Lake Kerid

Lake Kerid is a volcanic lake in the south of Iceland, near the city of Selfoss. It is located on a popular tourist route known to the public as Iceland's Golden Circle. The crater in which this lake lies reaches 55 meters in depth. Its walls are made of red volcanic stone. The slope of the crater is for the most part quite steep and sparse in vegetation, but on one side it is gentler and covered with moss, which makes it easy to go down.

What is known about this place

Iceland is a country with amazing stories, fabulous myths and incredible legends. Residents are accustomed to believing in certain things that originate in the deep past, and the explanation of which is difficult to find in our time. Once upon a time, people believed that Lake Kerid had no bottom and was connected to the ocean by an underground channel. In the 20th century, scientists carefully examined its bottom, but they could not find any secret passage. According to one version, Lake Kerid was formed from a volcano. A completely logical working version, because many of the natural attractions of the northern country arose this way. As for Kerid, the lake appeared about 3000 years ago. At this place there used to be a cinder crater, the upper part of which was a void chamber. Soon it failed, and the volume was filled with groundwater.

Features of Lake Kerid

Kerid is surrounded by steep slopes covered with volcanic rock and greenery. Reflecting the amazingly beautiful blue sky, the lake itself is filled with the same color. Its area is equal to the area of a football field.

If you've ever heard of Iceland's famous Golden Circle hiking route, then Lake Kerid takes pride of place on the list of all its geographical points. The lake is renowned as one of the most spectacular crater lakes in the world. You can get closer to the water if you go down the slope located on the north side. Other slopes are very steep and best avoided. As a rule, no one swims in Lake Kerid. After all, the water temperature there is no higher than +15...+16 °C. By chance, researchers found out that the acoustics inside the lake are very good. For this reason, open-air performances have already been staged here several times.