Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [245]
At the Hof farm, and beautifully situated beneath the Öræfajökull glacier, the Frost & Fire Guesthouse ( 478 2260; www.frostogfuni.is; s/d Ikr10,500/13,500, d with bathroom Ikr14,800; late May-early Sep) offers two different types of rooms (neither with the panache of its sister establishment in Hveragerði, Click here). The majority are in cottages with shared bathrooms; the better option are those in the main farmhouse, which are en suite and roomy. Prices include breakfast, and there’s a new sauna and hot pot. This is a good base for glacier tours to Öræfajökull. Nearby is another farm, Lítla-Hof ( 478 1670), with similarly priced rooms.
Ingólfshöfði
The 76m-high Ingólfshöfði promontory rises from the flatlands like a strange dream. In spring and summer, this beautiful, isolated nature reserve is overrun with nesting puffins, skuas and other sea birds, and you’ll often see seals and whales offshore. It’s also of great historical importance – it was here that Ingólfur Arnarson, Iceland’s first settler, stayed the winter on his original foray to the country in AD 871. The reserve is open to visitors, but the 9km drive across the shallow tidal lagoon isn’t something you should attempt, even in a 4WD.
Luckily, you can get here by hay wagon. The local farm gets out its trusty tractor between May and August and runs tours (adult/child 6-16yr Ikr3500/1000; noon Mon-Sat May-Aug) to the reserve. The half-hour ride across the sands is followed by an interesting two-hour guided walk round the headland, with an emphasis on birdwatching. You can book through Öræfaferðir ( 894 0894; www.oraefaferdir.is), or simply turn up outside the farm at Hofsnes (signposted, just off the Ring Road) 10 minutes before the tour is due to start.
Breiðamerkursandur
The easternmost of the large sandar, Breiðamerkursandur is one of the main breeding grounds for Iceland’s great skuas (see the boxed text). Thanks to rising numbers of these ground-nesting birds, there’s also a growing population of arctic foxes. Historically, Breiðamerkursandur also figures in Njál’s Saga, which ends with Kári Sölmundarson arriving in this idyllic spot to ‘live happily ever after’ – which has to be some kind of miracle in a saga.
The sandar is backed by a sweeping panorama of glacier-capped mountains, some of which are fronted by deep lagoons. Kvíárjökull glacier snakes down to the Kvíár river and is easily accessible from the Ring Road. Leave your car in the small car park just off Rte 1 (you can’t drive any further) and follow the walking path into the valley. It’s quite an uncanny place: boulders line the huge western moraine like sentinels, the mossy grass is full of fairy rings, and a powerful glacial wind frequently surges down from the ice above.
The 742m-high Breiðamerkurfjall was once a nunatak enclosed by Breiðamerkurjökull and Fjallsjökull, but the glaciers have since retreated and freed it.
At the foot of the peak is the glacial lagoon Breiðárlón, where icebergs calve from Fjallsjökull before sailing out to sea. Although it’s not as dramatic as Jökulsárlón, in some ways it’s more satisfying, thanks to the lack of people. It’s set back from the Ring Road and not immediately obvious, plus the (very rough) dirt road is extremely off-putting. It’s possible to get here in a car (but don’t blame us if you get stuck), or else it’s a 25-minute walk from Rte 1.
Jökulsárlón
A host of spectacular, luminous-blue icebergs drift through Jökulsárlón lagoon, right beside the Ring Road between Höfn and Skaftafell. Even when you’re expecting this surreal scene, it’s still a mighty surprise – just count how many shocked drivers slam on the brakes and skid across the road, and make sure you don’t do the same thing yourself. It’s worth spending a couple of hours here, admiring the wondrous ice sculptures, looking for seals or taking a trip in an amphibious boat.
The icebergs calve from Breiðamerkurjökull, an offshoot of Vatnajökull, crashing down into the water and drifting inexorably towards the sea. They can