Incredible Icelandic highlands - summer 2023
This time our objective was to visit southern highlands as much as possible. This part of the island is accessible only in summer months as it involves driving on F roads and crossing rivers. And it was AMAZING! We thought we had seen already so much of Iceland but this time again new places positively surprised us with wonderful views.
To visit highlands you need to have a steady car - the bigger, the better! (And the more expensive!) We got a Toyota Hilux and it served its purpose well! Some people even though we were locals! Hahaaaa!
This summer we were also extremely lucky with the weather. We stayed for 8 days and it rained only on two mornings!
If you really want to enjoy the highlands, first you have to study the F roads and river crossing rules. I used a lot of info prepared by my friend Igor from Epic Iceland. But once you get to your first river, we’ll, that’s your first test!
As our base we had chosen several places in the south and we moved around according to the weather and also complexity of F roads. We really wanted to start with easier ones to be sure not to get into any trouble and make news in Icelandic local newspapers.
Road F225 that passes the mighty Hekla and goes to Landmannalaugar is considered as a good road to start adventures. It’s extremely scenic and only with one river crossing. We had driven this road already before and it is truly amazing! Just like moon most of the time changing to impressive craters and with an amazing Hekla just next.
Hekla is still overdo and it is always a bit uncomfortable to be so close to it knowing that the warning to evacuate would be only 20 min before the volcano explodes…
On the way to Landmannalaugar there is an interesting waterfall - Raudufossar - the red one. Indeed it is more special than other ones due to its red colour.
If you just want to have a quick look, it will not work. There is 1.5 km walk to it and also a possibility to have an amazing view point, so do count at least 1 h for visiting the place.
The river crossing is just before Landmannalaugar. When we travelled the water levels were really low, we crossed it quickly without giving a much thought. We actually thought that that was just a stream and a real one would be much further!
Landmannalaugar is a true gem. We had seen it before, so we just passed through and had a lunch with the most amazing view. Not bad, huh?
We were more interested in the road F208 or Landmannalaugar south. It is considered as one of the most beautiful roads and it did not disappoint!
Finally we also got to the first real river crossing. Normally these rivers are considered as medium crossings. In dry weather it is also possible to cross in Dacia Duster or Jimny. But still, one should not make any stupid moves.
It had not rained for 10 or so days, so water levels in general were low and we could cross all rivers on the way without checking them too much before. They all were clear and it was easy to see the ground. You just need to adhere to normal river crossing rules like follow the indications if any and do as locals do (with a condition you have the same size car).
Note that the drive is really long. Google would say 2 h or so but with all the stops I think for us it was 5 or so! So much to see and enjoy!
We don’t go to the same places often but we definitely wanted to see Huldujokull once again! It’s a whole day hike from the Thagkil camping. And it did not disappoint at all. It’s one of the most incredible places in the world. Where else can you be just next to a glacier, hear ice cracking, enjoy waterfalls thundering down and enjoy several rainbows the same time??? We could observe global warming in its full action. One year later the central waterfall had doubled! We definitely did not expect that.
The walk to the glacier and back is impressive all the way, count at least 6 h for a round trip.
While at Thagkil, we could feel that the river has a strong smell of sulphur. There are no hot springs in that area, so we found it a bit weird. After some research, we found that rivers around Katla indeed smell sulphur if there is volcanic activity. Indeed Katla had some earthquakes around that time, so it made sense. Katla is also overdue and is considered as one of the most dangerous volcanos in Iceland.
On the way home we could observe an amazing phenomenon- a rolling fog! I had heard about it but had never seen it. The fog was moving of a speed of a car! It looked so beautiful!
Once we were into it, it was almost pitch black! A totally surreal experience!
Our next day’s objective was to see the mighty Maelifell! There are several roads that you can take to get there. We opted for the easiest as it also has a dream-come-true scenic spot- where you cross the river above the waterfall!
