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Landmannalaugar, or the 'People's Pools', is a vast area of stunning and unique beauty in the heart of Iceland's southern Highlands. Throughout the summer, it is one of the most popular places for hiking -- either over one day or several -- and natural hot spring bathing.
Geology
Landmannalaugar is a truly rare area, both geologically and aesthetically. The dramatic region can be found nestled beside the raven-black Laugahraun lava field, a sweeping expanse of dried magma which originally formed in an eruption in 1477.
Landmannalaugar itself is made up of windswept rhyolite mountains, a rock type that creates a full spectrum of dazzling colour. Shades of red, pink, green, blue and golden yellow make for an ethereal location.
Landmannalaugar was historically best known for its natural geothermal baths, hence its name the People's Pools. For centuries, it served as an area of shelter and respite for weary travellers who use these soothing springs as a means to relax after tiring excursions.
Originally, those attending were settlers crossing the barren highlands, but today, they are tourists after an exciting trip.
Today, visitors to the Highlands should always bring a swimsuit and towel, just in case one of these naturally occurring hot pools should crop up along the hiking trail.
The most popular road leading to Landmannalaugar, Sigölduleið, has such springs, and takes you past multiple stunning natural features, including Bláhylur lake, a magnificent body of water nestled in a dormant volcanic crater.
Landmannalaugar can be reached by car in one of two ways. The quickest is driving through West Iceland, either via Selfoss or Þingvellir National Park. A longer but more scenic route would take you along the South Coast of Iceland. This is Iceland’s most popular sightseeing route, aside from the Golden Circle, due to its wealth of sites.
Of course, like many of Iceland’s destinations, Landmannalaugar can also be reached via helicopter, for those who are travelling with less of a concern for budget. Those on more of a shoestring can buy a bus pass that will take them to the region.
Hiking
Landmannalaugar marks the northern end of the Laugavegur, one of Iceland's most popular hiking trails. This route connects Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk, the ‘Valley of Thor’, ending at the beautiful Skógafoss waterfall.
It is also home to many other notable trails, however, including the path onto the mighty Mt. Brennisteinsalda, the ‘Sulphur Wave’ crater. Visitors can also traverse the trail up the Bláhnjúkur volcano, the 'Blue Peak', whose summit allows for a sweeping view of up to five glaciers on clear days.
Multiple operators run daily tours to Landmannalaugar from mid-June to mid-September, during which time the Icelandic Touring Association operates a small shop, three campsites and a mountain hut equipped with sleeping bags and accommodation for up to 80 visitors.
It is only recommended you take a multi-day hike with an operator. If visiting Landmannalaugar without a guide, you will need a four-wheel-drive.
Hekla, nicknamed ‘the Gateway to Hell’ in the Middle Ages, is one of Iceland’s most explosive, unpredictable and powerful volcanoes. It has erupted twenty to thirty times since settlement, and remains active to this day.
Geography of Hekla
Hekla is located in the south of Iceland, just north of the country’s most famous volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, which last erupted in 2010, causing planes to be grounded and reporters to be tongue-tied for weeks. A dominant peak, standing at 1,491 metres tall (4,892 feet), it can be seen for miles around.
Hekla is part of a 40 kilometre (25 mile) rift, the most active part, called Heklugjá, being under the volcano itself. There are many craters at the peak, two of which are known to erupt more than the others.
Unlike Eyjafjallajökull and Iceland’s other most active volcano, Katla, Hekla does not sit underneath any significant glacier, meaning its eruptions should not cause ash clouds to the same degree. In spite of this, some have been so great that the ash produced was still enough to change the climate of the northern hemisphere for years.
Hekla has also produced one of the greatest lava flows of this millenium of any volcano in the world, at eight cubic kilometres. Approximately 10 percent of Iceland’s landmass was brought up by lava from Hekla.
History of Hekla
The first recorded eruption at Hekla was in 1104, and it was so great and significant that it drew attention across Europe; the effects it had on the weather, on people’s breathing, and on agriculture lasted for years.
This, however, was not the first time it had done so; undiscovered by man, it had contributed to a third of all volcanic ash across northern Europe for the past seven millenia.
