Beautiful Rauðhólar, Red Mounds, are also close by and are protected as part of Reykjavik´s nature reserve of Heiðmörk.

Rauðhólar are remnants of a cluster of rootless cones in Elliðaárhaun lava fields. This remarkable group of cones is located in five minutes drive from 27 restaurant, between the Ring Road and Elliðavatn.

It seems that the phenomenon is rarely to be found on Earth, especially existing in Iceland. But for some years scientists have been looking for them at Mars; they could be a sign of the existence of water on the harsh planet

Heiðmörk is the largest outdoor area in the vicinity of the capital, Reykjavik.

Heiðmörk is located southeast of Elliðavatn and was proclaimed a municipal area of Reykjavik in 1950. Heiðmörk keeps Reykjavik´s water reservois and drinking water wells. The total area is 3.200 hectares (7.900 acres).

You will find many interesting and beautiful hiking trails in Heiðmörk.

The flora in Heiðmörk is rich, more than 4 million trees have been planted in the area since 1950, at least 150 wild flower species have been counted and more than 60 species of wild birds have been counted.

Heiðmörk is the principal outdoor recreational area in the capital and has more visitors than the national park at Þingvellir.

Búrfellsgjá lava channel is also a part of Heiðmörk and is probably one of the most accessible volcanoes in the vicinity of Reykjavík.

"On a walk through Búrfellsgjá, you can see many types of lava formations, small caverns, large cracks and so-called faults, and then of course the volcano itself that gave birth to the lava. There you get in direct contact with the inner forces in the earth under our feet, the very source of the land that is the volcanic activity in Iceland," Snæbjörn Guðmundsson geologist.