Balade à cheval à la journée au bord de l'océan dans le sud de l'Islande

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.

The Westman Islands, or Vestmannaeyjar, are an archipelago of 15 islands and 30 rock stacks off the South Coast of Iceland. Aside from their incredible natural beauty, the islands have the world’s largest population of nesting puffins in summer, and a fascinating history.

History of the Westman Islands

The history of the Westman Islands is as dark as it is intriguing, beginning at the very start of Iceland’s history, with the first family to settle here.

The first person renowned for permanently settling Iceland was a man called Ingólfr Arnarson (although it should be noted that he hardly came alone; he was accompanied by his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttr and several slaves). His half-brother joined him in the country, a few years later, but met his death at the hands of two of his own captured men.

These slaves attempted to flee and hide, to escape Arnarson’s vengeance. They reached the Westman Islands, but unfortunately, were found by ‘Iceland’s father’ and killed in retribution.

The islands since have been named after these men; they were Irish slaves, and at the time, the Irish were called ‘Westmen’, as Ireland was thought to be the westernmost landmass before Iceland’s discovery.

This brutal beginning would be a hint at the later events to occur on and shape the archipelago.

The largest island, Heimaey, was settled in the early era, and the people on it lived off the fertile oceans, puffins, and eggs. Life was challenging but manageable, until a terrible tragedy occured in 1627.

At the height of the Ottoman Empire, it was Barbary Pirates from Algiers who ruled the seas, and they managed to find their way to this little island. They took control of it for three days, before setting off back home with 237 slaves.

The vast majority of these lived out the rest of their lives in bondage, though some were ransomed back in 1638.

The trials of the voyage and their captivity was captured in a novel by a priest who managed to escape in 1628.

Unfortunately, this was not the last major calamity to befall the islands.

In the 20th Century, it seemed that the Westman Islands had overcome their hardships, modernising and better connecting to the mainland. That, however, was to be overturned in 1974.

At 01.55, on January 20th, a fissure tore open in the middle of the town of Heimaey and the previously unknown Eldfell volcano began to violently erupt. In hours, it had torn across the island, spurting fountains of lava height in the air and pouring noxious gasses into the atmosphere.

Unbelievably, however, no-one was killed. There was an emergency plan for a situation such as this, and thankfully, storms the days before meant that the whole fishing fleet was docked in the harbour. The entire population of the island was taken to safety.

That is not to say, however, that the work was done. 5,300 peoples’ homes were in the town, and the Icelandic authorities were desperate to do what they could to help protect them. At the time, the US had a NATO base in the country, and their help was enlisted.

By pumping seawater onto the great lava fronts, it was possible to cool the molten rock, slow it, and change its direction.

This innovative, previously unused technique was particularly effective when it came to protecting the harbour. It seemed at one point that the eruption may have closed it entirely, effectively destroying the island’s economy, yet by spraying the lava, the harbour was actually enclosed more and improved.

When the eruption ended, the island slowly repopulated to about 85 percent of its previous population; about one fifth of the buildings were destroyed.

The town, however, now had a long stretch of new land to build a runway on, and a volcano in its centre to draw guests. Ever since, the Westman Islands have recovered as a popular tourist destination.

The Westman Islands today

Today, the Westman Islands attract thousands of visitors of years, for a variety of reasons. Many wish to visit the Eldborg crater and learn about the eruption in depth at the Eldheimar Museum. Others come for the incredible nature opportunities.

First and foremost amongst these are the chances for puffin watching. Ten million puffins nest in Iceland between May and September, and more of them come to the Westman Islands than anywhere else.

They nest in the cliffs, crags and sea-stacks, and can be easily seen by travelling on foot or by boat. Towards the end of the season, many of the pufflings get confused by the lights of the town as they try to make their way to the ocean, and end up in the streets; it is thus a local tradition amongst the children to collect them and throw them in the sea.

Some business-savvy young ones used to even collect them up, and ‘sell’ them to tourists to release.

The puffins are just one of the thirty or so species that nest on the islands, but by far the most abundant.

