Southeast Iceland - Iceland - page 643

Dalshöfði Guesthouse GUESTHOUSE
( 861 4781; [e-mail] ; s/d without bathroom incl breakfast Ikr12,300/17,600; May-
Oct)
A good option in this area is Dalshöfði Guesthouse, in a remote and scenic farm setting
6km north of the Ring Road. Rooms are bright and spotless, with kitchen access and sunny
outdoor deck. There's a two-bedroom apartment here too.
Skaftafell (Vatnajökull National Park - South)
Skaftafell, the jewel in the crown of Vatnajökull National Park, encompasses a breathtak-
ing collection of peaks and glaciers. It's the country's favourite wilderness: 300,000 visit-
ors per year come to marvel at thundering waterfalls, twisted birch woods, the tangled web
of rivers threading across the sandar, and brilliant blue-white Vatnajökull with its lurching
tongues of ice, dripping down mountainsides like icing on a cake.
Skaftafell deserves its reputation, and few visitors - even those who usually shun the
great outdoors - can resist it. In the height of summer it may feel that every traveller in the
country is here. However, if you're prepared to get out on the more-remote trails and take
advantage of the fabulous hiking on the heath and beyond, you'll leave the crowds behind.
Another great option: visit in winter.
There has been a significant growth in winter travel to the region, with the strong draws
of Northern Lights and ice caves (which become solid and safe for visiting in the coldest
months). You can still do glacier walks in winter - and the glaciers look more pristine (tak-
ing on that blue hue so beloved of photographers). In the right conditions, Svartifoss
freezes in January-February (on the flipside, in winter the falls are not always accessible,
due to slippery, unsafe tracks).
All flora, fauna and natural features of the park are protected, open fires are prohibited
and rubbish must be carried out. In the busy area around Skaftafellsheiði, stick to the
tracks to avoiding damaging delicate plant life.
There's very little accommodation close to the park, and hotels in the southeast are in
incredible demand in summer - so you'll need either a tent or a firm hotel booking if
you're heading this way and want to explore properly.