Geysir

Geysir (pronounced GAY-zeer) is the original blasting hot-water spout after which all other geysers around the world are named. The Great Geysir debuted in the 14th century, blasting a jet of water up to 80m (262ft) into the air. By the 1950s tourists had clogged it with rocks and rubbish, thrown in an attempt to set it off. The geyser ceased erupting and was mostly inactive for decades. Luckily for visitors, the world's most reliable geyser, Strokkur (the Churn), was nearby, and it spouts up to 35m and erupts every 6 minutes or so. After earthquakes in June 2000, when water levels inside the geyser were artificially lowered, the Great Geysir resumed activity. The geyser erupts two or three times daily now, but to no specific timetable.
Geysers are formed when geothermally heated water becomes trapped in narrow fissures. The water at the surface cools, whereas the water below the ground becomes superheated, eventually turning into steam and blasting out the cooler water above it. Geysir and Strokkur are surrounded by smaller colourful springs, bubbling milky pools and steam vents, where water emerges from the ground at 100°C. The geothermal area is free (it was only ever a paying venue when an Englishman owned it in 1894).
Across the road from the geysers Ron found a tourist complex. It contained a petrol station, a café, a huge souvenir shop and Geysisstofa (Ikr500), an audiovisual exhibition on geysers and volcanoes, with an earthquake simulator and some folk museum pieces upstairs. It provided 20 minutes’ distraction, but really the geysers themselves were far more fun.Read more