Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [108]
Smárátun ( 487 8471; www.smaratun.is; sites per person Ikr900, sb Ikr3000, guest house d Ikr9000, hotel d Ikr15,400, summer house Ikr9000-17,000) This attractive white farm with a blue tin roof has four- to six-person summer houses for hire (three with their own hot pots, eight without). There are also smart hotel-style rooms, cheaper guest house rooms (with shared bathrooms), sleeping-bag places, and spaces to pitch a tent, plus a general hot tub open to everyone, and horse hire. It’s about 13km from Hvolsvöllur.
Hvolsvöllur to Þórsmörk
The road to Þórsmörk (Rte 249/F249) begins just east of the Markarfljót river on Rte 1. Although it quickly turns into a 4WD-only road, there are some interesting sights at the start of the road that can be reached by car.
From the highway you can see the beautiful high falls at Seljalandsfoss, which tumble over a rocky scarp into a deep, green pool. It’s perfect for romantics who dream of walking behind waterfalls – a (slippery) path runs round the back. Buses on the Höfn–Reykjavík route often wait here for the Þórsmörk bus, giving passengers time for a few quick photos.
A few hundred metres further down the Þórsmörk road, in the grounds of the farm Hamragarðar, is the spooky waterfall Gljúfurárfoss, which gushes into a hidden canyon. To see the falls, you have to wade into the stream beside the farm.
You can camp at the farm Hamragarðar ( 487 8920; sites per person Ikr700; Jun-Aug), right next to the hidden waterfall at Gljúfurárfoss.
About 5km closer to Þórsmörk (still on Rte 249), the historical Stóra-Mörk III ( 487 8903; storamork@isl.is; sb/linen Ikr2000/2800) farmhouse (mentioned, of course, in Njál’s Saga) offers rooms with or without bathroom, a guest kitchen, and a good breakfast spread. There are lovely views of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier from the farm’s conservatory.
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ÞÓRSMÖRK
One of the most beautiful places in Iceland is Þórsmörk, a stunning valley full of weird rock formations, twisting gorges, a singing cave, mountain flowers and icy streams. Three glaciers (Tindfjallajökull, Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull) shelter it from harsher weather and provide a dramatic backdrop. Way back in 1921, the loveliness of Þórsmörk was officially recognised when it was given national reserve status.
Be warned, though: Þórsmörk’s ravishing appearance and proximity to Reykjavík (130km) make it an extremely popular spot in summer. It gets particularly crowded in July, when students from around Iceland descend to party.
The main accommodation area is at Húsadalur (Map Click here), where the Reykjavík Excursions bus from Reykjavík terminates. The large, artificial hot pool Þórslaug is a welcome feature – perfect for easing tired muscles after a long walk. On the hill behind the hut is the cave Sönghellir (one of several singing caves in Iceland), from where a maze of walking trails leads through scrubby dwarf birch forests to the Þórsmörk hut, about 3km further up the valley. The summit of Valahnúkur (458m), immediately west of Þórsmörk hut, has a view disc that identifies all the surrounding mountains. Allow about an hour to get there from either Húsadalur or Þórsmörk.
The higher reaches of the valley are known as Goðaland (Land of the Gods) and are full of bizarre hoodoo formations. There’s a mountain hut at Básar (Map Click here), on the far bank of the Krossá river, which marks the start of the popular hike over Fimmvörðuháls Pass to Skógar. The trail passes right between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull, and the pass itself makes an easy day hike from either Þórsmörk or Básar. To get to Básar from further down the valley, you must cross the pedestrian bridge over the Krossá, just downstream from the Þórsmörk hut. It’s one of Iceland’s more dangerous rivers for 4WDs – only attempt to cross, in a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, if you know what you’re doing.
Accommodation at Þórsmörk is open from May to September, although the plentiful scheduled buses and tours generally only run between mid-June