Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 465 2275;
www.keldunes.is
;s/d without bathroom incl breakfast Ikr12,900/18,900, cottages from
Ikr18,900; )
Modern guesthouse with great kitchen-dining area, a hot-pot, and large balconies for bird-
watching; dinner is available. There are excellent cottages with bathroom, plus some basic
cabins with sleeping-bag beds (Ikr4000). It's 11km west of Ásbyrgi.
JÖKULSÁRGLJÚFUR (VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL
PARK - NORTH)
In 2008 the Vatnajökull National Park - Europe's largest protected reserve - was formed
when Jökulsárgljúfur National Park merged with Skaftafell National Park to the south. The
idea was to protect the Vatnajökull ice cap and all of its glacial run-off under one super-
sized preserve. For more about the national park, see (
Click here
)
.
The Jökulsárgljúfur portion of the park protects a unique subglacial eruptive ridge and a
30km gorge carved out by the formidable
Jökulsá á Fjöllum
(Iceland's second-longest
river), which starts in the Vatnajökull ice cap and flows almost 200km to the Arctic Ocean
at Öxarfjörður.
Jökulhlaups
(flooding from volcanic eruptions beneath the ice cap) formed
the canyon and have carved out a chasm that averages 100m deep and 500m wide.
Vatnajökull National Park's northern section can be roughly divided into three parts.
Ásbyrgi
The northern entry. A verdant, forested plain enclosed by vertical canyon walls.
The visitor centre is here.
Vesturdalur
The middle section, with caves and fascinating geological anomalies.
Dettifoss
This mighty waterfall anchors the park's southern entrance.
A wonderful two-day hike weaves along the canyon, taking in all of the major sights en
route. If you're not so keen on hiking, the big attractions, such as the waterfalls at the
southern end of the park and horseshoe-shaped Ásbyrgi canyon at the northern end, are ac-
cessible by good sealed roads. The road between Ásbyrgi and Dettifoss is due to be sealed
sometime in the next couple of years.
Better roads and increased visitor numbers will inevitably result in more facilities and
changing transport schedules, so it's worth checking the park website (or with the visitor
centre) to see what's new. In the pipeline: rangers are developing a mountain-biking trail
through the park (note that this will be for experienced bikers, not daytrippers).