The Westman Islands also boast some of the best whale-watching opportunities in the country, with Fin, Minke and Humpback Whales seen often in summer, and Orcas throughout the year.

Getting to the Westman Islands

The ferry Herjolfur sails to the Westman Islands from the town of Þorlákshöfn, on the south shore of Iceland. In poor conditions, another ferry leaves from the town of Hvolsvöllur. It is also possible to fly there from Reykjavík Domestic Airport.

The glacier volcano of Eyjafjallajökull is notorious the world over for causing havoc to air travel in 2010, and stumping television anchors everywhere as they tried to pronounce it. 1651 metres (5427 feet) tall, it is one of the most dominant features of the South Coast.

Geography

The glacier of Eyjafjallajökull is approximately 100 square kilometres (39 square miles), making it the country’s sixth largest. It sits close to the fourth greatest, Mýrdalsjökull, which also conceals another notorious volcano, this one called Katla.

While Eyjafjallajökull’s eruption was huge and disruptive, it pales in comparison to the potential of Katla. Far more explosive, and under much thicker ice, an eruption here in unfavourable wind conditions could have worldwide consequences.

The magma chambers between both of these mighty volcanoes are connected, and, unfortunately for us, an eruption at Eyjafjallajökull is usually followed by one at Katla within a decade.

Eyjafjallajökull has many glacial outlets, the most famous being Gígjökull. Many rivers flow from its meltwater, and one of these falls into the beautiful South Coast waterfall, Seljalandsfoss, which it is possible to fully encircle.

Eruptions

Eyjafjallajökull’s most recent eruption was no doubt the most famous in Iceland’s history (although the honour really should go to Laki, the 1783-4 eruption of which caused an ash cloud so great that Europe fell into a famine that many historians believe led to the French Revolution). On March 27th, 2010, magma began to bubble from beneath the surface, and by April 14th, ash was starting to billow from the peak.

800 people were evacuated, in fears not of magma, but of equally dangerous glacial floods, which have decimated Icelandic towns in the past. Animals were ordered to be kept inside, and those with respiratory problems told they should also stay indoors.

Air travel across Europe was halted, as, by the evening of April 15th, the ash was already over the UK, Scandinavia, and parts of Germany. Holidaymakers were trapped, waiting for news, and would end up stuck for eight days; in Scotland and Ireland, there were even flights delayed in May due to lingering effects.

Thankfully, no one was injured, although the ash is thought to have caused respiratory issues for some in the south of the country. Many farms were also destroyed by the ash and floods, with some farmers still struggling to recover today.

Since settlement in 874, Eyjafjallajökull has also erupted in 900, 1612, and from 1821 to 1823. The latter released a huge amount of fluoride which is believed to have affected the bone health of humans and animals alike at the time.

Eyjafjallajokull today

Eyjafjallajökull is now entirely safe to visit and is seen on most tours of the South Coast in clear weather. In the town of Hvolsvöllur, there is a visitor’s centre on the volcano, which focuses on the experience of one family whose farm, Þorvaldseyri, was one of the many destroyed by the floods, lava and ash.

It is very unlikely that Eyjafjallajökull will erupt again any time soon, with hundreds of years between each eruption, but as mentioned, its neighbour Katla might start rumbling...

Katla is one of Iceland’s most explosive volcanoes, located underneath Iceland’s fourth largest ice cap, Mýrdalsjökull. Since settlement, it has erupted, on average, once every fifty years, with the last eruption in 1918. It is long overdue.

Katla is connected to Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted in 2010 and caused widespread disruption to air traffic, as well as changes in climate. Usually, Katla is triggered by an eruption here, usually going off within the decade afterwards. Kristín Jónsdóttir said in 2016 that it was ‘a matter of when, not if’ Iceland would face the wrath of Katla once more.

Katla means ‘Kettle’ in Icelandic, and many women are named after the volcano with it being one of the more popular girl’s names.

