The road from Vik to Hofn was very pretty. We passed glaciers, lava fields, and so many waterfalls. The landscape changed hourly between green grasslands, barren lava rock and mossy plains. All the time random sheep waddled around at the edge of the road constantly eating. We had fewer stops planned for the day and there was a bit of urgency after one member of the group learned of the multiple waterslides awaiting us in Hofn, at the end of our days journey.
Route
- Fjaðrárgljúfur
- Svartifoss
- Jokulsarlon
- Diamond Beach
- Hofn
Fjaðrárgljúfur
This was our first stop for the day after about an hours drive from Vik. The Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon was formed over thousands of years by erosion from glacial melt. The jagged rock formations of the cliff walls create a striking contrast to the rolling hills and wide plains nearby. From the parking lot a short dirt trail leads uphill to viewing platforms, allowing the opportunity to peer over and down into the cliffs and river below.
There was very little wind that day, so I decided to try flying the drone inside for a different perspective. The video below is what I captured inside Fjaðrárgljúfur.
Skeiðará Bridge Monument
In 1996 a volcano erupted underneath Vatnajökull, the largest and most voluminous glacier in Iceland. The volcano melted straight through the glacier and the resulting flood violently tore apart a bridge which once stood across the Skeiðará river. The twisted steel girders that remain stand as a reminder to the destructive beauty of nature. To the North from the monument, off in the distance, the giant walls of ice, which form the southern arms of the Vatnajökull glacier, can be seen flowing motionlessly over the mountains they created. The stillness and barren emptiness which surrounds this monument creates an uneasy peace.
Svartifoss
The Svartifoss waterfall is in Vatnajökull National Park, a short distance from the Skeiðará bridge monument. The park is full of hiking trails which take you to glaciers, waterfalls and mountain peaks. From the visitor center a 1 mile hike takes you up to the waterfall Svartifoss, a unique fall which flows over a cliff of basalt columns formed from cooling lava. The hexagonal columns of the surrounding cliff creates a near surreal frame for this waterfall.
If you have more time, this site offers several hiking options in Vatnajökull National Park. From the visitor center, in the opposite direction from the Svartifoss trail, an easy hike takes you to the glacier Skaftafellsjökull. We decided to skip this one since we had visited Sólheimajökull the prior day and were being rushed to reach the waterslides waiting for us in Hofn.
Jokulsarlon
A large glacial lake sits at the base of the glacier Breiðamerkurjökull. Large chunks of ice frequently break off the glacier and drift toward the sea creating a stunning lake full of icebergs. At the southern end of the lake a narrow channel exits to the ocean where the ebb and flow of the tide appears to cause a point of congestion for the larger pieces of ice. From Diamond Beach you can access the channel, but turn-offs to the west along Route One offer multiple points of solitude along the shores of the lake.
Diamond Beach
At the other end of the channel, where the water from Jokulsarlon flows to the ocean, is Diamond Beach. Chunks of brilliant white ice, the remains of the giant pieces broken from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, are scattered across the soft warm black sand.
Hofn
Another hour drive from Diamond Beach took us to our destination, Hofn. Along the way we passed Brunnholl, another dairy farm with home made ice cream. However, our primary ice cream eater was sleeping by this time, worn out from the days activities, so we opted to drive past and let him sleep. After arriving in Hofn, checking in to our room and getting briefly settled, we headed straight to the town pool, as promised, for some sliding and fun.
After swimming for a few hours we explored the town bit and found a small place down by the harbor which served an amazing lobster sandwich. This tiny restaurant with barely space to sit, called Hafnarbuðin, was a lucky find. If you find yourself in Hofn, to not miss this.
Before heading to sleep for the night I flew the drone around for some aerial shots of the town of Hofn. I then turned the drone east to see what awaited us tomorrow.
The Video
Todays drive was about 3.5 hours and was one of the prettier ones of the trip. We started in grasslands which eventually transitioned into vast lava fields, then back into grasslands as we neared Hofn.
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