Fences marked with Police signs Closed area, all traffic prohibited, Grindavik, July 2025
Many new houses and apartment buildings completely deserted, a lone fire chief car patrolling the streets, one petrol pump still working, and a single small supermarket open. The town of Grindavik in Southwestern Iceland has been almost a ghost town ever since the 2023 and 2024 eruption of the Sundhnúkur. The 3,600 inhabitants were evacuated, and since then only about 100 have returned. In April 2025 another eruption caused another evacuation of those remaining and on 16 July 2025, less than 24 hours after my overnight stay at the local camping, the earth spoke again. Although the lava stream was relatively small and did not threaten any infrastructure, toxic gases spread over Grindavik - making the area unsafe.
2025 July Evacuation
The very camping of where I stayed was evacuated around midnight, when a series of at least 130 earthquakes shook the area. The two to three dozen camping guests had to quickly pack their stuff and follow the green evacuation route signs away from Grindavik. The same happened to about 200 hotel guests and staff at the Blue Lagoon, a very Instagrammable geothermal pool that attracts many tourists and is situated just a few kilometres / miles north of Grindavik.
Abandoned town
Strolling through Grindavik felt somewhat post-apocalyptic to me. Even before the July 2025 volcanic eruption about 2 to 3 kilometres northeast of the town, one hardly comes across people. I saw one lady hanging up laundry outside, a bicycle at another house and a few cars parked in front of a few houses. The supermarket had some visiting tourists, and the unmanned fuel pump (manned before the eruptions) had a rare motorist. The most buzzing part was the camping, and the local restaurant with a tasty fish and chips in the harbour. Plus the Blue Lagoon, of course, with a very busy car park loaded with cars and tour buses.
Burned down, cracks and roads
Brand new villas were standing empty in the neighbourhood where the lava stream came to a halt, with clearly one house completely burned down because of it. The houses did not seem to have any physical damage, and it must have been something for the owners to leave their beautiful homes behind. In other parts of town, the results of the earthquakes leading up to the eruptions were clearly visible, with road sections sticking out a metre (3 feet) or so above other parts of the same road, houses bearing cracks or a whole wing of a restaurant lifted by the rising ground. Just outside of town, some roads were blocked by lava, with makeshift alternatives leading motorists around the "lava hills".
I hope that with these photo series taken in the 3 days leading up to the July 2025 volcanic eruption to show Grindavik as it is now: a semi-ghost town bearing the scars of natural violence that on one hand gives, and on the other takes away.
The lava stream of 2023 and 2024 stopped right in a new-build residential area.
Remains of a villa burned down when it was touched by lava.
A brand-new villa survived the lava stream barely, yet is left dormant like so many of the new homes in this residential area of Grindavik.
The cooled down lava stream hit this residential area of Grindavik in the 2023-2024 volcanic eruptions.
Completely empty apartment buildings.
One evacuated household left their balcony light on.
A regional road just outside Grindavik has been blocked since the 2023-2024 eruptions by cooled down lava.
Empty homes higher up in an older part of Grindavik.
Empty local church of Grindavik.
Big and clear emergency exit signs so with the next eruption those still remaining find the way quickly.
The south wing of this restaurant has been lifted by an earthquakie.
"Watch children at all times" and "In case of evacuation alarm follow exit signs."
Bryggjan - when open - serves a very tasty Icelandic fish and chips.
And has some great staff with a good sense of humor.
List of names near the door shows a long history of the Grindavik harbour.
A very old firetruck left behind.
A rusty half decaying boat at one on the harbour quays. The harbour used to be buzzing with activity, judging older historic photos.