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South Iceland is the most popular part of the country amongst travellers and contains some of Iceland’s most beautiful natural attractions.

Amongst these are the sites of the world famous Golden Circle, and the features of the South Coast, such as the beautiful Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.

The south of Iceland can be roughly split into two areas, the lowlands in the west, and the east.

The South Icelandic lowlands

The South Icelandic lowlands stretch nearly 100 kilometres (over sixty miles) from Hellisheiði in the west to Eyjafjallajökull in the east. This region is flat and fertile farming land, and home to many Icelandic horses and sheep.

The whole area is geologically very young, formed during the last Ice Age by the lava flows from numerous volcanoes in the area. The lowlands are surrounded by volcanically active mountains, notably the aforementioned Eyjafjallajökull and Hekla.

The most notable features of the South Icelandic lowlands are the three on the Golden Circle, the country’s most popular sightseeing route.

These consist of the Geysir Geothermal Area, where geysers erupt and hot springs bubble, Gullfoss, a powerful two-stepped waterfall, and Þingvellir National Park, an oasis of forests and lava located between the tectonic plates.

The fissures and lava landscapes of this latter feature reveal the extent to which earthquakes and eruptions have shaped the region. The area is still very active; take, for example, the 1975 eruption in the Westman Islands that nearly destroyed the town and formed a new island.

It should be noted that Þingvellir is not just a site of natural, geological wonder. It was also the original site of the parliament Icelanders formed in 930 AD. This was a convenient place, considering the fertile lands of south Iceland meant that many settlers populated it.

Unlike most early Icelandic settlements, few of the communities formed in the south were based off fishing. The only town with a significant harbour in the south is Þorlákshöfn, where the ferry to the Westman Islands leaves.

Other towns in the lowlands are Selfoss, Hveragerði, Hella and Hvolsvöllur, all conveniently located by the Ring Road.

In terms of culture in the lowlands, it was once home to the ancient bishop seat of Skálholt. Also, Iceland's most famous saga, Njal's Saga, takes place in the region.

For sports, horse riding is popular, as is fishing for salmon and trout, hiking, snorkelling, sightseeing and river rafting.

Eastern South Iceland.

The areas south and east of Mýrdalsjökull, the glacier that covers the volcano Katla, are considered the eastern part of south Iceland. Glaciers, volcanoes and the Highlands dominate the view.

This landscape has also been shaped by volcanic eruptions, although these were much more recent, and thus the area looks dramatically different. Vast expanses of black sand stretch from the Highlands to the sea, part of several glacial outwash plains that flood during a volcanic eruption.

Some agriculture is found here, with farms nestled in the mountains, but because of the glacial floods, they are few and far between.

A few large glacial rivers flow through this area, creating incredible features such as Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. These are hardly the only sites in this part of the south worth seeing, however.

Sólheimajokull is a beautiful outlet glacier, a tongue of the greater Mýrdalsjökull, that you can hike on so long as you are with a guide. Skógar has a very interesting museum that discusses national traditions during Iceland’s development. One of Iceland’s most famous hiking routes, Fímmvörðuháls, cuts through the area.

Southwest of the village of Vík is one of Iceland’s most spectacular beaches, Reynisfjara. Near the promontory of Dýrholaey, and boasting incredible views of the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, it is a marvellous stretch of black sand.

Even further east is the Skaftafell preservation area, an area so beautiful it was once a national park in its own right. Today it is part of the greater Vatnajökull National Park, which covers parts of the south, east, north and much of the Highlands.

Just a little further from here is the incredible, world famous Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, a deep lake that fills with icebergs. At the adjacent Diamond Beach, they wash upon the shore.

Hengill is an enormous mountain in south-west Iceland, covering an area of about 100 square kilometres. It is a vital source of energy for south Iceland

Energy at Hengill

Hengill is an active volcano, although there has not been an eruption here for about 2,000 years. In spite of that, there is still lava close to the surface, evidenced by the steaming fumaroles and many hot springs dotted across it.

Iceland’s electricity and heated water comes from entirely renewable sources, taken from places such here. There are two power stations harnessing the energy potential at Hengill, called Nesjavellir and Hellisheiði.

Certain Golden Circle tours include stops at these.

Popular sites at Hengill

The energy beneath Hengill does not only help Iceland with its electrical and heating needs; it also helps with tourism. The geothermal activity of the volcano has created some of the country’s most popular sites.

Most significant of these are Hveragerði town and the adjacent Reykjadalur valley. Hveragerði is often named the ‘hot spring town’ or the ‘earthquake town’ because of the amount of volcanic activity Hengill creates here.

Boiling water runs mere feet beneath the surface of the earth, meaning there are steaming fumaroles all around. Chefs cook simply by burying their food into the earth, leading to an interesting restaurant culture. There is also an exhibition on the town’s earthquake history.

