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Grindavík () is a fishing town in the
Southern Peninsula Southern Peninsula (, ) is an administrative unit and part of Reykjanesskagi (pronounced ), or Reykjanes Peninsula, a region in southwest Iceland. It was named after Reykjanes, the southwestern tip of Reykjanesskagi. The region has a populati ...
district of
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, not far from Þorbjörn, a
tuya A tuya is a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet. They are rare worldwide, being confined to regions which were covered by glaciers and had active volcanism during the same period. As lava ...
(a type of flat-topped, steep-sided volcano). It is one of the few towns with a harbour on this coast. Most of the inhabitants work in the fishing industry. The Blue Lagoon, Grindavík's première attraction, is located from the town. In November 2023, in the midst of escalating and severe
seismic activity An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
, a state of emergency was declared and the town evacuated. On 18 December 2023, at around 22:00 local time ( GMT), the Sundhnúkur volcano erupted. The eruption was close to Hagafell, about northeast of Grindavík. A risk was also posed to Svartsengi Power Station. Fountains of lava, up to high, could be seen from Iceland's capital,
Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...
. Authorities said they were highly prepared. The volcano erupted again on 8 February, 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 20 February, the residents were allowed to return to their homes, but on 2 March, Grindavík was again evacuated because of new seismic activity. On 16 March, a fourth eruption began near the site of the first eruption, which ended on 8 May. A fifth eruption began as a fissure on 29 May, but the eruptive activity quickly localized to a primary edifice in Sundhnúkur crater row, close to the northern edge of Grindavík town. This eruption ended on 22 June.


History

or ''The Book of Settlements'' mentions that around 934, two Viking settlers, Molda-Gnúpur Hrólfsson and Þórir Haustmyrkur Vígbjóðsson , arrived in the
Reykjanes Reykjanes () is a small headland on the south-western end of the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, giving the main peninsula its name. Volcanic action is responsible for forming the entire peninsula. The nearest town is Keflavik. The name, , trans ...
area. Þórir settled in Selvogur and Krísuvík and Molda-Gnúpur in Grindavík. The sons of Moldar-Gnúpur established three settlements; Þórkötlustaðahverfi , Járngerðarstaðarhverfi and Staðarhverfi . The modern version of Grindavík is situated mainly in what was Járngerðarstaðarhverfi. The town has been an important fishing station since medieval times. In the 13th century its fishing rights were owned by the Bishop of
Skálholt Skálholt (Modern Icelandic: ; ) is a historical site in the south of Iceland, at the river Hvítá, Árnessýsla, Hvítá. History Skálholt was, through eight centuries, one of the most important places in Iceland. A bishopric was established ...
, who took payment in stacks of salted
cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...
. It was the scene of fierce disputes between English fishermen and German merchants in the 16th century, leading to 280 Germans storming the ship of John Breye (also known as John the Broad) in 1532 and killing 15 people, including John. The English were subsequently expelled from Iceland. In June 1627, Grindavík was raided by
Barbary Pirates The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...
in an event known as the
Turkish Abductions The Turkish Abductions ( ) were a series of slave raids by pirates from Algier and Salé that took place in Iceland in the summer of 1627. The adjectival label "''Turkish''" () does not refer to ethnic Turks, country of Turkey or Turkic peop ...
. Twelve Icelanders and three Danes, along with two vessels were taken, and with captives taken from other Icelandic settlements, transported into slavery in
Salé Salé (, ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Along with some smaller nearby towns, Rabat and Salé form together a single m ...
. The origins of the municipality can be traced to Einar Einarsson's decision to move there to build and run a shop in 1897. During that time the population was only around 360. Fishing had for centuries been a crucial element in the survival of Grindavík's population, but fishing trips were often dangerous. Men were frequently lost at sea and the catch not always stable. However, when a safer access point to land was created at Hópið in 1939, fishing conditions changed dramatically. From 1950 serious development in the fishing industry had begun to take place. Grindavík was declared a municipality in 1974.


