32 Kjölur 22 F336 Sprengisandur F26 To Djúpavogur and Seyðisfjörður Djúpavogur To To Akureyri 30 1 7 31 8 3 1 6 5 23 27 29 4 26 1 Useful telephone numbers Road Conditions: 1777 10 11 Weather Information: 902-0600 Emergency Number: 112 9 24 2 Special driving & traffic information Speed limits The speed limit in urban areas is normally 50 km per hour. Outside towns, it is 90 km, on To Keflavik Int. Airport 42 28 paved roads and 80 km on gravel roads. 21 Warning Domestic animals are often close to, or even Check weather and road on, country roads. Drivers who hit animals conditions tel. 1777 14 25 may be required to pay for the damage. or at www.road.is 15 17 Travellers intending to explore out-of-the-way areas are encouraged to use the Travellers’ Reporting Service ICE-SAR, tel. 570-5900 13 12 18 16 Published by South Iceland Marketing Office 2016 20 Photos: Páll Jökull Pétursson, Þórir Niels Kjartansson, Ásborg Arnþórsdóttir, Arcanum, 19 Þorvarður Árnason, Katla Geopark, Glacierjeeps ehf, Laufey Guðmundsdóttir, Hótel Geysir, Visit Vatnajökull, Sigurdís Lilja Guðjónsdóttir, Sveinbjörn Jónsson, and others. Design and layout: Páll Jökull Pétursson. Printing: Prentmet, Selfossi Katla Geopark boundaries BOOK Scheduled NOW! buses & bus passports. 661-1810 www.ioyo.is Hotel Örk – Hveragerði ribsafari.is NATURE HIGHLIGHTS 7 Geysir 14 Merkjárfoss/Gluggafoss 22 Vatnajökull Geysir has lent its name to the English language in – Waterfall National Park ABOUT SOUTH ICELAND order to christen the phenomenon of the periodically The Merkjá River has several beautiful waterfalls, The national park includes the ice cap and 1 Hveragerði - Geothermal spouting hot springs. You can walk around the Geysir but the most outstanding is Gluggafoss or Window its surroundings, with a total area of 13,952 The South of Iceland is unique and it is the part of the park area, a geothermal field where hot springs are in Falls (also known as Merkjárfoss). The upper half km2, or 14% of Iceland. Few places in the abundance, geysers explode and pools of mud of the cliff is palagonite or tuff rock and the lower world exhibit such a wide range of natural country visited by far the greatest numbers of foreign Right inside the town of bubble. Strokkur gives a performance every few ledge is basalt. The river has formed tunnels and phenomena. The battle between ice and travellers. Everything that makes Iceland interesting to Hveragerði there is an area minutes, shooting a tower of water and steam 30 grooves through the soft rock and a series of fire still rages within the park boundaries. of hot springs from which the visit can be found in South Iceland all the year round. metres into the air and Blesi with water the colour „windows“ in the tunnels, thereby earning the Vatnajökull - the world’s most voluminus 28 Ingólfshöfði – Headland community derives its name of turquoise delights the senses. name “Gluggafoss“. glacier outside of the arctic regions. The At the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Ingólfshöfði is a headland which is isolated by (hver = hot spring). The hot glacier seems so close to the people of black sands and perilous rivers from the rest of the mainland. However, it is home to History surrounds you everywhere, both ancient springs of Hveragerði are 8 Gullfoss - Waterfall 15 Þórsmörk – Valley Southeast Iceland that they sometimes thousands of nesting seabirds, especially puffins and the great skua. This historical and recent. Other highlights are creative art, culture, among the most remarkable Gullfoss is actually two separate waterfalls, Þórsmörk is a beautiful woodland nature refer to the ice as if it were part of their cape is named after the first settler of Iceland, Ingólfur Arnarson, who spent his first flourishing trade and endless possibilities to enjoy South Iceland natural attractions of South the upper one has a drop of 11 metres and reserve surrounded by rugged and backyard. Each of the icefalls and glacier tongues flowing towards the lowlands winter there with his family after moving to Iceland, 874-875. Iceland. Visitors to the hot the lower one 21 metres. The rock of the majestic mountains, glaciers and glacial possesses an individual character and offers a variety of scenes. outdoor life in all seasons. But above all there is the springs can learn about river bed was formed during an interglacial rivers. Þórsmörk can only be reached all 29 Jökulsárlón – awesome and rugged nature stretching from the geothermal energy and the period. For thousands of years the river has year round on 4 x 4 and scheduled busses 23 Lakagígar - Craters Glacial lagoon springs, which include Dynkur, spouting regularly, Ruslahver which has an interesting mountains and down to the sea. followed its course delighting tourists with during the summer. Two unique hiking Lakagígar (Laki Craters) lie in a row, 25 km in length, The size of the