Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
glacier tongue of Iceland's second-largest ice cap, Langjökull, calves into the lake and cre-
ates icebergs, adding to the beauty of this spot.
In the marshy grasslands northeast of Hvítárvatn is Ferðafélag Íslands' oldest hut,
Hvítárnes, built in 1930. From the Kjölur road, where the bus will drop you, it's an 8km
walk along the 4WD track to the hut.
Kerlingarfjöll
Until the 1850s Icelanders believed that this mountain range (10km off Rte 35 on Rte
F347) harboured the worst outlaws. It was thought they lived deep in the heart of the
150-sq-km range in an isolated Shangri-la-type valley. So strong was this belief that it was
only in the mid-19th century that anyone ventured into Kerlingarfjöll, and it was only in
1941 that the range was properly explored by Ferðafélag Íslands (Iceland Touring Associ-
ation).
It's certainly dramatic. The colourful landscape is broken up into jagged peaks and
ridges, the highest of which is Snækollur (1477m), and it's scattered with hot springs. A
stunningly colourful 5km (90-minute) walk leads from the Highland Centre to the geo-
thermal area of Hveradalir. Alternatively, you can drive 15 minutes to a parking area at Mt
Keis, from where Hveradalir is a short walk.
At
Kerlingarfjöll Highland Centre
( summer 664 7878, year-round 664 7000;
www.kerlingarfjoll.is
;sites per person Ikr1550, d with bathroom incl breakfast Ikr29,300; mid-
Jun-mid-Sep; )
there is a handful of huts and houses, with various bathroom configura-
tions and linen options (sleeping-bag accommodation Ikr4950 to Ikr6500). There's also a
campsite, guest kitchen, simple restaurant and natural hot-pots. Check the website for de-
tails of local trails. Note: petrol is not available here (despite its symbol still appearing on
some maps and signs).
Hveravellir
Hveravellir is a popular geothermal area of fumaroles and hot springs, signposted 30km
north of the Kerlingarfjöll turn-off (approximately 90km north of Gullfoss). Among its
warm pools are the brilliant-blue Bláhver; Öskurhólshver, which emits a constant stream
of hissing steam; and a luscious human-made bathing pool. Another hot spring, Eyvin-
durhver, is named after the outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur. Hveravellir is reputedly one of the
many highland hideouts of this renegade.