Geography and geology of Katla

Katla is located on Iceland’s South Coast, north of the village of Vík. Its peak is 1,512 metres (4,961 feet) above sea level, and its crater is 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) wide. The ice of Mýrdalsjökull is, 700 metres (2,300 feet) thick at certain points over it.

Because of this huge amount of ice, some smaller eruptions do not even break the surface. However, even these can be very dangerous, as they can still cause unexpected floods as the melted water seeps from under the glacier. One only needs to see the black sand desert of Sólheimasandur to see how much life can thrive in the glacial outwash plain under Katla.

Because of the floods caused by Katla, Iceland’s South Coast has very few settlements. Floods such as these have wiped out entire villages before.

The floods following the 1918 eruption were particularly powerful, clearing away huge swathes of land. The lava that followed, however, was so voluminous that it extended the southern coastline over five kilometres (eight miles) out to sea.

Though Eyjafjallajökull and Katla have a relationship of exploding in quick succession, they are part of different volcanic systems. Katla’s system has an area of 595 square kilometres (230 square miles), and is connected to the Eldgjá canyon.

Tours on Katla

Katla is beneath the peak of Mýrdalsjökull, which is surrounded by outlet glaciers, making tours on it few and far between - after all, it is very difficult to reach. Some helicopter tours, however, will make a landing here. Some super jeep tours also take the bumpy but beautiful path to the top.

It should be noted that there are ice caves above Katla, which are accessible for longer throughout the year than the ice caves at Vatnajökull. These ones, however, do not have blue ice.

Where to see Katla

Katla can be seen from the Ring Road, which encircles Iceland, by travelling along the South Coast, so long as the weather is clear. It will be visible for much of the drive, which also takes you passed features such as the waterfall Seljalandsfoss and the black sand beach of Reynisfjara.

It can also be viewed when visiting one of the glacier tongues of Mýrdalsjökull, such as Sólheimajökull, the most popular outlet for glacier hiking.

Mýrdalsjökull is a glacier in the south of the Icelandic highlands. It is the country's fourth largest ice cap, covering nearly 600 square kilometres (232 square miles), and its highest peak is almost 1500 meters tall. It is most well-known for sitting atop the notorious and explosive volcano, Katla.

Mýrdalsjökull is visible from Route 1 on the South Coast, sitting to the north of the village of Vík. It is visited on some snowmobiling, ice caving and helicopter tours, and one of its glacial outlets, Sólheimajökull, is the most popular place in the country for ice-climbing and glacier hiking.

Eruptions beneath Myrdalsjokull

Since 2010, the world has known of the volcano beneath Eyjafjallajökull; after all, it halted European air travel for over a week and stumped news readers everywhere. Few, however, are aware of the much larger volcano right beside it.

Mýrdalsjökull conceals Katla, one of the country’s most active volcanoes, having erupted, on average, once every fifty years since 930 AD. Because of the glacier above it, these eruptions tend to cause enormous ash clouds. It is these ash clouds that lead to flights being grounded, crops and livestock poisoned, and have the potential to change the world’s climate.

The last major eruption beneath Katla was in 1918, in which such huge lahar floods occurred that the southern coastline was extended five kilometres outwards. This area is also very susceptible to glacial floods, or 'jökulhlaup', during eruptions, even when the lava does not break through the surface of the ice. These are as dangerous as the lava itself, having wiped out whole Icelandic villages before.

Historically, the area was little settled for this reason.

Katla is connected to the same volcanic system as Eyjafjallajökull and usually erupts violently a few years after Eyjafjallajökull does. As the ex-president, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson said in 2010:

So it is currently several years overdue. Katla is monitored heavily, and roads around it closed when seismic activity increases. All road closures around Iceland can be found on Road and Coastal Administration's website.

Tours on Myrdalsjokull

While there are no eruptions immediately imminent, tours continue to run onMýrdalsjökull, allowing visitors to enjoy the glacier. It is, for example, possible to snowmobile across its surface throughout the year and take ice caving tours beneath it from October to April, with departures from both Reykjavík and Vík.

