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Iceland walks
Hengifoss waterfall
Visorando Member
2.34 mi
+830 ft
-830 ft
1h 50
Moderate
Departure from Iceland
Before arriving at the foot of Iceland'sthird highest waterfall, at 118 metres, you will see solidified lava along the entire route, resembling beautiful reddish organ pipes at right angles.
The three waterfalls: Hlauptungufoss, Midfoss and Bruarfoss
3.86 mi
+105 ft
-105 ft
1h 50
Easy
Departure from Iceland
This walk to Bruarfoss waterfall will take you first past Hlauptungufoss and Midfoss, along a well-defined, easy-to-follow and mainly flat path. The blue colour of the Bruar river is unique.
Reykjadalsá, the hot river
6.76 mi
+1,276 ft
-1,247 ft
4h 15
Moderate
Departure from Iceland
North of the town of Hveragarði (hot garden in Icelandic), 45 km east of Reykjavik, this hike climbs the Reykjadalur valley (valley of smoke), encountering bubbling holes, steam jets, fumaroles, hot water streams, waterfalls, multi-coloured terrain and rocks, until you reach a spot where you can relax and bathe in the warm waters of the Reykjadalsá.
Get up close to the volcanoes from the Ha-Hrafnshilo car park
5.68 mi
+226 ft
-217 ft
2h 50
Easy
Departure from Iceland
An almost flat trail through an unreal setting: green moss on black rock, steam in the air. Upon arrival, still-glowing lava flows at the foot of an active volcano. A landscape from another world.
Svartifoss, waterfall with basalt columns
2.35 mi
+1,109 ft
-1,017 ft
2h 05
Moderate
Departure from Iceland
The trail climbs a little, but at the end of it all: a majestic waterfall nestled in a setting of basalt columns. Below, a bridge, a rest area, and the hypnotic roar of the waterfall.
From Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork in two stages
34.89 mi
+3,556 ft
-4,570 ft
2 days
Difficult
Departure from Iceland
Landmannalaugar, a volcanic landscape par excellence, offers spectacular scenery with rugged relief. Close to active volcanoes, you can hear and smell the earth breathing, exhaling sulphurous fumes from its fumaroles, bubbling waters and hot mud. It's a complete change of scenery in a rugged, unspoilt and daring natural environment with an explosion of incredible colours. The Laugavegur trek, linking the base of Landmannalaugar to that of Thorsmork (Þórsmörk), is reputed to be the most beautiful in Iceland. It can be done in several stages, as there are plenty of campsites and refuges along the way.
Álftavatn - Thorsmork
21.79 mi
+1,565 ft
-2,428 ft
11h 25
Difficult
Departure from Iceland
This second stage, although less colourful, offers vast views that express the solitude of these wild places. From Lake Alftaven, the trail passes a wide ford, crosses green plateaus and plains with sparse vegetation where a few flocks of sheep graze, crosses a desert of ash bordered by volcanoes, and overlooks the vertiginous canyon of the Markarfljot River with its dazzling colours. After the Emstrur base and crossing the wide and impressive ford of the River Þröngá, you reach Thorsmork, the end point of this crossing.
Landmannalaugar - Álftavatn
13.11 mi
+1,991 ft
-2,142 ft
7h 45
Difficult
Departure from Iceland
Thisfirst stage crosses sublime, unforgettable landscapes in flamboyant shades of yellow, red, orange and black, contrasting with the fluorescent green of the mosses and the white of the snowfields. Numerous sulphurous fumaroles give this scene a feeling of the beginning of the world; the spectacle is breathtaking.
The hot springs of Hveradalir and Kerlingarfjöll
8.37 mi
+1,942 ft
-1,929 ft
5h 30
Moderate
Departure from Iceland
The hikes from the Kerlingarfjöll base are superb, among the most beautiful in Iceland. The terrain is rugged, the colours incredible, with the brightest and most fluorescent tones contrasting with the darkest and the white snowfields. Fumaroles and bubbling streams, giving off sulphurous smells, inhabit these unforgettable places that one imagines as the early days of the earth.
Reykhôlar
5.23 mi
+167 ft
-167 ft
2h 35
Easy
Departure from Iceland
Explore one of the few settlements in this north-western part of Iceland, in the middle of nowhere, and get a glimpse of the local economy.
Solheimajökull, the icy tongue of a fire monster
1.62 mi
+463 ft
-463 ft
1h 10
Easy
Departure from Iceland
Neighbouring the famous Eyjafjallajökull, which paralysed air traffic in 2010, the Solheimajökull glacier is the southernmost tongue of the great Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which caps a "monster", the much-feared Katla volcano. It flows southwards and gives rise to a torrent that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
This short walk is accessible to all and makes for a pleasant diversion during a visit to Iceland's south coast.