On that note, activity at Hengill has historically caused no end of trouble for the residents of Hveragerði. Though the houses are built to be earthquake proof now, there is little that can be done about the boiling water when it rises. It regularly causes surprise hot springs to rise inside people’s homes.

Reykjadalur can be hiked through from Hveragerði, and is one of Iceland’s easiest, most accessible, and rewarding trails. After walking for an hour or so through a beautiful range of mountains, visitors will come to a river fed by both boiling and rain water.

This mix means that guests can find the perfect points to bathe, based on how warm they want it. The surrounding area is dotted with boiling mud pits and steaming vents.

Hengill is located south of Þingvellir National Park, one of the sites of the Golden Circle. One of the best ways to see the scale of it is to approach the park from Reykjavík, and stop on top of the Almannagjá Gorge.

This gorge runs from north to south, and looking south, there is no missing the slopes of the volcano across the lake Þingvallavatn.

Wikimedia, Creative Commons, Photo Credit: ThinkGeoEnergy

Hellisheiði is a lava plateau east of Reykavík, approximately 380 metres (1,247 feet) high.

Iceland's main highway, Route 1 passes through it, leading east. The latest and most distinctive lava field here is Kristnitökuhraun, formed in the year 1000.

Geothermal Activity at Hellisheiði

The area is has a high amount of geothermal activity, as can be seen in nearby hot springs. The best example, however, can be found at the Hellisheiði geothermal power station.

This is the third largest power station in the world. It provides south and west Iceland, including Reykjavík, with hot water, and the energy is also harnessed for electricity (although most of this in Iceland comes from dams).

The Hellisheiði power station has an interactive educational centre. It allows guests to tour it, and learn all about Iceland’s environmentally friendly means of energy and heat production. The exhibitions are fascinating for adults and children alike.

What to do at Hellisheiði

On the way through Hellisheiði one can see many of Iceland’s beautiful landmarks. The most notable of these are the dramatic surrounding mountains, the main ones being Bláfjoll (the Blue Mountains) to the south and Mt. Hengill to the north.

From the highest point of the plateau one may view volcanoes Eyjafjallajökull and Hekla, along with the Westman Islands.

Eyjafjallajökull was the glacier covered volcano that erupted in 2010, causing widespread problems across Europe with air travel. It also flabbergasted newsreaders everywhere as they tried to pronounce it correctly (most settled on ‘E11’).

Hekla is another notorious volcano, having erupted many times throughout Iceland’s history.

Looking to the Westman Islands, you will see more reminders of Iceland’s volcanic history. In the centre of the largest island, Heimaey, is the crater of the Eldfell.

This volcano went off without warning in the middle of town in 1973. It created Iceland’s newest island, also visible just off shore, called Surtsey.

Leiðarendi is a lava tube located in a lava field close to Bláfjöll, the Blue Mountains, in southwest Iceland, about a 25 minutes drive from Reykjavík. Journeys in its depths reveal a wealth of knowledge about Icelandic history, geology and folklore.

Geology of Leiðarendi

Leiðarendi is, in fact, two caves, formed by two separate eruptions on the explosive Reykjanes Peninsula, one two thousand years ago, the other one thousand years ago.

During each, rivers of lava slowly cooled from the outside as they travelled from their erupting craters. A hard rock shell formed over the molten liquid, and as this flushed out, a hollow tube was left. In this case, the two caves collapsed into each other, leaving a circular path with a few hidden chambers.

After another collapse from above, Leiðarendi became accessible.

Leiðarendi is notable for its incredibly diverse and colourful scenery and is considered a prime example of an Icelandic lava tube. The kaleidoscope of colour comes from the minerals brought up in an eruption, with the red from iron, the yellow from sulfur, and the green from copper.

A distinctive feature of Leidarendi is various lava flakes that have fallen from its walls and roof, due to frost and erosion. These flakes indicate the many different lava streams that have flowed there subsequently throughout the ages.

In the cave, you will further see cave walls polished by lava streams along with stalagmites, stalactites and other fascinating formations. It is essential you do not take these, as unlike in limestone caves, they never grow back.

In winter you are likely to see glistening natural ice sculptures in the cave, adding further beauty to the already otherworldly scene.

Folklore and Mysteries in Leiðarendi

Lava caves were historically feared and avoided at all costs. In winter, they can be incredibly dangerous, with jagged rocks, slippery floors, and a blackness so dark that it is impossible to navigate once the light has been lost.

In pre-industrial times, many lives were lost by people falling into caves, or climbing into them for warmth when travelling and getting trapped inside. As such, folklore developed around them, to ensure adults and children alike gave them a wide berth.

