Skaftafell Travel Guide

 smirnofforiginal Says:  During the war there were aprox 3000 soldiers stationed here in Reydarfjordur. The Americans convinced the locals to help them build some hospitals here. There were never used for this purpose. No Icelanders actually faught in the war but many fisherman did get killed... 

 smirnofforiginal Says:  Oh the Eastfjords are beautiful. Vast stretches of crystal clear water thinning into fingers that stretch into the shoreline upon which pretty, little villages sit with their brightly coloured rooftops and square, wooden churches. Small harours of gayly painted boats and... 

 smirnofforiginal Says:  The road to Hofn, from Jokulsárlon there are some gems to look out for, including the abandoned building with Banksy-esque style graffiti on it. I was happily whizzing along at 90kpm when I saw it, slammed on breaks and broke sharp right to stop - that woke the family... 

 smirnofforiginal Says:  Hofn means harbour which is name that suits this town!Having left Kirkjubaejarklaustur that morning, Hofn made for the ideal place to bed-down for the night. It was a good place to restock too.I was not particularly taken with Hofn. The harbour area was ok but otherwise I... 

 smirnofforiginal Says:  Blue, turquoise, aquamarine, white, green, grey and black are the colours trapped in ice of Gargantuas size and splendour, sprawling across the glacial lake. Frozen sculptures rise from the freezing waters. It is surreal, beautiful and, despite its hype, will not fail to... 

 smirnofforiginal Says:  A trek leads from the visitors centre to the face of the glcaier. It is a good path but NB - The Lonely Planet describes this path as being wheel chair- accessible. When I visited (April 2011) as we got close to the glacier the cliffs and thrown multitudes of boulders and... 

 smirnofforiginal Says:  In 1996 Grímsvotn erupted. A glacial flood (jokulhlaup) followed. 3000 billion litres of water surged forwards carrying icebergs apparently the size of 3-storey buildings. Everything in its path was destroyed, including the Gígjukvis bridge (373m long) and the Skeidará... 

 smirnofforiginal Says:  Flat and barren, stretching far beyond what the eye can see. Eerie and empty, the sober desertesque expanse is almost soffocating. Black and charcoal grey interrupted only by the dark waters that appear to thickly slide through the density of the graina nd sand.It is awesome... 

 melanief Says:  The Sel farmhouse is owned and maintained by the National Museum of Iceland. This sod farmhouse was a manor farm; and at one point this land belonged to the Danish king. I stopped at the Sel farmhouse on my way back down after seeing Svartifoss. 

 melanief Says:  The Vatnajokull Glacier, with of average thickness of over 1300 feet, is the largest glacier in Europe. It was not exactly what I expected, but it was awesome. I would recommend dressing in layers and wearing boots. Walk slowly until you get a feel for how it feels to walk... 

 melanief Says:  There are no roads in the Park, so you will park at the visitor's center and walk. At the visitor's center be sure to pick up a map and brochure and plan your day's adventure. Svartifoss is about 45 minutes’ hike from the main campsite. The day I hiked to Svartifoss, it was... 

 hat53 Says:  We went walking on the Svínafellsjökull for 2,5 hour. It was a great and safe experience even for me. I have high anxiety but guide helped me on the steep descent.Note that you are not tied together. Equipment is provided and you wil get a short instruction befor you start... 

 melanief Says:  In 1996, a volcano erupted beneath the Vatnajokull Ice Cap creating a flood of water and lava. Roads and bridges were destroyed. There is a video that you can watch in the visitor's center concerning the volcano and the flood. This piece of metal is the remains of a bridge... 

 hat53 Says:  You can walk from the visitor’s center to the svartifoss. This is a nice hike and you will see another foss on the way. Half way you will have a nice view over the big black plain you crossed if you arrived from the west part of the island. 

 coceng Says:  Svartifoss Waterfall can be reached by a well-trodden track leading up from the camp site...Normally 1 1/2 hours return trip, depending on how fast you walk up & then climbing down...Another photo by me; Trying to capture the waterfall from this plant...but it turned out the... 

 coceng Says:  Svartifoss Waterfall can be reached by a well-trodden track leading up from the camp site...Normally 1 1/2 hours return trip, depending on how fast you walk up & then climbing down...I knew I could walk behind the waterfall but I chose not to...I was alone there, if I... 

 coceng Says:  Svartifoss Waterfall can be reached by a well-trodden track leading up from the camp site...Normally 1 1/2 hours return trip, depending on how fast you walk up & then climbing down...Felt really good being there ! All the photos that I saw on this waterfall slowly eroding... 

 coceng Says:  Svartifoss Waterfall can be reached by a well-trodden track leading up from the camp site...Normally 1 1/2 hours return trip, depending on how fast you walk up & then climbing down...I spent some times around Svartifoss Waterfall, I was alone there...Just amazingly looking...