The second Biennial European Astrobiology Conference (BEACON) will take place at the Harpa Conference Centre in Reykjavik, Iceland from 1-5 July 2025. During this meeting also the 7th General Assembly of the EAI will take place.
Plenary mainscientific sessions are planned covering the following themes:
There will be also special sessions on the following subjects:
- Asteroids, Comets and Meteorites: Inheritance, Reprocessing, Synthesis and delivery of complex molecules
- Biochemical functions in compartmented microenvironments
- Chemistry on the early Earth, Mars, and other rocky bodies
- Coupling of compartment, metabolism and heritable information in evolutionary systems
- Complex chemistry in outer solar system bodies
- Complex organic molecules in the ISM: From Molecular Clouds to Protoplanetary Disks
- Early and extinct life on Earth
- Evolution of photosynthesis
- Evidence in astrobiology
- False positives in astrobiology
- Icy Moons
- Impacts and their Role in the Evolution of Planets, Moons and Life
- Legal issues in astrobiology
- Mars missions and the detection of minerals, organics and biosignatures
- Molecular Mechanisms of adaptation to Life to extreme conditions
- Organics and biosignature detection on icy moons
- Origins of metabolism and template replication: The path to an RNA/Peptide world
- Prebiotic (systems) chemistry: Synthesis of monomers and polymers in the lab
- Protoplanetary disks and their physical and chemical processes
- Stability and detection of biosignatures on Mars
- Tracing Life and Identifying Habitable Environments
- Venus
Programme
The scientific programme will consist of invited talks (35 + 10 minutes) and contributed talks (12 + 3 minutes) as will as poster sessions. There will be, amongst others, the following keynote speakers at BEACON 2025 (in alphabetical order of their last names):
Frédéric Foucher
CNRS, FR
Kevin Heng
LMU Munich, DE
Nozair Khawaja
FUB & IRS-Uni Stuttgart, DE
Melissa McClure
Leiden University, NL
Ganna Portyankina
DLR, DE
Barabara Sherwood-Lollar
University of Toronto, CA
Sandra Siljeström
RISE, SE
Anne Grete Straume-Lindner
ESA
Giovanna Tinetti
UCL London, UK
In addition to the scientific programme, there will be a conference dinner at Perlan carousel restaurant. Also outreach events for the general public will be held.
Conference Dinner
A conference dinner will be organised at the Perlan carousel restaurant on Öskjuhlið hill in Southern Reykjavík. Before the visit we The price for the dinner excursion includes:
- 3 course Icelandic meal at the Perlan carousel restauWater in Icelandic Naturrant
- Entrance to the various "Wonders of Iceland" exhibitions at Perlan.
- Árora Northern Lights Show
- Volcano and Lava show
- Glacier and Ice exhibition
- Forces of Nature- Amazing geological wonders
- Latrabjarg Bird Cliff Exhibitions
- Water in Icelandic Nature
- The Ocean - Underwater journey
- Bus transport to and from the restaurant
Please mention any dietary requirements on the registration form.
Conference Excursions
We offer 4 different conference excursions:
Golden Circle - with a little extra twist
We set out to þingvellir, the seat of the first democratically elected still existing parliament in Iceland and the world. There we will walk around the Almannagjá canyon where the assembly attendees gathered and we will see the features of the graben caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian plate. Then we will make our way to the Fludasveppir where we will have a short guided tour and a lightmusroom-based lunch. From there it is only a short ride to Gullfoss where we will see the waterfall and have lunch. We will continue to the Geyser areas and will see Strokkur squirting. Time allowing, we will visit the old bishopry in Skálholt. Then we make our way to Hveragerði and visit the Hveragerði Geothermal Park hot spring area in the Centre of Iceland’s flower city. From there we head back to Reykjavík.
Price of the excursion: EUR 95,- per person. This includes
- Visit of Gullfoss, Geyser, þingvellir, and Hveragerði Geothermal Park
- Light lunch at Fludasveppir mushroom farm
Please mention any dietary requirements on the registration form.
History, literature and landscape
We head off to Mosfellsbær and further on to Gjulfrasteinn, the homestead of Iceland’s Nobel Laureate Halldór K. Laxness. From there we continue to þingvellir, the seat of the first democratically elected still existing parliament in Iceland and the world. There we will walk around the Almannagjá canyon where the assembly attendees gathered and we will see the features of the graben caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian plate. We head north through Kaldidalur, where we can enjoy the view of volcano Skjaldbreiður. We end up in Reykholt, the dwelling place of the Icelandic author and politician Snorri Sturluson and see the bath where he was killed. We continue through Husadalur to Borgarnes making a stop at Deildartunguhver, the strongest hot spring in Iceland. At Borgarnes we will visit the museum devoted to the first Icelandic poet Egill Skallagrimsson.
Price of the excursion: EUR 145,- per person. This includes
- Entrance to Halldor Laxness house, Snorrastofa and Egill Skallagrimsson exhibition
- Tour and visits according to programme above
- Lunch at Husafell
- Dinner at the Settlement Centre
Please mention any dietary requirements on the registration form.
Around Reykjanes peninsula – geological and geothermal sites and volcanoes
We head off to the Viking Centre. Then we make our way to Sandgerði with its famous fish restaurant for a fish or vegetarian/vegan lunch. We continue north along the coast making a stop at the bridge “connecting Europe and North America”. Then we make our way to the lighthouse at the southwestern edge of Iceland from where we will enjoy a view over the bird island Eldey. From there it is only a short ride to Gunnuhver, one of the strongest solfataras in Iceland. We travel on along the coast and make a stop at the volcano Fagradalsfjall (geological situation permitting). We continue along the South Coast to Krysuvík, where we will have lunch. From Krysuvík we head back to Reykjavík along the mysterious lake Kleifarvatn.