Considering the ice caves under Vatnajökull glacier are usually only accessible from November to March, this provides a wider window of opportunity for travellers to Iceland outside of the depths of winter. It should be noted that the caves in Mýrdalsjökull do not have the same blue ice, however.

Tours around Myrdalsjokull

Mýrdalsjökull can be seen on all South Coast tours that reach Vík and beyond in clear weather. It can also be seen from above on helicopter tours that depart from Reykjavík.

The best perspectives of the glacier, however, can be found on the popular Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail, which goes between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. Part of this hike can be done in a day, or you can take the complete route from Þórsmörk to Skógar on a three-day trek

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’.

Hveragerði is a town and municipality in the southwest of Iceland. It is often nicknamed ‘the Earthquake Town’ or ‘the Hot Spring Town’, due to the active geological and geothermal forces that define it.

Hveragerdi town and services

Hveragerði is around 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the capital Reykjavík and takes half an hour to drive to along the Ring Road travelling south. Around 2,300 people live in Hveragerði, most employed in tourism, horticulture or agriculture.

There is a service centre in the town with shops, including an alcohol shop, a supermarket, a gas station, an information point, and a cafe. There are several restaurants as well, and just outside it is a popular horse farm.

Surrounding the town are nice botanical areas and many recreational activities are available. There are excellent hiking trails as well as nice hotels and a camping ground which is open in the summer months.

In terms of culture, a number of museums can be found in Hveragerði, such as the Árnesingar art museum and Hveragerði Stone and Mineral Museum. The town even hosts an annual culture and family festival in August.

Geography of Hveragerdi

Hveragerði sits on a highly geothermal area. Boiling water runs just beneath the surface of the ground, leading to many hot springs in the nearby hills. This is both a blessing for the town and a curse.

In terms of a blessing, it allows greenhouses to flourish, as they can be provided with heat throughout the year. Hveragerði is thus the world’s northernmost producer of bananas, which are grown alongside a host of other fruits and vegetables.

Many flowers and herbs are also grown here, and it is considered the centre of botany in Iceland.

The boiling water also allows food to be cooked simply by burying it for a few hours, providing the restaurants in the area with unique menus. It also brings the area a wealth of tourism.

The curse of this geothermal water is the effect it has on the residents. Stories of hot springs opening overnight in people’s kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms are very common.

Also, due to the Mid-Atlantic rift running through Iceland, many earthquakes hit Hveragerði. Fortunately, the houses are built here to withstand tremors, due to how common they are, but there is a lingering knowledge that a powerful earthquake or eruption could cause serious, perhaps irreparable damage to the settlement.

The river Varmá runs from the valley of Reykjadalur through the town. This region, which translates to the 'Steam Valley', is an incredibly popular place for hot spring bathing and hiking.

A gravel road that leads from Hveragerði takes you to the base of the hiking trail, which winds up, down and around beautiful, scenic hills dotted with fumaroles and mud pits.

It ends by a river that is fed by hot springs, meaning it is heated from the top, allowing visitors to choose the perfect place to bathe. There are no indoor changing areas, but screens to undress behind.

Þórlakshöfn is the main town of the Öfus district in South Iceland, located on the South Shore. It has a population of about 1,400 people and is a main port for South Iceland. It is important as a connecting point with the Westman Islands.

Þórlakshöfn Harbour

Þórlakshöfn has an excellent natural harbour; it is, in fact, the only fishing town on the South Coast that can be said to have a natural harbour, and the only one to accommodate modern ships and ferries, excluding villages on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

There is a newly constructed harbour called Landeyjarhöfn further along the south shore, opposite the Westman Islands, but that harbour is still in an experimental stage and its future use is unclear.

A ferry goes from the town to the Westman Islands. In 1973, the whole population of Heimaey, the only one of the islands that's habited, evacuated to Þórlakshöfn following the eruption of Eldfell in the island.

Many of the evacuees settled in Þórlakshöfn afterwards, while others returned to the island.

