Greetings from Eldhestar!

At this time of year, we are slowing down a little, but we still have many guests staying at the hotel and/or joining our horseback riding tours. The volcanic eruption turned this usually calm season into something more dramatic, but Iceland is very well prepared for such events.

The volcanic eruption that began on the Reykjanes Peninsula on Wednesday 20th November is still active. International flights are not affected and neither are our operations at Eldhestar which is located in a safe distance from the ongoing eruption. Our staff member Daniel took photos of the eruption on his return back to Iceland last week. It is thrilling to see Iceland’s mother nature at work, and this is one of the first sights visitors see shortly before landing in Iceland these days. However, while volcanic eruptions are incredible to witness, it may be challenging for those affected and our thoughts are with them.

Eldhestar’s operations are not affected by the eruption and everything is going as usual. At this time of year, it is still dark when we begin our morning tours, and weather often allows us to ride into a beautiful sunrise. Usually we keep our rides 2-3 hours long. Afterwards, we head back to the hotel restaurant to enjoy hot soup and a well-deserved break before our activities in the afternoon. Some of our guests prefer to ride again, some continue with hiking to the hot river valley or sightseeing. Others enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the local swimming pool or simply stay at Hotel Eldhestar and relax in their rooms, lobby or hot tubs.

Our hotel often receives compliments for its ideal location. Those that have a car Hotel Eldhestar and its “volcano horses“ are to be found directly by the road n.1, not far from Reykjavík or the international airport. The gems of South Iceland such as Golden Circle, waterfalls Skógarfoss and Seljalandsfoss or the Black Beach and Vík are not far from us. In our area there are stunning hiking paths along the river, hot springs, through the forest, or even leading all the way to the hot spring valley of Reykjadalur.

For those who prefer to book a package that includes transfer to/from Reykjavík, accommodation, full board, horseback riding, hiking, whale watching, a visit to the local swimming pool, and even the Golden Circle sightseeing tour, Tour 8E – Northern Lights Grand Tour is the perfect option. In addition to the rich program, we keep our guests well-informed about the Northern Lights forecast and one of the evenings we stream a short documentary about this phenomenon.