SummaryI explore some of Iceland’s most breathtaking landscapes on Day 10 of The Nordic Series, hiking to Svartifoss and the Skaftafellsjökull glacier viewpoint before making a challenging journey to Stokksnes. From dramatic waterfalls and glacier views to black sand beaches, dunes, and the Vestrahorn mountains, the day is filled with adventure, harsh weather, and unforgettable scenery that goes beyond all my expectations. |
THE NORDIC SERIES, DAY 10
ICELAND
Is it the most impressive landscape ever? There is honestly no rest to be had here in Iceland if you do it properly. Our itinerary is full to the brim with activities, most of which are completely unique to Sjonarnipa, Iceland!
THE LANDSCAPE OF STOKKSNES IS STUNNING
Today, it’s another hike, but we are able to kill two birds with one stone. We see Svartifoss Waterfall and the Skaftafellsjökull glacier viewpoint, both of which are on the Sjonarnipa trail in Iceland!
WHERE IS SKAFTAFELL?
SVARTIFOSS
Svartifoss is an easy 40-minute walk from the visitor centre. Although Iceland is covered with waterfalls, it’s entirely unique among them. Basalt columns line the top of the waterfall’s ridge, creating an impressive backdrop. Here, the snow was good to us and made some of the images even more impressive!
SJONARNIPA
The hike up to the Sjonarnipa viewpoint was a lot easier than the initial hike to the waterfall. The rewards at the end, however, are incredible and help you comprehend the sheer size and mass of these glaciers.
This time of year has proven to be perfect. There really aren’t the crowds I was afraid of. We had the entire hike and viewpoint to ourselves, all three hours of it. My advice: bring a flask of tea and a sandwich so you can sit and take it in, something I just don’t do enough of.
KEEP MOVING
After heading back to the hotel for another bite, I thought it would be good to get on our way and head up to Stokksnes Island on the far east coast, near the town of Höfn. With good roads, it’s 1 hr 30 mins one way, so we had no idea how long it would take in these conditions, but all I know is that I saw photos and I wanted to go! I warned the others that I wasn’t entirely sure it was their thing, but they were keen to join me, or rather sleep in the jeep.
DANGEROUS
Only 10 minutes into the journey, we saw another victim of the weather: a lorry had completely lost its front end. Don’t ask me how, because there wasn’t another vehicle in sight, and nothing else could have crashed into it.
Anyway, after the policewoman initially told us we might have to wait an hour for it to be moved, she let us through. Thank God, as we didn’t have an extra 10 minutes, let alone an hour. Daft if you ask me, as it wasn’t even on the road!
STOKKSNES ISLAND
It was getting dark at this stage, but we finally made it to Stokksnes, and what a dream it was, with the mix of its rugged black beach, grassy dunes, and one of the most impressive mountain ranges as the backdrop! If you appreciate stark natural beauty, then you’ll be blown away! It was one of the country’s first settlements and has been in the same family for hundreds of years, so expect to pay an entry fee; road maintenance isn’t cheap in the wilderness!
After this, we began the 2-hour drive in worsening conditions, and the number of cars ending up in the ditch grew and grew. Thankfully, we weren’t one of them…yet!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Iceland seems to be going above and beyond my expectations, not sure how that’s possible!
NEXT UP
Walking through ice caves tomorrow!! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
138/229
This post is part of The Nordic Series, click to explore or for episode 1 click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
Question Time
- Have you been to Skaftafell?
- Did you do any hikes?
- What was your experience like?
Let me know in the comments below . . .