The main element of this was that they were said to be the homes of trolls. Trolls were considered to be proud, stupid, brutal and magical, and in most stories would eat any who could not outwit them for the smallest of reasons. Trespassing into a troll’s home was thus asking for punishment.

There were reasons other than the natural and supernatural perils for Icelanders to avoid caves, however. Soon after settlement, they became home to bandits and outlaws, who, expelled by the Icelandic parliament from society, would shelter in them to avoid the authorities and plunder travellers.

As Iceland modernised and developed more industry and rule of law, cave-dwelling bandits all but disappeared. However, neither their history nor their stigma ended here. 

Without the social security systems it has in place today, impoverished people in Iceland who could not afford a place to stay had a choice between freezing to death by October each winter or leaving the towns for an empty cave to call home. This sad chapter in the lives of many Icelanders lasted well into the twentieth century.

It is not believed that Leiðarendi itself had a specific troll rumoured to dwell in it, not known if any notorious bandits stayed there, and unlikely that any poor people were forced to move into it. It does, however, have a dark secret of its own.

In the depths of one of its longest corridors, now protected by a chain, Leiðarendi has an eroding skeleton.

It takes a few minutes of observation to realise what it is: a collapsed ram. When first discovered, it caused quite a stir, with the initial belief being that it was brought down by a bandit; after all, punishment for stealing a sheep at different times in Iceland was death, so it would make sense to use this as a hiding place.

The sheep’s bones, however, were carbon dated, and it appears to be just over a hundred years old. Analysts summarised that it likely fled into Leiðarendi when fleeing in panic from a volcanic eruption, or else seeking protection during a violent storm. Its legs all seemed to be broken before it died.

Considering it is right at the back of the cave, it is a testament to how easy it is to get lost in the darkness of the subterranean world. It is also a gruelling reminder of how painful and unforgiving a death in a lava cave can be for the unprepared.

Visiting Leiðarendi

Because of the dangers of lava caves, they should only be visited with a guide on a sanctioned tour. Guides know the lava caves in and out, are trained to help in an emergency and will provide you with all the proper equipment.

The main components of this are a helmet and light, without which no one should be underground in any circumstances. In winter, you will also be provided with crampons.

To prepare of a tour of Leiðarendi, you should have sturdy boots, gloves for protection, and warm clothes throughout the year that you don’t mind getting damaged. Waterproofs will be appreciated, as lava rock is porous so a lot of water tends to trickle through the ceiling.

With all these, anyone who is sturdy on their feet and unafraid of small spaces should be able to enjoy a safe, beautiful and educational exploration here.

Reykjadalur, the Valley of Steam, is a beautiful geothermal region close to the southern town Hveragerði. It is a popular place for hiking and hot spring bathing.

Hot Spring Bathing at Reykjadalur

Reykjadalur is best know for the heated river that runs through it. Water boiling out of dozens of hot springs in the hills trickle into one body, which is also fed with glacier and rainwater.

The result is a wonderfully warm, gentle stream. Depending on how hot you want the water to be, you can go up- or down-river for the perfect bathing temperature.

Hiking in Reykjadalur

The hiking route to Reykjadalur can be reached by driving through Hveragerði (which is about an hour’s drive from Reykjavík) along the Ring Road travelling South. A gravel road leads to a carpark, where the trail begins.

From there, you will cross a river, then start a gentle ascent. The path goes up, down and along the faces of hills; and though it sometimes gets quite steep, is manageable for anyone comfortable on their feet in reasonable health, so long as the weather is fair.

For forty minutes or so, you will hike passed many steaming vents and bubbling springs, while enjoying the beautiful views around Reykjadalur. You will then reach the warm river and can walk along it for twenty minutes or so to the perfect spot for bathing.

In summer, you will also see a wealth of flora blooming on the hills and in the valley, particularly lupins. Around the hot springs, the chemicals rising from the earth provide even more colour, dying the soil pinks, blues, greens, reds and yellows.

While it is viable to visit the hot springs alone, many tours also run to them so the area can be enjoyed with a group and a guide. These tours can be done on foot or horseback, and alone or alongside other excursions, such a sightseeing around the Golden Circle.

As with all hiking trails in Iceland, it is important to stick to the paths throughout. This is for your safety—considering the steep slopes, change of rockfalls, and boiling water—and for the protection of nature. Iceland’s flora is very delicate, and with the boom in tourism, strict rules are in place to protect it.

Services near Reykjadalur

Hveragerði has all modern services and amenities visitors may need. There is a supermarket, gas station, information centre, and several cafes and restaurants.

Interestingly, some of these restaurants utilise the geothermal forces in the preparation of their plates. By burying food into the boiling water under the earth, it cooks throughout.

Because of these forces, however, Hveragerði has gotten the nickname ‘the Earthquake Town’.