We took the old Oldufell road. I don’t know why but this road is not marked in Google maps! You just need to take a detour on the left from 209 - the sign is clear. Somebody was writing that it’s a boring road, I would not agree - there are amazing views all the way.
The road is not too difficult most of the time, just very narrow (really would not know what to do if two cars are in front on each other and need to pass) and it takes a long time to arrive at Maelifell.
But there is an amazing gift on the way - the crossing of river just above Bláfjallafoss. Be aware that if you come from south you will have a surprise - the river crossing is just after the view point! We did not expect it and it was already there! The water was not too deep but the river bed was very rocky and the car was shaking a lot but what an amazing experience!!! Also to get out of the river you really need to have a very good grip! While we were there we saw a Dacia Duster crossing it too. And we met a group of Slovak cyclists going to Akureyri! That’s a loooooong way!
When approaching Maelifell the views change dramatically and suddenly you are in the middle of a black desert. And you are all alone! Maelifell is often in clouds so we were extremely lucky to see it in his full glory.
Soon enough the wind was picking up and we could see a sand storm slowly forming around the mountain. A glacier, a green volcano and a black never ending horizon… just wooow wow wow!
Just next to Maelifell there is a wonderful crater - Raudibotn. Just there is one small problem - a big river to cross - Holmsa. It is indeed considered as a big one, can be up to 70 cm deep and it has some deeper parts in it and it is also large! For river crossing newbies like us it felt like a mission impossible. We decided to have our lunch and wait until somebody else crosses. That is usually the best technique if you are not sure. Well, actually, if you are not sure, then you should not cross! Finally we saw a modified camper crossing the river and it came all the way to us! It was a Swiss couple who had realised that we were not sure if it was a good idea to cross or not. They explained that the river is at least 20 cm lower in water than usually. Still it looked very deep in one point. Anyway, we followed the tips and crossed it like pros - just going slowly! That’s rule No 1 not to get into trouble.
In the end we did not go to the crater, a sand storm was getting stronger and we did not want to be caught up in it. However, we had a quick visit Axlafoss. Nothing that we had not seen before but still a nice spot to enjoy.
We used F210 for our way home. There were no more river crossings but the road was quite technical with many bends and steep parts. On the way back we had a quick stop at Sólheimajökull. I think I have seen it 4 times and each time it is different and each time it is worth it!
We stayed in a lovely place - Hotel Dimon. A very caring owner and a hot tub is always welcome! That night it was raining a lot. The morning, however, looked bright so we decided to go to Thorsmork on our own. Last summer we made the 26 km hike Skogar - Thorsmork, so we knew how amazing it is there and we wanted to see it in a good weather. The road F249 to Thorsmork is only 30 km long but there are many rivers to cross and it is considered dangerous and technical. The closer you are to the final destination, the bigger the rivers are! We started confident that we, and our Hilux could do it! By now we were river crossing experts! We crossed one, then another, one more… easy peasy! And then we arrived at the one coming from Gigjokull… hmmm… it did not look good… to decide to cross or not you can use the question - would you cross it on foot? If not, then it’s normally a no go… The river was very fast and grey, not possible to estimate the real depth and we did not want to go into it and check. So we decided that our trip was over… and we went with heavy hearts to see the glacier. One might think that you can get to Gigjokull only when crossing rivers but no - there is a foot path on the right from the first river crossing. It’s a truly beautiful place.
When we came back we still decided to hang by the river just in case we decided to cross. We waited for 1.5 h and were collecting useful info. Of course, super jeeps and busses had no problem to cross. There was a group of Czhechs in Toyota Land Cruiser but they turned back as on safe travels chat they had been advised not to go to Thorsmork. As it had rained in the night, the water level was very high! There were some SUVs that had crossed the rivers the day before and now had troubles to get back! They had no choice! With engines fuming they still managed! So for us it was a clear sign - if they did it, we can do it! There was also a young and crazy Jimny driver who decided to cross (and it worked). On our way we also saw some very stupid and irresponsible tourists that would cross against all the rules. This time they managed but often it ends badly. While waiting we met a lovely Spanish couple and decided to try the crossings together. Whoohoooo, we did it! And then the next one was even bigger! And the river was really long and deep but we made it.
