Creating memories.....one vacation at a time!

HEIMAEY, WESTMAN ISLANDS, “THE POMPEII OF THE SOUTH”
In the morning we arrived in the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar), an archipelago of 15 islands off the south coast.   The only inhabited island is Heimaey.   Heimaey was in the news when on January 23, 1973,  an undersea volcanic eruption opened up a fissure in the town and destroyed around 400 homes.   The eruption lasted until July 3, 1973.  Luckily all 5,300 residents were evacuated off the island, except for one.  The volcanic cone that was left behind was named Eldfell which means “Hill of Fire”.   A museum, called Eldheimar, was built over the eruption and we visited the museum. 

Eldeheimer Museum is built over the eruption.  
Below, is a house outside of the museum.

Within the museum is a house that was dug out of the ash.  The owners had not see their house in 40 years until it was excavated.   The photos here are of the same house.  

Photographs in the museum tells the story of the  eruption.

In downtown Heimaey, I found this sign showing photos of what this street looked like after the eruption.   The pole shows you how high the ash was

Surtsey is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Westman Islands that was formed from an underground eruption that lasted from 1963-1967.  It is a World Heritage Unesco site.

There is a large Atlantic puffin colony in the Westman Islands.  Iceland is a bird watcher’s paradise!  Heimaey also has a Beluga Whale Sanctuary. 

The Westman Island 18-hole golf course.

Pjodhatid is the 4-day music outdoor festival held every year on Heimaey in the Herjolfsdalur Valley.  It’s been going on since 1874.  Over 16,000 people congregate in the valley to attend the event. It’s  Iceland’s Woodstock!  Notice the dramatic lava mountains.