight centuries.
Since then, two more events have occurred, in August 2022 and July 2023, signaling to volcanologists that volcanic activity has resumed in the region.
Thirty-three volcanic systems are active in this land of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe
On November 11, Grindavik residents were evacuated as a precaution following hundreds of earthquakes caused by the movement of magma beneath the Earth's crust, a potential warning sign of a volcanic eruption.
The city's buildings and roads were severely damaged by this seismic activity.
In 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, in the south of the island, caused the largest disruption to air traffic in peacetime, a record that has since been “broken” by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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