Grindavík

Grindavík () is a fishing town on the southern part of the Southern Peninsula in Iceland.

It is one of the few towns with a harbor on the southern coast of this peninsula. Most of the people in Grindavík work in the fishing industry. The Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most famous tourist attractions, is located  from the town center. 

In November 2023, with an increasing and severe seismic activity, a state of emergency was declared and Grindavík was evacuated, because a magma tunnel was formed under the town and there is a risk that it could cause a volcanic eruption in the form of a fissure vent in the town.

On 18 December 2023, at around 22:00 local time (GMT), the volcano erupted as a fissure vent, as expected, which was  long. The volcanic eruption was  northeast of Grindavík. Lava fountains, up to  high, could be seen from Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Authorities said they were highly prepared. The volcano erupted again on February 8 for the third time since December, this time at the edge of the town, and the lava flow destroyed a few buildings and infrastructure. The residents of Grindavík had remained evacuated. On February 20, the residents were allowed to return to their homes, but on March 2 Grindavík was again evacuated because of new seismic activity. On March 16, a fourth eruption took place near Grindavík, near the site of the first eruption, which is continuing since.

 Twin towns – sister cities 
Grindavík is twinned with:

 Ílhavo, Portugal
 Jonzac, France
 Penistone, England, United Kingdom
 Piteå, Sweden
 Rovaniemi, Finland
 Uniejów, Poland

 References 

 Other websites 

 Official website 

Category:Towns in Iceland
Category:Municipalities of Iceland
Category:1st-millennium establishments in Iceland
Category:10th-century establishments in Europe
Category:Ghost towns
Category:Southern Peninsula (Iceland)