Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bus 12/12A Reykjavík-Vík-Höfn (Reykjavík-Vík Ik4300, four hours, one daily June to
mid-September).
Bus 20/20A Reykjavík-Skaftafell (Reykjavík-Skógar Ik7500, four hours, one daily mid-
June to early September).
Bus 21/21A Reykjavík-Skógar (Reykjavík-Skógar Ik6000, 3½ hours, one daily mid-June
to August) At the time of research, one of the two services to Skógar goes as far as Vík
each day.
East of Vík
Mælifell
On the edge of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, the 642m-high Mælifell
ridge
and the coun-
tryside around it are spectacular. The simple, idyllic campsite at
Þakgil
( 893 4889;
www.thakgil.is
;Höfðarbrekkuafrétti;sites per person Ikr1500, cabins Ikr20,000; Jun-Aug)
, a green
bowl among stark mountains, makes a convenient base for explorations, and has showers
and cottages with bathrooms and kitchenettes. You can walk up Mælifell, or even get onto
the glacier - a path leads to the nunatak (hill or mountain completely surrounded by a gla-
cier) Huldufjöll. You can drive to Þakgil, 14km along a rough dirt road (Rte 214) that
branches off Rte 1 about 5km east of Vík, or there is a hiking trail from Vík.
At the start of Rte 214, 5.5km east of Vík,
Hótel Katla-Höfðabrekka
( 487 1208;
www.hofdabrekka.is
;
Höfðabrekka;d incl breakfast from Ikr20,000; Mar-Oct; )
is a large
country hotel with 72 comfy wood-panelled rooms in annexes of varying vintage, plus
four hot-pots, and a restaurant.
Mýrdalssandur
The vast black-lava sand flats of Mýrdalssandur, east of Vík, are formed from material
washed out from underneath Mýrdalsjökull during Katla eruptions. This 700-sq-km desert
is bleak and desolate (some say haunted), but rather awe-inspiring. It looks lifeless, but
Arctic foxes and seabirds are common sights.
