Iceland’s an amazing place for a road trip and one of the most scenic drives you can undertake is along the country’s wonderful south coast. It’s possible to travel from the airport or Reykjavik in a single day, but as there’s so much to see and do on the way to Hotel Jökulsárlón you might choose to build in an overnight stop to split your sightseeing over two. Let’s take a look at what you shouldn’t miss travelling east as you put together the ultimate road trip in this fabulous region of Iceland.
Distance from Reykjavik: 30 miles
Leaving the capital region behind, you’ll soon reach the Hellisheiði lava plateau. Soon afterwards, the ring road drops down and you’ll approach Hveragerði. Its geothermal heat makes it an important place for agriculture and a surprising range of fruit and vegetables are successfully grown here.
It’s also worth stopping for the chance to bathe in a hot water stream. To reach it, you’ll need to hike for about an hour through the Reykjadalur valley. Facilities are basic; just a few wooden screens serve as changing rooms. Rustic though it undoubtedly is, however, this spot is a delightful place to enjoy an outdoor soak.
Distance from Hveragerði: 17 miles
There’s a very good reason to take a detour to Stokkseyri and that’s a restaurant called Fjöruborðið. Located in an unassuming building right beside the coast, the menu’s hardly extensive: people come for the sautéed langoustine tails or the langoustine soup. But what a meal it will be – this place earns rave reviews from travellers and deservedly so.
If you time’s short, consider having lunch in Selfoss instead. The historic Old Dairy has been transformed into a characterful food hall right in the centre of this lively town and now houses a clutch of eateries serving Mexican, Italian, Thai and Chinese food. Stock up on snacks for the road in the supermarket before moving on.
Distance from Stokkseyri: 50 miles
Standing 60 metres tall, you’ll see magnificent Seljalandsfoss from the road before you reach the turn off. You’ll follow a short rocky trail that leads to the curtain of water. And that’s when it gets interesting: here, you can walk behind the waterfall. The view looking back across the countryside as it cascades before you is something very special indeed.
Don’t be tempted to jump back in the car before you’ve seen the second waterfall here. Tucked away behind a cleft in the rock, it’s easy to overlook Gljúfrabúi. To get a proper look at it, you’ll need to carry a change of shoes and socks as you’ll have to paddle through the plunge pool to access it. But as you stare upwards to the sky, you’ll be glad you did.
Distance from Seljalandsfoss: 18 miles
Even if you’ve just stopped for both Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi, there’s another must-see waterfall less than half an hour up the road. Skógafoss is considerably wider than its neighbours, and its orientation means that at certain times of day you’ll often see a rainbow over the top.
Another reason to stop is to climb the metal steps beside it to reach the top of the falls. From up here, the views along the south coast are remarkable. If you wish, you can follow the Skógá River upstream to admire countless smaller waterfalls and pretty canyons. In fact, via the Fimmvörðuháls pass, you’ll eventually reach Þórsmörk, a day’s walk away.
Distance from Skógafoss: 7 miles
More than fifty years ago, a US Navy cargo plane crash landed at Sólheimasandur in bad weather. The crew made it out alive but the aircraft couldn’t be recovered. Stripped of all useful parts, it has remained in its sandy grave ever since. Over the years, the elements have taken their toll, but that only serves to make it more photogenic, and many tourists are compelled to visit.
If you’re keen to do the same, you’ll need to leave your car in the parking area as it’s no longer permitted to drive to the site. From there, you can hike there and back or save time by hopping on the shuttle bus that runs regularly throughout the day. If you’re keen to get on to your next stop, it’s a useful timesaver.
Distance from Sólheimasandur: 14 miles
Reynisfjara is one of Iceland’s most beautiful, but also most notorious, beaches. This small strip of black sand seems innocuous at first glance. In summer, seabirds such as puffins nest in grassy hollows in the cliffs that line the shore. But look again at the faulted basalt that’s been carved by the waves into a towering cave and the craggy stacks that rise from the shallows just offshore.
It’s a clue to their immense power during stormy weather. These waves have an extraordinarily long fetch. These sneaker waves, as they are dubbed, can creep up unseen to knock unsuspecting tourists off their feet. It’s wise to admire this part of Iceland’s southern shore from a safe distance, but you won’t want to miss it.
Distance from Reynisfjara Beach: 7 miles
Barely a few minutes later, the quaint hilltop church that overlooks Vík y Mýrdal comes into view. As you drop down into the village, you’ll see the importance of tourism to its economy in its myriad restaurants and cafés, as well as the tour operators that have are based here. Vík’s charms extend into its hinterland, for this is an outdoor playground.
Super jeeps and minibuses ferry visitors to and from Mýrdalsjökull glacier. You can hike to see the cracks and crevasses on its uneven surface and don crampons to peer inside striking ice caves. Icelandic horses with shaggy manes pick their way along the shore as delighted novice riders experience their tölt, a gait unique to this pure, protected breed. If you’re going to break your journey en route to Jökulsárlón, this is a good place to do so.
