Adventures in Iceland

South Coast and Glacier Hike

South Coast and Glacier Hike

The South Coast of Iceland is full of wonders. Magnificent waterfalls, black sand beaches, steep cliffs and breathtaking glaciers are everything that will be waiting for you during our one day South Coast and Glacier Hike.

In the morning we will pick you up from your hotel or designated bus stop downtown and we will head towards Skógafoss, one of the biggest waterfalls on the South Coast. It is 15 meters wide and about 60 meters tall. There is a staircase on the right side of the waterfall that leads to the view platform on the top. At the top of the staircase is the trailhead for the Fimmvörðuháls hike, a beautiful 25 kilometers hike to Þórsmörk valley. An old Icelandic folk story says that the first settler in the area Þrosi Þórólfsson has hidden a treasure under the waterfall. Many volunteers tried to find it in the river, but all they could find was a ring from the chest. The ring was fitted to the church door in Skógar. After demolishing the church the ring has been moved to a display in Skógar Folk Museum.

Our next stop will be the amazing glacier hike on Sólheimajökull glacier. Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier fed by the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap – the 4th biggest glacier in Iceland. The glacier catches the travelers eye already from the main road. Leaving the bus you will put on a harness and a helmet and crampons will be fitted to your shoes. Next you will walk along the path leading to the glacier for about 15 minutes to enjoy the areas natural beauty. This distance shows how much the glacier has melted since 1995, when the edge of Sólheimajökull was next to the parking lot. You will experience hiking on the glacier, your guide will take you safely through deep crevasses, moulins, ice caves and other wonders of the glacier.

After the hike we will head towards the Black Sand Beach Reynisfjara where also we will get some lunch. Reynisfjara is a sandy black beach close to close to the town of Vík. The beach was created during a volcanic flood called jökulhlaup after an eruption in the Katla volcano. One of the more popular sites on the beach is a large columnar basalt cave called Hálsnefshellir. On the eastern side of Reynisfjara out in the sea we can find the 66 meter tall Reynisdrangar rock pillars. Legend says they used to be trolls turned to stone with the first ray of sunshine.

Our last stop on the way back to Reykjavik will be Seljalandsfoss, a magnificent 60 meter tall waterfall that takes its origin from the glacier Eyjafjallajökull. A small cave behind the waterfall and the pathway leading through it gives you an opportunity to take amazing pictures. Just next to Seljalandsfoss is another waterfall called Gljúfrabúi – a waterfall hidden in a narrow canyon.