Price of the excursion: EUR 95,- per person. This includes
- Entrance to Viking Centre
- Tour and visits according to programme above
- Lunch at Sjávarsetrið fish restaurant (vegetarian/vegan alternatives available)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Change of the programme due to volcanic activity might have to e imposed on very short notice, even during the trip! Please mention any dietary requirements on the registration form.
Explorers and volcanoes – Around Snæfellsnes
We head off from Reykjavik north to Borgarnes. At Borgarnes we will visit the museum devoted to the Settlement of Iceland and he Egill Skallagrimsson museum. From Borgarnes we will make our way round Snæfellsnes enjoying the view of the volcano known from Jules Verne’s novel “Travel to the Centre of Earth”. We will stop at exciting sights like the Black and White Beach and the . Church and last, but not least, the famous Kirkfjall mountain and for lunch on the way. We then take a stop at the Maritime museum at Hellissandi. We carry on to the North Coast of Snaefellsnes penisula where we will visit the Shark Museum From there we head back to Reykjavík, stopping at Deildartunguvher, the strongest hot spring in Iceland.
Price of the excursion: EUR 145,- per person. This includes
- Entrance to Settlement centre, Shark museum, Egill Skalagrinmsson museum and Maritime museum
- Tour and visits according to programme above
- Lunch at Lava Centre (2-course)
Please mention any dietary requirements on the registration form.
After-Conference-Outing
There will be a 4-days after-conference outing organised for those interested. The programme is as follows (please note that many of he sights at the Golden Circle tour are also covered in this programme - participants of the outing are recommened other tors on July 3rd - or a day in Reykjavik) :
7 July 2025
Departure from Reykjavik, Visit to and tour of Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant. Continuation to Hveragerði. Town visit including the hpt spring area, thereafter lunch at the Hver restaurant. Walk up to the famous Reykjadalur Hot Spring Area with possibility to bath in the hot river (weather allowing). 3-course dinner with dishes cooked in hot springs. Overnight stay in Hotel Örk in Hveragerði in single or double rooms with en-suite facilities.
8 July 2025
Continuation via South Iceland to Hvolsvöllur lava centre where we will watch the film show and the exhibition. Continuation to the ferry port Landeyjahöfn, transfer by ship to the Westman Island. Lunch at the famous GOTT fish restaurant (vegetarian and vegan alternatives will be available). Visit of Eldheimar Earthquake Centre, documenting the 1973 eruption. Walk to Eldfell volcano (eruption 1973) and back via some spectacular sites of the eruption. Visit of Skansinn fortress (time alllowing). Return to the mainland, stop at Seljalandsfoss (walk behind the waterfall) and overnight stay at Hotel Hvolsvöllur.
9 July 2025
We will set off to to Skogafoss (famous Icelandic waterfall). We will then continue past the Myrdalsjökull glacier (short stop) to the Black Sand. We theen make our way inland via an adventurous trip to Landmannalaugar. Time and weather allowing we will embark on a walk to sulfur mountain (Brennisteinnsálda) and the green canyon (Grænagil). We continue to Hrauneyjar Highland Centre for a dinner and overnight stay. Packed lunch will be provided.
10 July 2025
We set forth to Gullfoss where we visit the waterfall. Then we continue to Geyser having a stop at the geyser area and see Strokkur squirt. From there we continue to the Fridheimar Tomato Farm whee we will have a tomato-inspired lunch. We then travel on to þingvellir, the seat of the first democratically elected still existing parliament in Iceland and the world. There we will walk around the Almannagjá canyon where the assembly attendees gathered and we will see the features of the graben caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian plate. Later we return to Reykjavík (overnight stay not included).
The price for the whole tour is EUR 1150,- for shared double room accommodation with en-suite facilities. EUR 1450,- for single room accommodation with en-suite facilities. The following things are included in the price:
- Accommodation in single or double hotel rooms (according to booking) with en-suite facilities at Hotel Örk (Hveragerdi), Hotel Hvolsvöllur (Hvolsvöllur) and Hotel Highland (Hrauneyjar)
- Bus travel according to programme
- 2-course lunch at Hver restaurant on 7 July 2025
- 3-course hot spring cooked dinner at Hveragerdi on 7 July 2025
- 2-course lunch at Gott fish restaurant on Vestman Islands on 8 July 2025
- 2 course dinner at Hvolsvöllur hotel restaurant on 8 July 2025
- Packed lunch on 9 July 2025
- 3-course dinner at Hotel Highland restaurant on 9 July 2025
- 2-course buffet lunch at Fridheimar tomato farm on 10 July 2025.
- Entrance and tour at Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plans
- Visit of Hveragerdi Geothermal Park
- Guided walk at Reykjadalur
- Entrance fee to Hvolsvöllur Lava Centre
- Transfer to Vestman Islands and back on 8 July
- Visit to Skogafoss, Gullfoss and Seljalamdsfoss
- Guided walk at Landmannalaugar
- Visit to Geysir
- Guided tour at Thingvellir Historical site
Please note: The price might appear high, but Iceland is quite an expensive country. The EAI dees not aim to make a profit from the excursion. Places are limited, so early booking is advisable.
Please note that programs can be changed due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., eruptions, weather and road closures). Since the Golden Circle is covered by this tour, we recommend participants to make another choice for the conference excursions.
Polite notice: Accompanying persons are welcome to all social activities (the same prices apply as for attendees)!