Vatnajökull Park in Iceland: description, photo, how to get there, what to see

Huge caves of fabulous blue ice, hot rivers among ice floes, black waterfalls – this is not a fabulous landscape. Such and many other wonders created by nature can be seen and captured in Iceland‘s national park, which is called Vatnajökull.

Story

In order to understand how the existence of such extraordinary phenomena is possible, it is necessary to clarify the nature of their occurrence. Iceland is an island of volcanic origin. This island was formed due to the action of fiery matter inside the globe. At the high latitude of Iceland (the northernmost point of the island is above the Arctic Circle), the mountain peaks that form volcanoes are mostly covered with snow. But lava certainly breaks through the ice cover. Therefore, the existence of a number of fire and ice is possible here. Instead of ordinary earth or sand, layers of lava cover the earth.

Natural beauty of the park

In the southeastern part of the island of Iceland, there is a place where you can see the wonders created by nature with your own eyes – this is Vatnajökull Park, which covers an area of ​​​​12,000 km2. The uniqueness of the national park of Iceland is in the variety of natural phenomena that are not found anywhere else.

The name of the park was given by a large glacier, which covers an area of ​​about 8% of the entire territory of the country. The thickness of the ice in some places reaches 1 km. Very interesting things happen when such power of ice meets the internal energy of the earth in the form of volcanoes. The ice melts, and huge masses of water come out, making passages for themselves in the ice coat.

Under-ice rivers wash out entire caves, then the water polishes them. The result of this colossal work is caves in which the ceiling is transparent, like a diamond. The sun makes the ice shimmer like precious stones. Depending on the intensity of the lighting, the pictures are the most amazing. A camera with a backup charger should always be ready. Because you want to shoot a lot, and these miracles are unstable. Volcanoes still do their job, and the climate on the planet is changing. Therefore, you need to have time to capture what you see here.

Hot springs gush in ice caves. Daredevils take baths, after which, they say, it is very easy to breathe, the skin becomes velvety. But this is not surprising, because they contain a lot of minerals from the depths of the Earth and there are no chemical impurities. The locals consider the clean air of Iceland to be their pride. They are very close to nature, there are no production facilities in the country. Life expectancy here is 75-80 years.

The Jekulsayu au Fjedlu River originates in a glacier and on the way, having met a cliff, forms a powerful Dettifoss waterfall. There is a stunning landscape here. Water falling from a great height fascinates, attracts to itself.

Another waterfall is located in the Skaftafell park, which since 2008 has been united into a common national park called Vatnajökull.

This stream is called Svartifoss. It translates as “black water”. It got its name from the black lava flows surrounding it like columns.

Routes to the craters of the volcano

It is possible to visit the crater of a volcano only in Iceland. The cooled lava is a heap of shiny black stones and ash. Therefore, traveling by car is not possible here. For those who like to look at the results of the “work” of volcanoes, a lot of hiking routes have been developed here. Craters are located throughout the park. A must-see is the Askja Volcano on the Oudaudahroin Plateau, which last erupted in 1961. Lake Joskjuvatn formed in its crater. It is very deep and closed on all sides by rocks, but from the east you can go down to it and even swim.

In another crater of the same volcano there is Lake Viti. It is small but warm.

Volcano Lucky is not at all like the previous one. This is a long crack of 25 kilometers, studded with craters. There are almost 100 of them there. The highest is about 100 meters.

In addition to hiking trails, extreme sports enthusiasts are offered a bike ride through the lava fields. This, of course, is not asphalt, but that makes it more interesting.

Yokursarlon Glacier Lagoon

The next attraction is also located in the park. This is the Jokursarlon glacial lagoon, which is a bay with drifting icebergs. Thrill-seekers are invited to ride a boat among these huge pieces of ice. The larger the iceberg, the deeper its blue color. The setting and rising sun colors it and the waters of the lagoon in unique colors. For an artist or photographer, the flight of fancy is unstoppable here. You can leave this fragile beauty in memory with a brush and a camera.

Of course, the main attraction of this park is the Vatnajökull glacier. This realm of ice and the fire hidden beneath it attracts many.

Entertainment for tourists

Visitors come to the park to get impressions, so there are many types of entertainment. For a quiet contemplation of the views, hiking is best. There are routes of varying difficulty and length.

For more active travelers, snowmobile tours, jeep safaris, sailing between icebergs, and ice mountain climbing are offered.

Tourist centers

Information about the national park, routes, services can be found in the tourist centers of Asbyrgi, Hjöfn, Hoffel, Holmyur, Skaftafell. It is very convenient that almost everywhere bank cards are accepted for payment. Even in a taxi you can travel without cash.

You need to take warm clothes with you, even if you are traveling in summer. The weather in Iceland is changeable, for residents of other countries it can become a stumbling block if you do not take care of it in advance. By the way, knitwear made from the wool of Icelandic sheep is very warm. Things from it are beautiful and high quality. You can buy them in local shops and stores.

How to get on your own

By plane, Reykjavik can only be reached with a transfer in Amsterdam or Stockholm.

By sea from Norway (Bergen) or Denmark (Hanstholm) getting there is much more pleasant if you are not in a hurry. From the ferry, you can also admire the view. This is quite convenient, because your car can travel with you on the ferry.

Further from Reykjavik, along road number 1, you can reach Asbürgi and Skaflafell. And there and a stone's throw to the desired beauties. The roads are not always paved, sometimes you have to drive on gravel roads. Therefore, transport should be appropriate, preferably 4×4.

The city of Akureyri also has an airport. There is a shuttle bus from Akureyri to Asbürgi all year round. In summer, there is a daily bus to Dettifoss.

Pack carefully, charge your camera and hit the road! Pleasant surprises for you in this very northern country!

And do not forget to read a few more articles about the beauty of Iceland: Jokulsarlon Glacier Lake and Strokkur Geyser – we read on our website.