A major stop on the Iceland grand tour is the Westman Islands…just a 40-minute ferry crossing from the South Coast. While locals sit inside, tourists soak up the view as we approach the craggy group of islands. The ferry squeezes into the harbor. And tucked into the shelter of the cliffs, our port comes into view.

The Westman Islands’ only town is a fishing community surrounded by sea cliffs and a rugged terrain shaped by eons of volcanic eruptions.

Sightseeing boats are dwarfed and outnumbered by a fleet of fishing boats. Visitors strolling the boardwalk sense how fishing is big in this country…and the Westman Islands fleet is the leading producer. Main Street has most of the commerce. It leads past inviting neighborhood lanes to a classic Icelandic church.

But the island is best known for a fiery eruption in 1973 when its volcano blew. It was a massive event: the island actually increased in size.

The town’s Volcano Museum tells the story. One frightening night, the slumbering volcano above town rumbled violently to life. Everyone evacuated by morning, but for months, molten lava flowed…slowly creeping closer and closer to the town center. The museum’s centerpiece is an actual house that was completely engulfed by lava.

Fifty years ago this was an oozing wall of red-hot molten lava. It was a slow-motion disaster gradually consuming the town. Thankfully, it stopped right here.

Back at the harbor front, we’re catching a minibus tour to get a more personal take on that terrifying eruption and to explore the island.

Local guide Ebbi was born and raised here, knows the island, and is ready to roll.

We’re driving on lava left from the 1973 eruption.

Ebbi: So, you know, good things, bad things with this…huge eruption like this. Now, nobody died because of the eruption, which is a very good thing. We’ve gained also about 20 percent. The island increased in size, about 20 percent.

Rick: And you’re more famous for tourists now.

Ebbi: Well, yes, it got us on the map also. Underneath us are streets 50 meters down underneath us. We have streets. We have houses. Actually, not far from here is my grandparents’ house. And right here below is one of our schools. This marking here is a memorial about a house underneath here from a wealthy fisherman.

Rick: This house?

Ebbi: This house right underneath us here. And everywhere on this lava, we have these wooden crosses, like this one here, for example. This is called “Landagata.” One of many streets that went under.

Rick: So that’s the name of a street?

Ebbi: There’s the name of the street right underneath us.

The town side of the lava ridge has additional examples of what was lost and reminders of how the entire town could have been consumed by the lava flow.

The Westman Islands are famous for being the home of many species of seabirds that nest in the grassy ledges and cliffs by the millions. It’s particularly well-known for its puffins.

Ebbi takes us to a thriving colony popular with birders and tourists alike.

Ebbi: So, this location here is the biggest puffin colony in the world. Now people come here to see the puffins, of course. The puffins, they live in the ocean for eight months. And they’re only here during the summer just to do that one thing. And that is to make that one egg year that they make. They make one egg per year, per couple.

Now the…half of the colony is right now underneath here there are thousands of birds sitting, taking care of the egg. Right now, underneath, underneath us, right underneath us. Everywhere is a burrow where they’ve digged in and they have this, like an apartment, kind of. And half of the colony is outside and out in the ocean getting fish.

And the other half is taking care of the eggs. And people all around the world come to see the puffins, of course. And they come here.