main lagoon, called Jökulsárlón, history, and many more. beauty and power. paths lead to Þórsmörk; Laugavegur in Síðumannaafréttur in the Highlands. The craters is about 20 square kilometres. In 1932 the from Landmannalaugar and Fimmvörðuháls from Skógar. stretch from the tuff mountain Hnúta to the northeast same area was still covered by ice. Many In all seasons of the year tourists can find something to 2 Arnarker – Cave through Mt. Laki (818 m above sea level), ending at species of fish are found there, as well as Arnarker is an interesting cave in the their liking. In winter the sun is reflected on the pearly 9 Urriðafoss - Waterfall 16 Skógafoss – Waterfall Vatnajökull. Mt. Laki commands splendid views of the seals, which can number into the hundreds Leitarhraun lava field. A marked path white snow, on long dark winter nights the northern Urriðafoss is a voluminous waterfall in Þjórsá One of Iceland’s most splendid waterfalls, craters and the surrounding landscape. Lakagígar are during winter. leads from the information sign by the river, where the river falls off the margin Skógafoss tumbles 60 metres from the cliffs by a part of Vatnajökull National Park, the largest national lights dance around the starlit sky and the moon road to the cave, and a ladder has been of Þjórsárhraun lava field (360 m³/sec) Skógar. Before cascading off the cliffs as park in western Europe. 30 Haukafell – wanders through the clouds. At such times beauty, placed at its opening. Take great care Free Tourist Map in beautiful and peaceful surroundings. Skógafoss, the river flows through the Skógárgil Recreation area when inspecting the cave. peace and quiet reign, unforgettable to those who Þjórsárhraun lava field is the greatest gorge, which boasts more than twenty 24 Eldgjá – Eruptive fissure In 1985 the local Forestry Society started experience it. Trips across the highlands as well as the lava flow on earth since the Ice Age. The waterfall is located right off highway nr. 1. more waterfalls, each with its own charm. In Skaftártunguafréttur in West-Skaftafellssýsla, close planting saplings at Haukafell. Not only are to Kirkjubæjarklaustur, the eruptive fissure Eldgjá is the trees now becoming established, but lowlands are an indescribable adventure during both 10 Hekla – Volcano 17 Mýrdalsjökull – Glacier to be found. Eldgjá is an approximately 40 km long there are bountiful berries to be picked every 3 Þingvellir – summer and winter. National Park One of the most famous volcanoes in the Mýrdalsjökull‘s peak reaches 1493 metres and Katla eruptive fissure, 600 metres wide in many places and August. This pleasant outdoor spot also has world, Hekla is believed to have erupted at Volcano inside the glacier erupts on average every up to 200 metres deep. When it was formed around a good campsite and washing facilities. At Þingvellir the national assembly was least twenty times since the settlement of 40-60 years. Sixteen eruptions have been recorded year 934, there were probably eruptions along the The farmers mind their farms. All the year it is busy in established around 930 and continued Iceland, and five times in the 20th century. since the settlement of Iceland over 1100 years ago, whole extent of it. Eldgjá and its surrounding area is 31 Heinaberg – the country, and in spring the land is covered with its to convene there until 1798. Many crucial The last eruption was in February 2000. the last one in 1918. a part of Vatnajökull National Park . Mountain events in Icelandic history took place at summer foliage. Life outdoors and trips assume a new The Heinaberg area is part of the national Þingvellir and it is at the heart of Icelandic form: hiking tours, riding trips, angling in rivers and 11 Landmannalaugar 18 Sólheimajökull – Glacier 25 Eldhraun – Moss park, and offers interesting sets of basalt nationhood. No less remarkable is the – Volcano region Sólheimajökull glacier flows south of Mýrdalsjökull covered lava field columns in addition to the glacier tongue lakes. Nature takes on a new look: hot springs, lava fields, geology of Þingvellir. Visitors can get an Landmannalaugar is a region near the volcano glacier in a U-shaped valley. It is about 8 km long In 1783 a huge lava flow streamed from Lakagígar Heinabergsjökull and the lagoon. The valley interpretation of the history and nature volcanoes, waterfalls, the highlands, glaciers, rivers and Hekla in the southern section of Iceland’s and 1-2 km wide. The glacier advanced about 900 in what became known as the „Skaftá Fires“. This Heinabergsdalur, 7 km long, reaches of Þingvellir and find hiking trails and lakes. All life is reborn after the frosts of winter and the highlands. The area displays a number of metres during the last few centuries, but retreated is believed to have been one of the greatest lava to Vatnsdalur valley, which ice used to dam off and keep full of water.