It would not significantly erupt again until 1300, although it had been recorded going off several times in between; one of the most notorious things about Hekla is its unpredictability, sometimes exploding within a decade of its last eruption, sometimes laying dormant for nearly a century.
For this reason, the farms around it were largely abandoned, partly explaining why today there are few settlements in Iceland’s south.
Further serious eruptions occurred in 1693 and 1845 with international consequences, but none as significant as the one that began in 1947. Lava bombs weighing over 20 kilograms (44 pounds) landed 32 kilometres away; some as large as 50 square metres (538 square feet) were thrown a kilometre. It took just 52 two hours before the enormous cloud of ash was covering Helsinki.
It would be thirteen months before the eruption stopped, ebbing and flowing with power, but constantly pouring ash into the atmosphere, poisoning crops and livestock.
It is likely many died of respiratory problems as a result, but Hekla even directly killed one person. A scientist filming the great lava flows from the crater, some of which were 15 metres (49 feet) tall, was struck by a block of lava.
Hekla erupted again in 1970 for two months, but since has only gone off for a few days at a time, in 1981, 1982, 1991 and 2000.
Though the 2000 one seemed inconsequential, it was later discovered that it proved that Hekla was even more frightening than was already thought. The remains of a pyroclastic flow, the most dangerous element of an eruption, where searing ash and rock travel at enormous speeds and raze all they meet, had occured for over five kilometres (three miles).
Hekla today
In spite of its volatile nature, Hekla can still be considered a safe place to visit; there are hiking opportunities all around it, and some tour operators embark in super jeeps journeys to its slopes. Visitors should not be afraid of the volcano’s potential, just aware of it.
Of course, before heading to Hekla if travelling without a guide, ensure you check the meteorological office’s website to ensure that there are no alerts that an eruption may be imminent. The volcano is monitored constantly.
In spite of this, Hekla remains as unpredictable as it ever was, and visitors are warned that in spite of every good measure, there is always a chance an eruption could start without being noticed.
Volcanologists also warn that it is overdue, and due to this volcano’s patterns, the warning time between knowing an eruption is imminent and it occurring will often be just an hour or less.
Fjallabak may refer to Fjallabak Nature Reserve, or two highland routes, South Fjallabaksleið or the North Fjallbaksleið. The name 'Fjallabak' literally translates to 'The Back of the Mountains', or 'Mountain Back'.
Fjallabak Nature Reserve
Fjallabak Nature Reserve ("Friðland að Fjallabaki") is an area in the Icelandic Highlands surrounding the popular hiking destination of Landmannalaugar, protected since 1979.
The entire area is more than 500 metres above sea level and characterised by colourful mountains, geothermal valleys and volcanic activity. The colour is due to the rhyolite and obsidian making the ground appear green, blue, pink, red and yellow. Lava fields, rivers and lakes also make their mark on this Nature Reserve.
A popular natural hot spring is located at Landmannalaugar camping ground, where visitors will frequently bathe. A mountain hut is also found in the area, perfect for guests to book overnight stays, use the kitchen and the bathroom facilities.
All amenities are basic and very rustic and there are no food or grocery shops available in the area.
The area is most popular with hikers; to reach it a 4WD car is needed as some rivers need to be crossed. Fjallabak Nature Reserve is also only accessible during summertime, as it is covered with thick ice and snow in wintertime.
Iceland's most popular hiking route, the Laugavegur Route, leads from Landmannalaugar within Fjallabak Nature Reserve to Þórsmörk.
Hikers normally take 3-4 days to hike it.
South Fjallabaksleið
The South Fjallabaksleið ('Fjallabaksleið syðri') is an old highland route north of Mýrdalsjökull glacier, connecting Rangárvellir (the eastern part of the South Iceland lowlands) to Skaftártunga (the area northwest of Mýrdalsjökull).
The area is very dry, sporting scant vegetation as it is situated between mountains that have a strong volcanic activity. The mountains have left endless amounts of ash, sand and lava in the area which is now covered in moss, creating a truly unique regional look.
North Fjallabaksleid
In more recent times, another track, North Fjallabaksleið ('Fjallabaksleið nyrðri'), has been laid, connecting the two aforementioned areas. This north track was originally named Landmannaleið by the local farmers who used it.
