Iceland
Kerlingarfjöll
Steaming orange rhyolite mountains and hissing vents in a high-altitude geothermal desert.
Steam vents hiss through cracked orange earth, and the air tastes of sulphur and iron. Kerlingarfjöll in Iceland's central highlands is a cluster of rhyolite peaks where geothermal heat warps the colour spectrum — rust, amber, ochre, and bone white streaked across mountains that look like they belong on another planet.
Kerlingarfjöll is a mountain range centred on the Hveradalir geothermal area, where hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots cluster at over 1,000 metres altitude. The rhyolite rock surrounding the vents is stained by mineral deposits into vivid bands of orange, red, and yellow — a colour palette intensified by the steam that drifts permanently across the landscape. The mountain lodge at the base provides accommodation inside the geothermal zone itself, a rarity in Iceland's highlands. The area is accessible via the Kjölur highland route, the oldest interior track in Iceland, which crosses the plateau between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull ice caps. Snow persists on the higher peaks well into August, creating striking contrasts between white snow, coloured rock, and steaming vents.
Friends
The highland road trip, the mountain lodge base camp, and the alien geothermal landscape make Kerlingarfjöll a group adventure with genuine expedition atmosphere.
Solo
Hiking alone through steaming, colour-saturated mountains at 1,000 metres — with a warm lodge to return to — is one of Iceland's most otherworldly solitary experiences.
- Active geothermal vents steam through orange and red rhyolite mountains at 1,000m altitude.
- The Hveradalir hot spring area contains some of Iceland's most vivid mineral deposits.
- A mountain lodge offers accommodation inside the geothermal zone itself.
- Accessible via the Kjölur highland route, one of Iceland's most celebrated interior drives.
Mountain lodge burgers topped with spicy remoulade and local blue cheese.
Traditional bread pudding with raisins and vanilla cream served at the base camp.
Queenstown
New Zealand
The town where bungee jumping was born, cradled between a glacial lake and jagged peaks.
Sete Cidades
Portugal
Twin crater lakes, one emerald, one sapphire, fill a volcanic caldera wreathed in Azorean mist.
Silverton
United States
A narrow-gauge steam train delivers you to a mining ghost town at 9,318 feet.
Vale do Paúl
Cape Verde
Sugarcane terraces spill down a volcanic crater into the greenest valley in the archipelago.
Heimaey
Iceland
An island where houses remain half-buried in volcanic ash beside millions of nesting puffins.
Seyðisfjörður
Iceland
A rainbow-paved path leading to a pale blue church beneath snow-streaked fjord walls.
Húsavík
Iceland
Wooden sailing ships chasing the exhales of blue whales in a sapphire northern bay.
Stuðlagil Canyon
Iceland
A turquoise glacial river surging through geometric towers of perfectly hexagonal basalt.