About
Katla is an active subglacial volcano in southern Iceland. This volcano has been very active historically with at least twenty documented major eruptions since 2920 BC.
You can feel the heat in some spots. A reminder that Iceland sits on one of Earth's most active volcanic zones.
This volcano has been very active historically with at least twenty documented major eruptions since 2920 BC. In its recent history though, Katla has been less active as the last major eruption occurred in 1918. These eruptions have had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of between 4 and 5 on a scale of 0 to 8.
Follow marked paths in active geothermal areas. The ground can be unstable or concealing scalding water beneath a thin crust.
Map of Katla
63.6300°N, 19.0500°W · South Coast
Plan your visit
Elevation
- 1,450 m above sea level
Off the main road
- 19.5 km from Route 1
Nearest town
- Vík í Mýrdal — 23.5 km away
Distance from Reykjavík
- 153 km in a straight line
What else is close
- 173 mapped places within 20 km
Tours that include Katla
Katla Ice Cave South Coast - Day Tour from Reykjavikfrom 37.532 ISK · 12 h
The Complete Katla Ice Cave Tour from Víkfrom 37.532 ISK · 4 h
South Coast & Katla Ice Cavefrom 35.990 ISK · 11 h
Katla Ice Cave Tour - Meet in Víkfrom 29.990 ISK · 3 h
Katla Ice Cave & Black Beach with Dronefrom 41.500 ISK · 4 h
Katla FastTrack Ice Cave Tourfrom 29.900 ISK · 3 h
Solheimajokull Glacier Guided Hiking Small Group Tourfrom 12.299 ISK · 3 h
Glacier Hike Experience on Sólheimajökull Glacier - Meet on locationfrom 15.990 ISK · 3 h
Glacier Hiking Tour - Icelandic Local Guidefrom 38.900 ISK · 10 hKatla weather and conditions
Last updated

Cars & campers
Photos & videos
No verified videos yet — we only show footage confirmed to be Katla, no lookalikes. Search YouTube
Nearby
km column = your drive
- 1Magni19 km
- 2
Móði20 km - 3
Maelifell20 km - 4
Eyjafjallajökull28 km - 5
Torfajökull29 km
Hot springs
- 1Geothermal hot spring near Mýrdalshreppur24 km
- 2Hot Spring Shower27 km
- 3Strútslaug28 km
Fuel
- 1
Vík í Mýrdal24 km · 309.9 kr/L - 2
Kirkjubæjarklaustur53 km · 310.9 kr/L - 3
Hvolsvöllur60 km · 310.9 kr/L
Tours
Adrenaline Combo: Off-Road Buggy & Mega Zipline Experiencefrom 29.300 ISK · 3 hours
Buggy Adventure in Þórsmörkfrom 89.990 ISK · 5 hours
Bus transfer from Landmannalaugar to Hella / Reykjavikfrom 12.220 ISK · 4 hours
Frequently
asked
questions
Is it safe to visit Katla?
How do I get to Katla?
Can I hike Katla?
What should I know about volcanic gas near Katla?
Data & sources
Everything on this page comes from the sources below. Live feeds refresh automatically.
Wikimedia CommonsHero & gallery photography · The original uploader was RicHard-59 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
VegagerðinVisitor access & practical facts
VegagerðinLive road status & cameras · Icelandic Road Administration
Open-MeteoWeather forecast · CC BY 4.0
NOAA SWPCAurora (planetary Kp) forecast · public domain
OpenStreetMapInteractive-map data · ODbL
Esri, Maxar & Earthstar GeographicsSatellite imagery for the 3D terrain render · GIS User Community
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