Day 03 of 12 Day Roadtrip Iceland Kirkjubaejarklaustur Hoefn
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 12-02-2021
Route Summary
This is day 3 of a 12 day Road Trip on Iceland. Driving in Iceland is a great experience whether you travel by car or as described in this review by motorcycle.
These routes are based on information about Iceland that you can find on the Internet, especially from the Guide to Iceland, where you can find a wealth of information to prepare you well for your trip. The material on this site has been compiled with great care, the link can be found in the review of the first route in this series.
You drive through landscapes that are varied and beautiful, you see glacier tongues, volcanic mountains, geothermal areas with active geysers, lava fields, craters, forests, waterfalls and incredibly rugged stretches of coast.
The routes in the north are part of the 'Arctic Coast Way'
The main roads are of good quality but you also drive a lot on gravel roads, so not suitable for road motorcycles. Some of these roads are sometimes closed due to the weather. It is therefore important that you check the weather forecasts and the situation of the roads every day before you leave, this information can be found on the website of "Icelandic Meteorological Office" and for the roads on the website of "The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration" " The links are in the review.
Due to the Icelandic climate, this trip can only be made in the summer.
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Verdict
Duration
2h 58m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
224.22 km
Countries
Route 1 Iceland
RouteXpert Review
On the third day you drive from Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Höfn. This day will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of this road trip, as you will visit two of Iceland's most popular locations: the Skaftafell nature reserve and the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. The Skaftafell nature reserve can be reached from Kirkjubæklaustur in just under an hour via Route 1. Just like the Snæfellsnes peninsula, Skaftafell Nature Reserve has an enormously varied range of landscapes and functions. Parts of it are covered with lava fields, black sand and green forests.
Glacier tongues of the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull and Svinafellsjökull, extend into it and are easily accessible on foot. This 'water glacier' is the largest glacier in Iceland and the second largest in Europe, only that of Spitsbergen is larger. It has an area of approximately 8,400 km² and is therefore larger than all glaciers in Norway and the Alps combined. In 1996 a major volcano eruption occurred under the glacier. A lot of water gathered in the slightly more northerly located volcano lake Grimsvötn. This flooded, releasing a huge amount of water from under the glacier. The Jökulhlaup washed away everything it encountered. There is also the possibility to participate in an expedition or fly with a Sight Seeing flight.
At RP3 you can turn right to visit Diamond Beach, this beach is particularly known for its beautiful shiny ice blocks that wash ashore on the black beach. It is only a short drive to the next highlight; the Jökulsárlón Lagoon (RP4), the best known and largest glacier lake in Iceland. It lies south of the Vatnajökull glacier between the Skaftafell National Park and the town of Höfn. The glacier lake is quite new, since it only came into existence in the years 1934-1935. Here you have the possibility to take a boat or hoovercraft tour on this beautiful glacier lake.
You continue the journey via route 1 to Stokksnes (RP5) to admire the mighty Vestrahorn Mountain. Then you drive a little back to the village of Höfn (RP6) where you spend the night.
I rate this route with 4 stars because of the beautiful nature parks and good roads. Along the way there is much to see and do.
Diamond Beach
Jökulsárlón lagoon
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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