Etymology

The name 'Grindavík' combines two Icelandic elements. ''Vík'' means a shallow inlet, while ''grind'' has the meaning of a gate or gateway – possibly referring to an opening in a fence used to control the movement of livestock. The '' Book of Settlements'' mentions Grindavík twice but gives no explanation for the name. "Grind" can furthermore signify a dock – that is, where the boats are stored (in the sea or up on the land), as well as
long-finned pilot whale The long-finned pilot whale, or pothead whale (''Globicephala melas'') is a large species of oceanic dolphin. It shares the genus ''Pilot whale, Globicephala'' with the short-finned pilot whale (''Globicephala macrorhynchus''). Long-finned pilo ...
, and in the old language any small whale, suggesting that the settlers may have found whales in the area.


Geography and geology

Grindavík is situated on the far south-western part of the Reykjanes Peninsula. The town stands on a lava field that erupted up to about 2,350 years ago from the Sundhnúkur crater chain just north of Grindavík, as well as from the Svartsengisfell volcanoes and fissures on Stora Skogsfell, both nearby. The town is one of six communities on the peninsula that is situated on or near an eruptive fissure. Grindavík's harbour, called Hópið, was created by an eruption from Sundhnúkur approximately 2,800 years ago that created a peninsula south-east of where the town stands, long by wide, known as Hópsnes on the west side and Þórkötlustaðanes on the east side. A lighthouse, built in 1928, stands on the southern tip. The town's fishing industry originally operated from huts on Þórkötlustaðanes before moving to Grindavík harbour in 1939 after local residents dug a channel through a reef to connect Hópið to the sea.


2023–25 volcanic eruptions

On 25 October 2023, an
earthquake swarm In seismology, an earthquake swarm is a sequence of seismic events occurring in a local area within a relatively short period. The time span used to define a swarm varies, but may be days, months, or years. Such an energy release is different fr ...
started north of Grindavík and escalated over the next few days. A state of emergency was issued on 10 November 2023 as continued earthquakes – by then numbering over 22,000 since 25 October – signalled a potentially impending volcanic eruption. Inhabitants were ordered to evacuate on the evening of 10 November 2023, after a magmatic intrusion was suspected to have formed beneath the town. This occurred following weeks of recorded uplift and seismic unrest north of the town, near the Blue Lagoon. Between midnight and 2 p.m. on 10 November 2023, almost 800 earthquakes were recorded, with the shallowest occurring at depths ranging from , as reported by the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The Icelandic Civil Protection Agency released statements expressing concerns that a magma dike under formation could extend towards Grindavík. Press photographs from Grindavík on 11 November showed the extent of damage to roads, and the golf course, due to fault movements caused by the activity. On 18 December, a volcanic eruption north of Grindavík by Hagafell prompted the evacuation of the town. On the morning of 14 January 2024 at 8:00 local time, a volcanic fissure erupted from the town, followed by a second fissure opening around noon. Lava from the eruptions flowed into the town, breaching defensive barriers and destroying three houses. Civilians were not endangered by the volcanic activity as they had already been evacuated overnight due to a series of earthquakes. On 9 February 2024, the Icelandic government published a bill to offer to buy residential property owned by individuals in Grindavík, and to take over housing loans on residential property in the town. On the morning of 1 April 2025, another volcanic eruption began which prompted another evacuation of the town.


Activities

A short distance to the north, there is the Blue Lagoon (), a geothermal spa using hot and mineralized waters from the nearby Svartsengi power station. Ungmennafélag Grindavíkur (Umfg) is the town's sport club, and the town contains the Grindavíkurvöllur stadium. The Leif the Lucky Bridge spans the Álfagjá rift valley that marks the boundary of the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates. It was built in 2002 and named in honour of Icelandic explorer
Leif Erikson Leif Erikson, also known as Leif the Lucky (), was a Norsemen, Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental Americas, America, approximately half a millennium before Christopher Columbus. According ...
, who travelled from Europe to explore North America 500 years before Columbus. The Icelandic Saltfish Museum in Grindavík opened in 2002. It displays the story of salt fish production and its importance for the Icelandic economy throughout the centuries in a specially designed building of .


