Iceland Vacation, Day 5

Our driving and sightseeing today took us around the southern side of Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Iceland (it covers about 10% of the country!). From morning to evening, we saw both the westernmost and easternmost ends of the glacier--about 90 miles across. It is an impressive presence to have in the background at all times.

(Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Our first stop was for a hike through Múlagljúfur Canyon, the most rugged (least developed) site of all the nature spots we've been in Iceland. From the gravel parking lot, we were on our own to find the start of the hiking trail, which is a rocky path winding up and down hills and through streams to the top of the canyon. From there we could see the waterfall Hangandifoss across the canyon and, in the distance, the glacier.

Then we drove to Breiðamerkursandur, which tourists call Diamond Beach. It's a black volcanic sand beach next to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, and its "diamonds" are the large and small icebergs that wash up after breaking off from Breiðamerkurjökull, a glacial tongue of Vatnajökull. The icebergs float out of the lagoon and into the ocean during low tide and then are washed up on shore during high tide.

We ate our dinner from the food stands in the parking lot. From there, we were meant to board "super jeeps" (heavily modified four-wheel-drive vehicles for rugged terrain) to take us to the glacier to explore the Crystal Ice Cave. However, due to high winds (around 60 miles per hour!), the ice cave tours and other activities on the lagoon were canceled today. We will be back tomorrow, though, for another event here ... stay tuned!

Then it was back in the rental cars for a drive to Stokksnes Peninsula near Vestrahorn Mountain. There we explored a Viking village recreation. It is a film set built for a movie that was never finished, but now it is a popular tourist attraction. Its setting--with the mountain behind it and the black sand beach and Atlantic Ocean in front of it--made it easy to imagine Vikings settling here.

To end the day, we drove to Höfn, an Icelandic fishing town, and ate supper (cod) at Hafnarbúðin near the docks. Our accommodations for the night were just outside of town in Rey Stays, studio units built with north-facing terraces. The other two couples joined Susan and me in our unit, and we had drinks and snacks and visited before bed. And, of course, we saw more Northern Lights!