The beautiful Þakgil and Remundargil canyons are two hidden gems in South Iceland. They are located in a less-visited area close to the very busy Vík and Reynisfjara black beach on Iceland's south coast.
The road to these beautiful canyons will take you through amazing terrain.
The drive up to Þakgil canyon is about 15 km, and it takes 30 minutes without stopping.
Top photo: Þakgil camping area
Inside Stórihellir cave
I, on the other hand, am always looking for interesting things to write about, so I made several stops on the way. Amongst the stops I made was one at Stórhellir cave, a relatively large cave by the road.
The cave cannot be seen from the road, and I actually parked the car on top of it! In this cave, dances were held for people living nearby.
The sandstone takes on all kinds of forms and shapes here. One of them is in the shape of a troll's face. I think it looked like Grýla, the mother of the Yule Lads here in Iceland.
By Tótanef rock - the Nose of Tóti
It is a troll of some sort, and it is called Tótanef - the Nose of Tóti, named after Þórarinn Einarsson, who lived in Vík. It is located in Lambaskörð in Hólabrekkuheiðar heaths.
There were different caves and formations on the way to Lambaskörð and a barren landscape, but it was so ruggedly beautiful. We Icelanders like such a landscape, where no trees block the view.
The road is gravel, but it is suitable for all cars in the summertime. This road used to be part of the main road until 1955, when a glacial burst in the river Múlakvísl cut off the bridge on the main road.
The view from Höfðabrekkuheiði
You can stop at a viewpoint further up the road, from where there is a beautiful view of the river Múlakvísl and the south coast.
The river Múlakvísl is a glacial river originating in the Höfðabrekkujökull glacier. In the distance in my photo above, you can see Hjörleifshöfði promontory standing alone on the sand plains.
On top of Hjörleifshöfði, you will find the Viking burial mound of the second settler of Iceland, Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson, who was killed here in the year 875.
Hjörleifshaugur burial mound on top of Hjörleifshöfði
Hjörleifur was the blood-brother of Iceland's first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson.
You can find out more in my two travel blogs on Hjörleifshöfði promontory, where you will also find the Yoda Cave:
Hjörleifshöfði Promontory in South-Iceland - the Blood Brothers Ingólfur and Hjörleifur
Hjörleifshöfði in South Iceland - Part II - the Hike, the Inhabitants, and the Yoda Cave
Þakgil canyon
A little further up the road, we reached our destination, Þakgil canyon. Here we are very close to the Katla glacier and volcano, which is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Iceland, and has been due to erupt for several years now!
See also:
The spectacular Katla Ice Cave in South Iceland is open all Year round
Þakgil is located between Mýrdalsjökull glacier and the vast sands of Mýrdalssandur in Höfðabrekkuafréttur.
All of a sudden, after driving through the barren landscape, this beautiful canyon opened up, more like a green valley than a canyon, though.
In Þakgil canyon
I have always found this name to be a little mysterious, Þakgil - the Roof Canyon. I have heard that it is called by this name as the weather is pleasant there, a shelter from the constant wind in my country.
And it sure looks like an oasis, a beautiful green valley surrounded by strangely formed spiky mountains. The vertical mountains are actually covered in velvety green moss as well, which is typical for such oases as Þakgil.
A lovely waterfall in Þakgil canyon
You will find a camping site in Þakgil, where one can camp or rent a small pine cottage. A short hike from the camping site will take you up to a lovely little waterfall with a small lagoon.
The creek from the waterfall trickles down by the camping site. You can also find a small hydroelectric plant here, from which Þakgil's camping site gets its electricity.
The common dining area for the camping site is located in a cave with tables and benches, a fireplace, and a barbecue. Candle holders are fastened to the walls so the cave can be lit up at night.
The cave in Þakgil canyon, where we had lunch
The camping site is open from June 1st until August 31st. It rarely gets dark at night in June and July, but it starts getting dark late in August, so by then, it must be so romantic sitting inside the cave with the candles lit, the fireplace lit, and maybe a guitar playing :)
Sometimes groups of people visit Þakgil on a day trip and have lunch inside the cave. We always stay in a tiny summer cottage close to Vík, so we didn't stay for the night in Þakgil. We had lunch in the cave and spent the majority of the day exploring the two canyons.
The camping site owners, Helga and Ágúst, created this small haven inside the cave. I think this is a wonderful idea.
Inside the cave in Þakgil
There has only been a camping site here in Þakgil since 2000, and in 2007, the pine cottages were brought to Þakgil.
The surroundings here are out of this world, so mystical. Its neighbouring canyon, Remundargil canyon, is even more majestic, so do visit it as well. It is only a short distance away from Þakgil canyon.
Remundargil canyon
Extraordinary rock formations in Remundargil
Remundargil canyon is one of the ruggedly beautiful hidden treasures in Iceland and a real gem, together with its neighbouring canyon, Þakgil.
This canyon looks like something out of the Game of Thrones series!
A beautiful hike takes you to the bottom of the canyon. You can drive a bit into the canyon, but I recommend leaving your car in the parking lot and not going any further by car.
It is only a gravel parking lot, nothing fancy, as here we are off the beaten path in Iceland.
Remundargilsfoss waterfall in Remundargil canyon
The hike to the waterfall takes an hour round trip (30 minutes each way), and it is so worth it. The surroundings here are breathtaking, so majestic and so quiet.
We met two guys in the canyon and felt alone in the world after they left. I felt so totally one with nature that I did not want to leave.
The canyon is deep with tall cliff faces. It gets narrower as we draw closer to the waterfall, Remundargilsfoss. The waterfall is tall but not very wide, so it is more of a cute waterfall, not a forceful one.
A rainbow by the Remundargilsfoss waterfall
Sitting by this waterfall filled me with serenity, and I felt ever so close to nature, as if the canyon was protecting me. We were in luck that the sun was out and there was a beautiful rainbow by the waterfall.
It wasn't always this peaceful in Remundargil canyon. When the dreaded Katla volcano erupted in 1918, a part of the massive glacial outburst flooded through the Remundargil canyon.
That must have changed the surroundings a bit, as these floods are massive and extremely forceful.
It made me shudder thinking about this forceful flood a hundred years ago in this peaceful canyon.
I love this photo - hiking into Remundargil canyon
The origin of the name of the canyon, Remundargil, is not certain.
The only Remundur known to us Icelanders comes from the "Rémundar saga keisarason" (Saga of Rémundur), the son of the Emperor, dating back to the 14th century. The canyon might be named after him.
The canyon also goes by another name among some locals: Reðmundargil, a local tour guide told us while we were on our way to the nearby Katla ice cave.
The hike in the Remundargil canyon isn't always an easy one ;)
The hike into the canyon was easy, but there were some rocks along the way that we had to climb on to continue.
That is the only tricky part of the hike, so to speak, and it is so worth it when you reach the end of the canyon and sit by the lovely waterfall, enjoying nature and its forces. Just be careful of falling rocks.
I wasn't aware of the risk of falling rocks when I visited the waterfall, but another guide pointed it out to me later.
Þakgil is located 206 km away from the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavík. To reach this area, you can rent a car in Reykjavík. From Reykjavík, drive east on Ring Road 1 until you reach the village of Vík, which is 187 km away from Reykjavík.
Turn left on road 214, five km east of Vík, and drive for 15 km until you reach Þakgil. The road is a gravel road.
If you don't want to drive yourself, then there are various guided tours of South Iceland.
Have a lovely time visiting the hidden canyons in South Iceland :)
