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NaturalRef. 1267

Surtsey

Natural World Heritage property in Iceland, inscribed in 2008 under criterion (ix).

Surtsey, Iceland
Photo: Brian Gratwicke · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
BathBeaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944Blaenavon Industrial LandscapeBlenheim Palaceborders of the Roman EmpireBrú na BóinneCanterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's ChurchCastles and Town Walls of King Edward in GwyneddCornwall and West Devon Mining LandscapeDerwent Valley MillsDurham Castle and CathedralFlow CountryForth BridgeFountains AbbeyGiant's CausewayHeart of Neolithic OrkneyIronbridge GorgeJodrell Bank ObservatoryJurassic CoastKew GardensLake DistrictMaritime GreenwichNew LanarkOld and New Towns of EdinburghPalace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's ChurchPontcysyllte Aqueductreconstructed center of Le HavreSaltaireSkellig MichaelSt KildaStonehengeSurtseyThe Slate Landscape of Northwest WalesThingvellir National ParkTower of LondonVatnajökull National Park63.304° N, 20.605° W
State Party
Iceland
Year of inscription
2008
Criteria
ix
Area of property
141 ha
Location
Vestmannaeyjar
What it is
island, protected area
Founded or built
1963
Elevation
155 m
Landform
Vestmannaeyjar
Next to
Atlantic Ocean
Official website
surtsey.is/
Reference
WHC 1267 · Wikidata Q178124

Why it is on the List

(ix)An outstanding example of ongoing ecological and biological processes in ecosystems on land, in fresh water or at sea.
nearby

Closest World Heritage sites

Straight-line distance between the recorded coordinates.

Thingvellir National Park, Iceland109 kmThingvellir National ParkIceland · 2004CulturalVatnajökull National Park, Iceland221 kmVatnajökull National ParkIceland · 2019NaturalSt Kilda, United Kingdom894 kmSt KildaUnited Kingdom · 1986MixedHeart of Neolithic Orkney, United Kingdom1044 kmHeart of Neolithic OrkneyUnited Kingdom · 1999CulturalFlow Country, United Kingdom1065 kmFlow CountryUnited Kingdom · 2024NaturalGiant's Causeway, United Kingdom1197 kmGiant's CausewayUnited Kingdom · 1986Natural
Iceland

More sites in Iceland

All 3
2008

Also inscribed in 2008

All of 2008

Data: Wikidata (CC0) · danger list as published in 2026 · independent atlas, not affiliated with UNESCO or Petit Futé.