Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Apr)
, from where you can walk the 800m to the ice along a wide track edging the glacial
lagoon. Don't attempt to climb onto the glacier unguided.
Crevasses form often, so to walk on the glacier, you should go with any of the area tour
operators (
Click here
)
; tours depart from the cafe.
Mýrdalsjökull
ICE CAP
This gorgeous glacier is Iceland's fourth-largest ice cap, covering 700 sq km and reaching
a thickness of almost 750m in places. The volcano Katla snoozes beneath, periodically
blasting up through the ice to drown the coastal plain in a deluge of meltwater, sand and
tephra. Local operators run tours along the glacial crown as part of longer trips. Don't ex-
plore the area on your own; the ice is unstable and the track to the caldera can be impos-
sible to navigate.
Sólheimasandur
BEACH, LANDMARK
On November 21, 1973, a US Navy airplane was forced to crash land at Sólheimasandur.
The crew all survived, but the wreckage of the militarised Douglas DC-3 remains on the
black-sand beach, a lean shell whipped by the wind. To get here, you'll need a 4WD and a
local guide (or a GPS 63.459523, -19.364618). It's east of the Sólheimajökull/Rte 221
turnoff and south down a farm lane to the beach. Try to preserve the environment.
Dyrhólaey
LANDMARK, WILDLIFE RESERVE
One of the south coast's most recognisable natural formations is the rocky plateau and
huge stone sea arch at Dyrhólaey (deer-lay), which rises dramatically from the surrounding
plain 10km west of Vík, at the end of Rte 218. The promontory is a nature reserve that's
rich in bird life, including puffins. It's closed during nesting season (15 May to 25 June),
but at other times you can visit its crashing black beaches and get awesome views from
atop the archway.
The archway itself, is best seen from Reynisfjara.
According to
Njál's Saga,
Kári - the only survivor of the fire that wiped out Njál's clan
- had his farm here. Another Viking Age connection is the cave
Loftsalahellir
, reached by
