Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When the fog swirling around the glacier lifts, you'll see the mammoth ice cap, which
was made famous when Jules Verne used it as the setting for
Journey to the Centre of the
Earth
. In his book, a German geologist and his nephew embark on an epic journey into the
crater of Snæfells, guided by a 16th-century Icelandic text with the following advice:
Descend into the crater of Yocul of Sneffels, which the shade of Scartaris caresses, be-
fore the kalends of July, audacious traveller, and you will reach the centre of the earth.
Today, the park is criss-crossed with
hiking trails
, and during proper weather it is pos-
sible to visit the glacier with a tour or guide. Hellnar is home to the
National Park Visitor
Centre
, and area tourist offices sell maps and give advice, too. The park's online map is
also excellent. Rangers have an active summer program of
free park guided tours
; check
online or email.
Snæfellsjökull
It's easy to see why Jules Verne selected Snæfell for his adventure: the peak was torn apart
when the volcano beneath it exploded and then collapsed back into its own magma cham-
ber, forming a huge caldera. Among certain New Age groups, Snæfellsjökull is considered
one of the world's great 'power centres'.
Today the crater is filled with the ice cap (highest point 1446m) and is a popular sum-
mer destination. The best way to reach the glacial summit is to link up with a tour in
Hellnar or Arnarstapi. They approach the peak from the south, on Rte F570; Rte F570's
northern approach (near Ólafsvík) is frustratingly rutty (4WD needed) and frequently
closed due to weather-inflicted damage.
Even the well trained and outfitted are not allowed to ascend the glacier without a local
guide; contact the National Park Visitor Centre in Hellnar for more information, or take a
tour (
Click here
)
.
Öndverðarnes
At the westernmost tip of Snæfellsnes, Rte 574 cuts south, while Rte 579, a tiny gravel and
occasionally surfaced track, heads further west across an ancient lava flow to the tip of the
Öndverðarnes peninsula, which is great for
whale watching
.