Distance from Vík: 9 miles
You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate the shapes that the sea can carve out of a rocky coastline, but in this case, it helps. The waves have created two shapes stacked one on top of the other which bear a close resemblance to Yoda, a beloved character from this successful movie franchise.
The official name for this cave is Gígjagjá, but because of its position on the south flank of Mount Hjörleifshöfði it’s also referred to as Hjörleifshöfði Cave. It’s barely off the ring road, so it seems a shame not to take a quick look seeing as you’re passing anyway. In summer, the area is especially pretty as it’s carpeted with purple lupines.
Distance from Yoda Cave: 33 miles
Travelling east, the road passes through a vast lava field. There are signed pullouts where you can park up to take a better look on foot. Woolly fringe moss has begun to colonise the bare rock, adding a splash of green to the monochrome landscape. It’s incredibly delicate, so be careful not to tread on it as any damage takes many decades to repair.
What you see was the result of Laki volcano’s eruption that lasted from 1783 to 1784. Ash smothered the landscape, causing the death of a multitude of farm animals and a severe famine that also cost the lives of many Icelanders. In the 1960s, the barren terrain was used by NASA as a training ground for astronauts preparing for the Apollo 11 mission.
Distance from Eldhraun: 4 miles
Iceland boasts a number of fairytale canyons, but this one is particularly accessible. Turn off the ring road and follow a short, well-maintained gravel road to reach Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon’s car park. You can get a sense of the scale of the canyon’s steep palagonite walls by standing on the bridge that spans the river just downstream of the gorge.
It’s also possible to walk up to the top of the canyon. Up here, you get a better feel for the verdant quality of the landscape and the way the interlocking spurs force the River Fjaðrá to wind, serpent-like, through this rocky landscape. Though the canyon is managed – such as by the installation of a viewing platform – it’s still an arresting sight.
Distance from Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon: 48 miles
Svartifoss is one of the gems of Skaftafell, and a worthy detour on your road trip. Its height is nothing to write home about, measuring only around 20 metres tall. But the hexagonal basalt columns that flank this waterfall make it one of the most attractive in the country and not to be missed.
To reach Svartifoss, you’ll need to hike from the visitor centre through the nature reserve, part of Vatnajökull National Park; allow about an hour and a half to make the round trip. Along the way you’ll pass three smaller waterfalls: Hundafoss, Magnúsarfoss and Þjófafoss. The historic farm Selið which dates from 1912 is also of interest thanks to its turfed roof.
Distance from Svartifoss: 16 miles
In summer, you might consider breaking your journey to visit Ingólfshöfði. Named after Ingólfur Arnarson, the first permanent settler of Iceland, this cape is separated from the mainland by a flooded causeway. You’ll need to join an organised tour to cross it, riding on a tractor-pulled cart to make your way across the wet ground. So what’s worth so much trouble?
The cape is a haven for birds. Your guide will lead you up a steep sandy slope to reach the clifftop nesting sites. In summer, you’ll see a range of species, including puffins, kittiwakes, fulmars and great skuas. The panoramic views back towards the mainland are another reason to come here.
Distance from Ingólfshöfði: 16 miles
Fjallsárlón is the first of two roadside glacial lagoons that you’ll encounter as you near Hotel Jökulsárlón. This is the smaller of the pair and often much quieter. It sits in the shadow of a glacier called Fjallsjökull, which is an outlet glacier of the large Vatnajökull ice cap. Behind it rises the triangular mountain peak of Miðaftanstindur.
Icebergs frequently calve from the glacier and bob around in the lagoon, making this a good place to enjoy a Zodiac boat trip while you take in its breathtakingly scenic backdrop. It’s also possible to arrange a guided ice hike if you’re keen to get up onto the surface of the glacier. Ice cave tours are a possibility in winter; never go without an experienced local guide.
Distance from Fjallsárlón: 7 miles
The larger of the pair of glacial lagoons is Jökulsárlón. Located beneath Breiðamerkurjökull, it’s the deepest such lagoon in the country. The lagoon is linked to the ocean via a narrow channel; icebergs calve from the glacier, float around on the water for a while and gently make their way out to sea.
Jökulsárlón never freezes – to pull off the car chase scene in the Bond movie Die Another Day, the film crew had to dam the river to prevent salt water from entering the lagoon. That’s good news for those wishing to take an amphibian boat trip, head out into the lagoon on a Zodiac or paddle through the water in a rented kayak. Nearby Diamond Beach, where those icebergs eventually get washed up, is another must-see.
Distance from Jökulsárlón: 7 miles
You made it! The only thing that beats a great road trip is a fabulous hotel in which to rest at the end of it. We’d love to welcome you to Hotel Jökulsárlón and invite you to enjoy our hospitality before you set off on your next adventure.
To book a table at the restaurant, please e-mail us at reception@glhotel.is or give us a call +354 449 7000.
