Little known valleys of the South

There are plenty of places to travel to when you first arrive in Iceland. South of Iceland, for example, gives you an opportunity to go around the so called ''Golden circle'', visit mighty waterfalls along the ringroad on your way to Skaftafell national park, see puffins (in the summer) in Ingólfshöfði, and enjoy the sunset by Jökulsárlón. Those are all ''must visit'' places. However, how about those people, who are coming back for more. Sure, you can revisit those places, especially if you´re a photographer and you´re trying to get a shot in that perfect lighting. But what if you´re looking to go somewhere new, to a place that has no road sign and no parking lot. In essence, you can just stop by any valley, get your lunch pack, lot´s of water, hike into the wilderness and i can guarantee you will find something spectacular. In this article, I want to tell you about one of my favourite places in South Iceland - Hvannadalur.

This particular hiking path is located not far from one of the main travel destinations in Iceland - Jökulsárlón. If you continue east (around 12km) you will arrive at Hali country hotel and this farm is the birth place of one of the most beloved writers in Iceland, Þórbergur Þórðarson. It is not a coincidence that the name of this hiking path is Söguferð (Literary walk). Þórbergur loved to take long walks and it is said, that this hiking path was one of his favourite. After reaching Hali you continue east along Steinafjall, which is on the left. In about 5 kilometers you will see a small house on the foothill called Sléttaleiti and after another kilometer a valley will open up on the left side. There you take the first dirt road into this valley and continue until you reach Steinasandir (Open sands with multiple rivers crossing it). If you have a 4x4 then crossing sands and rivers will not be difficult. Road is tough, but you can reache the very beginning of the path, where you can park your car and locate the first checkpoint. First part of the trail is not difficult and will take 1-2 hours to complete it. Trail is marked with small wooden poles, as well as signs describing the area. After finding the first one, following the trail will be easy.

Path will lead you up the hill, alongside small rivers with multiple waterfalls, caves and breathtaking landscapes. 

At the end of the path is a place called Klukkugill (Bell Gully). Legend states that Irish monks threw their golden bells there when vikings first arrived.

Klukkugill is where Literary walk ends, however, those who feel physically fit and have 4-5 extra hours can venture further down the valley, into Hvannadalur. Old sheep trail is located north of Klukkugill and leads down into the gully. From there you can hike up the stream. It´s a magical place and well worth the effort.