SKAFTAFELL NATIONAL PARK

The continuous fusion of fire and ice is dramatically performed against a backdrop of primitive beauty in this corner of south-east Iceland.

Skaftafell National Park is often regarded as the most magnificent area in a country whose endless landscapes define magnificence. Nestling on sandy plains, beneath encroaching glaciers and forbidding mountains, it is an accessible green paradise in the midst of a region dominated by ice.

Endless variety Skaftafell is a perfect example of an active glacial landscape and is filled with textbook examples of associated landforms such as hanging valleys, rolling hills, ridges of sandy moraine, tranquil lakes, tumbling rivers and jagged rocks. The glaciers themselves resemble strange ice sculptures, with shimmering arches and shadowy tunnels that are all the more beautiful for their impermanency.

Sheltered by mountains and glaciers, the national park can boast more sunshine hours, less rainfall and a milder climate than any other part of southern Iceland. However, there is no shortage of water which gushes from rocks, bubbles from crevasses, trickles in brooks and surges through rivers. On a calm summer evening, there is a special quality to the light that further heightens the effect of the scenery.

A glacial kingdom Established in 1967 and expanded in 1984, Skaftafell National Park now covers about 1,600 sq km. Skaftafell is situated at the southern extent of the massive Vatnajökull glacier which is, excluding Greenland, the largest expanse of inland ice in Europe. The park also includes three valley glaciers that have squeezed their way southwards from the main ice sheet.

These include Skaftafellsjökull (part of the larger Öræfajökull glacier); Morsárjökull, which descends by successive waterfalls into the Morsá valley; and Skeidarárjökull, which measures 25km across with a sandur, or outwash plain, that extends 20km to the coast. The glaciers are still active, groaning and creaking as they advance or retreat – Skaftafellsjökull, for example, can recede up to a metre every day, dropping debris as it goes.

Jökulhlaup When farms built on the sandur were destroyed by lava flows in the 14th century, the area became known as Öræfi (meaning ‘wasteland’). As recently as 1996, volcanic activity beneath a glacier resulted in the dramatic and devastating release of water and ice that is known as a jökulhlaup. The sheer power of such an eruption is breathtaking. The flow cut a canyon into the ice margin 1km long, 250m wide and 40m deep.

The topography of the national park was transformed as sand and gravel flattened the Skeidarársandur to create a coastal desert. More practically, bridges were destroyed and roads made impassable, virtually isolating south-east Iceland for several days. It is not surprising that the area is of great interest to geologists and glacial scientists, for whom Skaftafell is more than mere beautiful scenery.

Svartifoss About 45 minutes’ walk from the main campsite, Svartifoss, ‘the black waterfall’, is the park’s major attraction. There are mightier waterfalls in Iceland, such as Gullfoss or Godofoss, but few are as instantly recognisable.

Svartifoss obtains its name not from the colour of its waters, which foam white over the cliff edge, but from the black basalt columns that flank the waterfall. Arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern, the rocks hang off the cliff face like the pipes of an organ and were the inspiration for the architectural design of the National Theatre in Reykjavík.

Hiking in Skaftafell The national park contains enough hiking trails to keep walkers of all abilities occupied for several days. Most paths are well marked with signs that indicate distances as well as approximate times.

Tracks to landmarks such as Svartifoss and Skaftafellsheidi heath are popular to the point of overuse but elsewhere, hikers can lose the crowds and strike out for a different perspective. It is possible to climb almost any of the nearby mountains for dramatic views and endless photo opportunities.

The Kristínartindar trail, for example, is a strenuous six hour climb from sea level to 1,100m above the plains. The path passes a number of waterfalls, including the strangely named Hundafoss, or ‘Dog Falls’. Its name is believed to derive from stories of travellers who often lost their dogs over the cliffs when fording the flood-swollen river.

The Kristínartindar trail gradually rises through an increasingly sparse landscape to eventually reach the peak of Nyrdrihnaukur and its views of the Morsárdalur valley below. This valley is itself a rewarding destination for a hike, brimming with a fine birch forest and clear springs which help the trees grow to over 12m in height.

Plants and wildlife The park’s sheltered position and rich volcanic soil encourages a profusion of lush vegetation. More than 200 species of plants have been found here, including wildflowers that carpet the plains and valleys in the summer. Insects also thrive, providing an ideal habitat for heath and upland birds such as snipe, brambling, skua, meadow pipit and redwing. A sub-species of wren, unique to Iceland, is also known to nest in the park.

© National Parks Europe
National Parks Europe is a guidebook which provides holiday ideas for single travellers, couples, families and groups of all ages and abilities.

Buy the National Parks Europe guide from Amazon