A Geyser Named Geysir

(Last Updated On: August 16, 2019)
Will it blow? Will it blow? Will it blow?, one can’t help but wonder on a trip to see Iceland’s geysers. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Will it blow? Will it blow? Will it blow?, one can’t help but wonder on a trip to see Iceland’s geysers.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

What Is the Difference between a Geysir and a Geyser?

A bit of snow and a bus getting stuck in a snow bank slow our visit to Iceland’s Geysir, for which all other geysers are named, for about a minute. Icelandic drivers and tour guides know what to do in the snow; our bus is back on the right track by the end of our visit to Geothermal Energy Exhibition at Hellisheiði Power Plant, the geothermal plant that provides hot water to all of Reykjavik.

The geyser named Strokkur puts on a good show. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

The geyser named Strokkur puts on a good show.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

What Is Strokkur Geyser in Iceland?

I fret on our way to the geyser that today will be the one when Earth is temperamental, when the geyser just won’t blow. I need not have worried. While the original Geysir is about out of steam, its nearby sibling, Strokkur, erupts reliably and puts on a good show for all of its visitors.

How Close Can Tourists Get to the Iceland Geyser?

Tourists can get surprisingly close to the geyser in Iceland. Fencing that one would expect at attractions like this in the United States is minimal. Visitors stand at the edge of a shallow pool of steaming water and wait for the geyser to erupt. Take caution! Do not stand downwind as that beautiful steam is dangerously hot, even in the cold weather.

Lesson #1 when geyser watching: Don’t stand downwind.  Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Lesson #1 when geyser watching in Iceland: Don’t stand downwind.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Geysir, 801 Bláskógabyggð, Iceland

Geothermal Energy Exhibition at Hellisheiði Power Plant, Hellisheiðarvirkjun, 801 Selfoss, Iceland

—Lori Tripoli

The Bashful Adventurer wearing a colorful hat, colorful glasses, and a colorful scarf. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.Lori Tripoli is the editor and publisher of Bashful Adventurer. Based in the New York City vicinity, she writes about travel for a variety of publications.

Contact Lori at loritripoli@bashfuladventurer.com.

 

Looking for places to visit in Iceland? Consider these posts:

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Steam rising from Litli Geysir (baby geyser). A rock carved with the words "Litli-Geysir" is in front of the steam in snow. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

Even a baby geyser is compelling: Seeing boiling water emerge from the Earth is an unusual experience. Wear appropriate boots!
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

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Have you visited a geyser in Iceland? What did you like about the experience?

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