If you’ve set your sights on visiting Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon, there’s a good chance you are planning to travel from Reykjavik by car. It’s around a five hour drive, so where should you stop along the way? Here are a few of our favourite places to break the journey.
The town of Hveragerði is best known for its hot springs and there are plenty of good walks in the area, especially the hike up to the Reykjadalur Valley where you can bathe in a hot river. It’s possible to arrange a variety of adventurous outdoor activities from this town, including buggy tours and bike rides, so if you’re keen to get an adrenaline rush as you break your journey, this is the place to do it.
If you’re driving to Fjallsárlón in summer then it’s worth timing your journey to coincide with one of the guided tours of the turf farm at Keldur. Reached along a well-maintained gravel road, it’s the oldest turf farm still in existence in the country. The row of buildings, each with a grass roof, are located beside a small church. There’s also an underground tunnel which historians believe was created during a turbulent period in the 12th or 13th century.
In 1973, a US Navy DC-3 crashed in bad weather. Fortunately, all the crew survived but the plane was never recovered. Stripped of parts, the body of the aircraft has slowly weathered, surrounded by black sand. More than 50 years on, it’s the photogenic focus of one of the more unusual South Iceland hikes and a great place to stretch your legs as you drive between Reykjavik and Fjallsárlón glacial lagoon.
Within a two hour drive of Reykjavik heading east you encounter two of Iceland’s most famous and most impressive waterfalls. The first one you come to is Seljalandsfoss. Its single drop of 60 metres would be reason enough to visit, but this one’s extra special as you can walk behind the curtain of water. A few hundred metres away is another waterfall called Gljufrabui, which is hidden within a cleft in the rock. If you wish, you can wade through and look up to the sky, though pack a towel and a change of shoes for the next leg of the drive as it won’t be pleasant with wet feet.
In South Iceland you’ll never tire of waterfalls, as each is unique and beautiful in its own right. Even if you’ve stopped for Seljalandsfoss, you’ll want to take a look at Skógafoss too. It’s slightly shorter but wider, and you can climb a set of metal stairs beside it to enjoy a breathtaking view over the coast from the top of the falls. If the sun is shining on it when you visit, there’s a good chance you’ll see a single or even a double rainbow as the light catches the water droplets.
Just before you reach the town of Vik, you can turn off for the short detour to one of Iceland’s most notorious beaches. Reynisfjara is known for its sneaker waves, powerful but occasionally deadly breakers that can easily sweep unsuspecting visitors off their feet. Keep a safe distance back from the shore and admire the towering basalt cave that’s been eroded out of the cliff instead. In summer, you’ll see the puffins and other sea birds that nest in the cliff and the grassy hollows above it.
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon is one of the prettiest in the country. Follow the path along the edge of its striking interlocking spurs, covered with emerald green vegetation. There’s a well-placed viewing platform from where you can admire the gorge from above. It’s also worth seeing this fairytale canyon from the bridge that crosses the Fjaðrá River to get a different perspective on what nature can create given a couple of million years.
As you can see, there’s a plethora of reasons to stop as you drive through this part of Iceland on your way to Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon. So even though you’ll be keen to visit this glacier-strewn lagoon, don’t be in too much of a hurry.
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FjallsárlónHere are some great tips for photographing glaciers in Iceland. If you are planning a trip to South East Iceland, chances are your camera or smartphone is at the top of your packing list. After all, the glaciers around Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon are among the most spectacular photographic subjects in the world.
Fjallsárlón
