Hraunsfjörður lies on the northern coast of Snæfellsnes, between Kolgrafafjörður and Gufufjörður. Its name means “Lava Fjord”, a reference to the surrounding volcanic terrain. The dark lava fields here belong to the Ljósufjöll volcanic system, a fissure swarm that runs through the middle of Snæfellsnes. Ljósufjöll has erupted repeatedly in the last 8,000 years, sending great lava flows northward into Breiðafjörður and forming much of the land around Hraunsfjörður.

The lavas visible around the fjord are part of these Holocene flows, most of them younger than 4,000 years. They belong to the same volcanic system that has produced earthquakes in recent times, reminding us that Snæfellsnes is not geologically dormant. Seismic swarms in the Ljósufjöll area — most recently in the 21st century — are signs of a living system beneath the peninsula.

This means that when standing at Hraunsfjörður today, one is not only seeing ancient volcanic landscapes but also the traces of forces that may still shape the fjord in centuries to come.

Like other fjords of West Iceland, Hraunsfjörður supported small-scale farming and fishing for centuries. Its sheltered waters were suitable for rowing boats, while the surrounding lava provided limited grazing and hayfields in between mossy ridges. A handful of farmsteads existed here, but the rough terrain made life difficult, and many were eventually abandoned.

In modern times, the fjord is touched indirectly by human intervention in neighboring Kolgrafafjörður, where a causeway built in 2004 altered tidal currents and dramatically affected fish stocks, particularly herring. While Hraunsfjörður itself is quieter, it is part of the same delicate Breiðafjörður ecosystem where human activity and natural systems intersect.

Folklore, too, threads through the area. Local accounts describe encounters with huldufólk (hidden people) in the lava fields, and travelers in the 19th century recorded eerie impressions of the fjord, with mist and silence giving it a haunted quality.

Today, Hraunsfjörður remains sparsely populated and free of tourist infrastructure. The main road (Route 54) runs right along the fjord, offering travelers close views of the water, lava, and mountains. This simplicity is part of its charm: the fjord is a place to pause and appreciate quiet coastal scenery without distraction.

The fjord is home to seabirds such as eiders and oystercatchers, while seals occasionally appear on skerries near its mouth. On calm days, the fjord becomes a mirror for the dark lava ridges and the ever-changing skies of Breiðafjörður. Unlike the more famous attractions of Snæfellsnes, Hraunsfjörður offers a raw, unmediated experience of Iceland’s coastal and volcanic environment.

For the geologically curious, standing here is to be surrounded by a landscape that is both ancient and active — shaped by eruptions thousands of years ago, and still connected to the rumblings of Ljósufjöll today.

• The lava fields around Hraunsfjörður are mostly Holocene in age, less than 4,000 years old, and belong to the Ljósufjöll volcanic system.

• Ljósufjöll is considered an active volcanic system, with earthquake swarms in recent years reminding geologists of its potential.

• The name Hraunsfjörður means “Lava Fjord,” directly referencing the volcanic flows that shaped it.

• The fjord connects into the wider Breiðafjörður ecosystem, one of Iceland’s richest marine environments.

• Folklore speaks of hidden people living in the surrounding lava, continuing Snæfellsnes’ reputation as a mystical peninsula.