Ljótipollur is an explosion crater and crater lake in the south Highlands. Its name means ‘Ugly Puddle’, despite the fact it is an incredibly beautiful site. It is part of the Veiðavötn volcanic area.
Ljótipollur is located in the southern highlands, in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. It is most easily reached by those who go to Landmannalaugar, and take the four-hour hike to it and back.
Landmannalaugar is a highland oasis, open throughout the summer months, with colourful rhyolite mountains and hot springs. It is a hiker’s paradise, marking one end of the Laugavegur trail that ends in Þórsmörk. Though this journey takes four days, Ljótipollur is a perfect example of a hike within Landmannalaugar that can be done within hours.
Those in Landmannalaugar who wish to take a shorter hike should take those to Mount Brennisteinsalda or Mount Bláhnúkur.
Ljótipollur is a beautiful feature, with blue waters, green vegetations growing up and down its slopes, and vividly coloured red lava rock surrounding it.
Hvolsvöllur is a small town of 950 people in south Iceland, conveniently located by the Ring Road. It is often travelled through or stopped off in by those exploring the South Coast or encircling the country.
It is very popular as a place to stay in a cabin or bungalow for those who want to be close to the sites of the west and south, such as the Golden Circle, but away from the hustle and bustle of Reykjavík.
Economy and transport
Hvolsvöllur’s main economy is services to the surrounding agricultural area, which has an additional 600 people. It is also a growing place tourism, considering its easy accessibility to Iceland’s capital and some of its major natural sites.
Sitting on the Ring Road means a constant flow of travellers use Hvolsvöllur’s services. It also has a tiny local airport, with flights to the Westman Islands.
Museum
The area around Hvolsvöllur features prominently in one of the most famous Icelandic sagas, Njál’s saga. These sagas were epic works of fiction, which encapsulated much of the history (and folklore) of Iceland in its early era.
Njál’s saga is often thought of as one of the best, as many believe it to have been written by legendary historian and poet, Snorri Sturluson.
There is an excellent Icelandic Saga Centre in the town that those who love literature and history should not miss checking out.
‘The Exhibition of Njál’ is the first of its two exhibitions, introducing guests to the characters of the sagas, along with the Viking cosmology and the literary arts that have existed in Iceland for centuries.
The other is on the history of trade, commerce and the cooperative movement in the 20th century. While this may not seem fascinating, Iceland’s journey through this time is actually quite a riveting story.
In the early 1900s, the country had little changed since the medieval era. People still scraped a living off fishing and farming, lived in turf houses or, if they were extremely poor, caves, and had very little industry or infrastructure. The nation was still under the Danish Crown, with little to no contact with the outside world.
Fast-forward to 1999, and Iceland was already the developed country it is today, leading the world on issues such as gender equality, technological prowess, social fairness and civil rights.
You can also view a model of Alþingi, Iceland’s parliament, founded at Þingvellir in 930 AD here.
Hvolsvöllur also has homed the Lava Centre since 2017, an interactive museum where visitors can learn about the earthquakes and volcanoes that shape this country.
There is also a nice gallery in town, and a good restaurant in the Saga Hall, a replica of a medieval longhouse.
Nearby attractions
Hvolsvöllur has a number of interesting hiking routes in its vicinity. Among interesting sights is the large and peculiar rock Drangurinn by the farm Drangshlíð, under the Eyjafjöll mountains.
Hvolsvöllur is also a short drive from many other interesting attractions, among them some of Iceland’s most famous. One of Iceland’s oldest swimming pools, Seljavallalaug, is about 44 kilometres (27 miles) from the town. At a 14 kilometre (nine mile) distance is the rural area of Fljótshlíð and the farm Hlíðarendi. According to Njal's Saga, its hero, Gunnar, lived there.
There is good trout and salmon fishing in the nearby rivers. Several interesting caves, both natural and man-made are in driving distance from Hvolsvöllur.
There is also a number of beautiful waterfalls not far off, the most well known being Seljalandsfoss, which you can walk behind, and Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s highest and most beautiful falls.
Of course, as mentioned, the town is also a perfect launching point from which to explore the Golden Circle, which consists of the Geysir Geothermal Area, Gullfoss Waterfall, and Þingvellir National Park.