Sports

Grindavík has a
football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
and a
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team.


Notable residents

The Icelandic writer
Guðbergur Bergsson Guðbergur Bergsson (16 October 1932 – 4 September 2023) was an Icelandic writer born in Grindavík. He attended the University of Iceland for his Teaching degree and then studied literature at the University of Barcelona. He was one of the le ...
was born here, and
Kalli Bjarni Karl Bjarni Guðmundsson aka Kalli Bjarni (born 6 January 1976 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic singer who rose to popularity after winning '' Idol Stjörnuleit'', the Icelandic version of ''Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music com ...
, the first winner of the Icelandic version of ''
Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...
'', lives in the town. The Spanish publisher and writer , engaged to Guðbergur Bergsson, lived, died and is buried here. Icelandic footballer
Alfreð Finnbogason Alfreð Finnbogason (born 1 February 1989) is an Icelandic former professional footballer who played as a striker. With Heerenveen, Alfreð was the Dutch Eredivisie's top scorer in the 2013–14 season with 29 goals, a tally topped only by L ...
was also born in Grindavík. Former
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
footballer,
Lee Sharpe Lee Stuart Sharpe (born 27 May 1971) is an English former professional footballer, sports television pundit, reality television personality and golfer. As a player, Sharpe was predominantly a left winger from 1988 to 2004. He notably played ...
, had a spell with Grindavík football club, at the end of his career in 2003.


United States Naval communication facility

Near Grindavík, the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
has operated the 1049 acre Naval Radio Transmitter Facility Grindavik since the mid-1970s. It uses several antennas, including two
guyed mast A guyed mast is a tall thin vertical structure that depends on guy lines (diagonal tensioned cables attached to the ground or a base) for stability. The mast itself has the compressive strength to support its own weight, but does not have the ...
s. The mast situated at 63°51′1″N 22°28′0″W was built in 1993 and is tall. The other mast at 63°51′3″N 22°27′6″W was built in 1983 and is tall. The taller mast replaced a mast, and the second replaced a mast of the same height.


Twin towns – sister cities

Grindavík is twinned with: * Ílhavo, Portugal *
Jonzac Jonzac (; ) is a commune of the Charente-Maritime department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. The historian Jean Glénisson (1921–2010) was born in Jonzac as well as the philosopher Jean Hyppolite (1907–1968). Geography The r ...
, France *
Penistone Penistone ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which had a population of 13,270 at the 2021 census. Historic counties of England, Historically in ...
, United Kingdom *
Piteå Piteå (; ) is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. Piteå is Sweden's 58th largest city, with a population of 23,326. Geography Piteå is located at the mouth of the Pite River (), at the shore of ...
, Sweden *
Rovaniemi Rovaniemi ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Lapland (Finland), Lapland. It is located near the Arctic Circle in the northern interior of the country. The population of Rovaniemi is approximately , while the Rovaniemi su ...
, Finland * Uniejów, Poland


See also

*
List of cities and towns in Iceland Most Municipalities of Iceland, municipalities in Iceland include more than one settlement. For example, four localities (Selfoss (town), Selfoss, Stokkseyri, Eyrarbakki, and Municipalities of Iceland, Tjarnabyggð) can all be found in the munici ...
* Geothermal power in Iceland *
Reykjanes Reykjanes () is a small headland on the south-western end of the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, giving the main peninsula its name. Volcanic action is responsible for forming the entire peninsula. The nearest town is Keflavik. The name, , trans ...


References


External links


Official website

2024 civil defence map Grindavík

More information and photos about Grindavík on Hit Iceland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grindavik Southern Peninsula (Iceland) Municipalities of Iceland Ghost towns in Europe Natural disaster ghost towns Populated places in Southern Peninsula (Iceland) Populated places established in the 10th century