We arrived in Thorsmork quite late with all the adventures, so we had time only for one hike - Valahnjúkur viewpoint. It starts at the back of Langidalur camping, the path is marked with white sticks. You have to leave the car at an improvised parking and cross Krossa river on foot. There are two foot bridges and you need to use a ladder to get on and off. One is not comfortable at all!
The hike up to the view point is not too hard and in 40 min or so you will be rewarded with amazing views!
The rivers are usually getting bigger later in the evening as ice is melting. So we decided to get back. This time the crossings were even harder as visibility was more difficult due to the angle of the sun and yes, they felt more powerful and water was a bit up.
We had a quick peak in the Stakkholtsgjá canyon on our way.
It’s definitely worth to visit the whole canyon but we felt we needed to go before the water increased even more. So maybe next time. This whole day was such a learning and emotional roller coaster. All those questions - should we cross, should we go etc. But we are extremely happy that we did it! Conclusion- if you are not sure 100% about crossing - wait, observe, learn and then decide!
The next day looked to be grey so we decided to check out a little canyon just next to the place we were staying. Nauthúsagil is a little hidden gem, you can get there without any river crossings. It felt like a fairy tale. As it had rained in the night, everything was green and fresh.
At the end of the path you need to use a chain to climb up to see the waterfall itself. It looked too slippery to us so we skipped it.
Our next objective was to find puffins. We had seen them already before but usually from far. We had heard from a fellow traveler that there were still plenty at Dyrhólaey. And there were! Just by the lighthouse! These little clowns of the sea were just there. We could observe them like 3 m from us. We stayed there for hours just to observe their burrows and how they go about their daily business. Puffin couples stay together forever! They are together on land to take care of chicks and then do their own business during winter before getting back together in summer again. Fascinating birds!
Did you know that there is a Yoda cave in Iceland? The day was not over so we decided to check it out. It is just behind Vic. We thought that there would be nobody but no, the whole ring road tourism was there! There was a queue to take a picture!
What is more interesting than the cave, is a little road that goes to the sea! The beach is beautiful and wild! The waves were raging. If you go there, be careful!
The next day we decided to go back to to the Raudibotn crater. We had a window of a few hours without rain and we started the day early. We were the first ones to arrive at the parking and it was amazing to have the place to ourselves. I think we discovered another favourite spot for us! There are two ways how to get to the crater - if you follow the river on the right, the hike is easy. If you follow the path further, you get to the amazing Hólmsárfossar and the lake. If the sky is clear, the colours will be amazing!
On the way back we decided to climb up a little hill to have a view on Maelifell. And it was woooow!!!
If you don’t want to cross the river, this is the best view point, just follow the yellow sticks. It looked like the path was brand new. We could also observe rain coming in!
The weather was not stable for the rest of the day so we decided to take it easy and check out Kirkjubæjarklaustur village. On our way we noticed that some civil protection cars were bringing some barriers in the highlands and we thought the river just next to our cottage was extremely agitated, almost black! We had never seen a river like that. And then we got a message - evacuation! There was a possibility of a subglacial lake to overflow and flood the whole region. 
When we asked the owner of the cottage if we should evacuate, she just laughed and said it was probably a mistake… The highest level of water was expected in 8 h during the night… and the river was 200 m from our cottage… hmmm… that did not sound very reassuring so we decided to leave.
In the end we ended up in one of the worst stays we ever had! We never managed to get our money back. Before I believed that booking would actually care for its clients but well… not really! Even good reviews can bring you to dirty places.
The next day we had to head back to Keflavík. The holidays were over. With a conclusion that we need to explore highlands even more! Next year! 😎