Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [243]
Bölti ( 478 1626; fax 478 2426; Skaftafellsheiði; sb in 6-person hut Ikr3000, sb d 7800; Mar-Oct) This farm, on the hill above the western end of the Skaftafell campsite, is in a superb location with dizzying views out over the sandur. There’s sleeping-bag accommodation on bunk beds in six-person huts; tiny kitchen areas include a kettle and two electric rings. Book ahead in summer.
Food in the park is limited to the new (and very busy!) cafe inside the visitor centre, which sells coffee, soup, sandwiches and a tiny selection of groceries.
The nearest hotel, Hótel Skaftafell, is at Freysnes (Click here), 5km east of the national park entrance, and there’s farmhouse accommodation (sleeping-bag space and cabins) at the Hof and Lítla-Hof farms, 23km away.
Getting There & Away
The Reykjavík–Höfn bus service runs daily from June to mid-September, and on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday the rest of the year.
Summer buses depart at 8.30am from Reykjavík and at 11am from Höfn (winter buses set off from Reykjavík/Höfn later in the day), stopping at the Skaftafell visitor centre at 3.45pm eastbound (Ikr8200) and at 1pm westbound (Ikr3600).
From mid-June to August there’s another bus from Reykjavík to Skaftafell via the scenic Fjallabak inland route through Landmannalaugar and Eldgjá, departing daily from Reykjavík at 8.30am and arriving at Skaftafell at 7.30pm (Ikr9000). Westbound it departs from Skaftafell at 8.30am.
Return to beginning of chapter
SKAFTAFELL TO HÖFN
Glittering glaciers and brooding mountains line the 130km stretch between Skaftafell and Höfn. In clear weather the unfolding landscape makes it difficult to keep your eyes on the road. The premier tourist stop is the iceberg-filled lagoon Jökulsárlón. Other attractions include exhilarating glacier walks, 4WD and snowmobile tours on the Vatnajökull ice cap, puffin-spotting at Ingólfshöfði and horse riding.
Freysnes, Svínafell & Svínafellsjökull
The farm Svínafell, 8km southeast of Skaftafell, was the home of Flosi Þórðarson, the character who burned Njál and his family to death in Njál’s Saga. It was also the site where Flosi and Njál’s family were finally reconciled, thus ending one of the bloodiest feuds in Icelandic history (Click here). There’s not much to this tiny settlement now, but you can go swimming at Flosalaug ( 478 1765; adult/child 7-14yr Ikr500/250; 1-10pm Jun-Aug), a complex with a shallow round pool, hot pots, showers and a campsite.
In the 17th century, the glacier Svínafellsjökull nearly engulfed the farm, but it has since retreated. On the northern side of the glacier (towards Skaftafell), a dirt road leads 2km to a car park, from where it’s a short walk to the snout.
ACTIVITIES
From mid-May to mid-September you can enjoy daily walks up Svínafellsjökull with the Icelandic Mountain Guides ( Reykjavík office 587 9999, Skaftafell 894 2959; www.mountainguide.is). It’s utterly liberating to strap on crampons and suddenly be able to stride up a glacier, and there’s so much to see on the ice. Waterfalls, ice caves, glacial mice and different-coloured ash from ancient explosions are just some of the glacier’s slightly hallucinatory joys. There’s a 2½-hour walk (adult/child 10 to 15 years Ikr5500/3900, minimum age 10 years) for beginners, but we’d recommend the longer four-hour ‘Glacier Adventure’ (Ikr8200 per person, minimum age 16 years), or even a full-day walk. Ice-climbing is also available. The only equipment you need to bring is warm clothes and hiking boots.
In the winter, local company Öræfaferðir ( 894 0894; www.oraefaferdir.is), based at the farm Hofsnes, offers similar tours for similar prices.
SLEEPING & EATING
Flosi ( 478 1765; www.svinafell.com; sites per person Ikr850, sb Ikr3000) At the Svínafell swimming pool, this place has a campsite and six basic cabins, each with four bunks,