There are rich fishing grounds off the Þórlakshöfn shore and fishing is an important part of the town's economy.

Nature at Þórlakshöfn

As is common with Icelandic shores, a number of seabirds may be found in the area around Þórlakshöfn, such as arctic terns, skuas, and blackbacks. To find puffins, one should either head to the Westman Islands or the Dyrhólaey cliffs.

The coast around Þórlakshöfn, and indeed the whole of the South Shore of Iceland, has incredibly impressive breaker waves, and may reach as high as 25 metres (82 feet). Other ideal places to watch the breakers include Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki.

The town is one of the few settlements that visitors will pass as they head towards the natural sites of the South Coast of Iceland. This is one of the country’s most popular sightseeing routes, along with the Golden Circle, boasting waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, beaches and cultural attractions.

The South Coast of Iceland is the country's most visited sightseeing route, along with the Golden Circle.

This incredible shoreline stretches from the greater Reykjavík area in the west to the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in the east and is lined with countless natural wonders such as cascading waterfalls, volcanoes, black sand beaches and glaciers.

Geography, Nature & Wildlife

The South Coast is the most easily accessible part of the country’s southern region, found along the Route 1 highway (the Ring Road), which encircles Iceland. The area consists of a diverse lowland that transitions between, marshlands, bays, cultivated pastures, estuaries and black sand deserts.

Underneath the soil rests a vast lava field, known as Þjórsárhraun. Its edges reach several hundred metres offshore where the ocean waves crash upon them, thereby protecting the lowland from the invasion of the sea. This results in the South Coast being unusually lacking in the deep fjords that so distinctly characterise the rest of Iceland's shoreline.

The region boasts vibrant bird life during all seasons. Freshwater birds nest in the marshlands and around the estuaries, while seabirds flock around the cliffs of Reynisdrangar and Dyrhólaey, including the North Atlantic puffin between May and August. Some species stay throughout the harsh Icelandic winter, including the northern diver, the loom and various species of gulls and ducks.  

Seals are often found along the shore, particularly around the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach. As with everywhere in Iceland, you should always keep an eye out to sea, as whales and dolphins reside all along its coastline.

Highlights of the South Coast

The South Coast offers an unprecedented array of natural wonders that draw thousands of visitors each day.

When driving the route from Reykjavík city, the first major features are the two great waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, which sit beneath the notorious subglacial volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. On clear days from these beautiful cascades, the Westman Islands can be seen across the ocean.

A little further down the route is the glacier Mýrdalsjökull, which covers one of Iceland’s most explosive volcanoes, Katla. Many glacier hikes are taken here upon the outlet of Sólheimajökull.

The aforementioned Dyrhólaey cliffs are next, home to many seabirds. Even if you come outside of puffin season, they are well worth a visit; jutting out to sea is an enormous rock arch of the same name, which you can marvel at from many angles.

Adjacent to the village of Vík is the famous black-sand beach, Reynisfjara, home to the rock pillars of Reynisdrangar, said to be two trolls frozen by the light of the sun. Though beautiful, this area is gaining notoriety for its dangerous sneaker waves, so visitors should be sure to stay well away from the edge of the water, even on a calm, still day.

There are no landmasses between Reynisfjara beach and the continent of Antarctica, so you can imagine how the waves can build momentum.

After passing through Vík, you will cross the glacial sand plain of Skeiðarársandur, before entering Vatnajökull National Park, home to the largest ice cap in Europe, Vatnajökull itself, dozens of glacial outlets and the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.

While almost all of these sites can be seen from Route 1, they make up a fraction of what the South Coast has to offer. The vast sand plains of Sólheimasandur are home to a crashed DC-3 Plane Wreck, and within the Vatnajökull National Park is the dramatic Skaftafell Nature Reserve.

Less than a kilometre from Seljalandsfoss is the hidden gem of Gljúfrabúi waterfall, and short distances from Jökulsárlón you will find the Diamond Beach, where icebergs wash on the black-sand shore, and another glacier lagoon, Fjallsárlón.