September, 2026
The second half of the south coast of Iceland turns into a whole different world. From Vik to the East you start to see landscapes straight out of a Viking movie. Iceland is home to 130 volcanoes with 35 volcano systems currently active today. All throughout your drive you will encounter fields of volcanic rock along the road.
The first place we set off to after Vik is Skaftafell. Skaftafell is a wilderness area home to big glaciers and beautiful waterfalls. It resides next to the Kristinartindar Mountain. It takes around an hour and forty four minutes to get there from Vik. After passing through the city Kirkjubæjarklaustur, along the road we stopped to see a cool waterfall that ran along a stream.
Even before this you will see plenty of waterfalls on the cliff faces along the road. Three minutes before arriving to skaftafell you will be met with crazy views of the neighboring glaciers at the Skeiðará Bridge Monument.
The monument stands as remnants of the Skeiðará Bridge after a big glacier flood passed through. Skaftafell sits next to the Skaftafellsjökull and Svinatellsjökutt glaciers.
I was most excited for Skaftafell, because when I did my research for Icleand, I REALLY wanted to see the waterfall Svartifoss. Upon arriving to Skaftafell you will be met with Three large parking lots. The first entrance is for handicapped, second for normal vehicles, lastly for camper vans/cars for people staying longer. There are machines to pay for parking, but there are also qr codes to pay through the ‘parka’ app. The visitor center is really nice. There are bathrooms, a cafe, and gift shop. There is even a cool mural of Svartifoss on the wall.
Not far from the entrance is the trail start to Svartifoss. The trail at the beginning can be pretty steep, so keep that in mind. We didn’t do the entire loop, once we got to Svartifoss we turned back. Getting to Svartifoss and back it is 2.4 miles with 476 ft of elevation gain. On the way to Svartifoss there are two other waterfalls we saw, Hundafoss and Magnúsarfoss.
Not long after you are met with a magnificent view of Svartifoss. You can see it from afar as you approach, but there is also a bridge in front of it and a platform near the base of it. The waterfall is line with Iceland’s basalt columns that give it this magnificent ancient look to it.
Throughout the trail you will also see views of the surrounding mountains.
After reaching back to the visitor center, we went and got some food from their cafe. The cinnamon roll they had was to die for, let alone pairing it with some coffee. Brought me RIGHT back to 100 percent.
After Skaftafell, we ventured over to one of my most anticipated spots… Diamond Beach/Glacial Lagoon. It takes about 45 minutes to get there from Skaftafell. There is a parking lot before the bridge right along Diamond Beach. Just know if you park on this side there are no bathrooms. Past the bridge there is one on the left for the Lagoon, which is easily the busiest. To the right after the bridge runs along a small section of Diamond Beach. Both of the Diamond Beach parking lots have a path to that respecting side to the Glacial Lagoon. I was so ecstatic to see the wild seals and it did not disappoint. There was one point I could see five seals at once!
The Glaciers in the Lagoon were so blue. They all run off from the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier. Jökulsárlón, the lake that is in the Lagoon, is the deepest lake in all of Iceland! You will see lots of tour guides move through here. The canal under the bridge will have lots of tides come through and cause the Glaciers to collide.
Diamond Beach is a black volcanic sand beach that has glacial shards wash ashore from the glacier. At the time we went there wasn’t as many, but there were some cool looking glacier chunks that washed ashore. Though fair warning… some of the “glacier chunks” may be deceiving. There were a couple times that you would go to reach for one and realize… “oh that is a jellyfish”. So please be careful and take a good look at them before touching.
The view from Diamond Beach toward the mountains is breathtaking. It is something straight out of Lord of the Rings. This was one of my favorite photos from the trip.
From here, Höfn was one final fifty minute drive to get to the city. Fair warning there is a new bridge they built across the water that saves time, but will make you pay a toll. We were warned about this change at the airport in Keflavik. We stayed at the Arnanes Country Hotel in Höfn for two days. It wasn’t far from the city and offered a great breakfast every morning. Our room was in the big house where you do share a bathroom/shower with your neighbors. With everyone out and about though it never became an issue. The days we were in Höfn, the weather did rain a bit and some areas along the mountains were very foggy. I think it added to the atmosphere to this part of the country and made these days special. The first spot we visited was Stokksnes Beach. It was only about twenty three minutes from Höfn, but fair warning, there is a gravel road at the entrance along a very rocky mountain so keep your eyes peeled. At the entrance you will be met with the Viking Cafe. Inside you can grab food/coffee and this is a place you can stay at for a hotel. At the register you can buy your pass for the beach. It’s a qr code you use at a gate to pass through.
The beach itself is a massive headland along the jagged peaks of Vestrahorn. The beach is one massive shallow tidal pool you can walk through(most areas). The water reflects like a massive mirror and makes it a very cool spot to take photos.
Along with the beach you will see the remnants of a Viking Village and Ship! It was originally made for an Icelandic film in 2009 that just fell through and never finished filming. It was eventually used in the show “The Witcher: Blood Origin” on Netflix. The Viking Village was going through some repairs at the time we went, which was unfortunate but still a cool sight to see regardless!
On the last day we were there, we did one final trail to see Skútafoss waterfalls. The trailhead is located eighteen minutes from Höfn. You will drive through a tunnel along the way. You will see three different waterfalls and some smaller ones in the mountain sides on the way. The first one is Fremstifoss, which is a smaller waterfall. Along the trail you will have to pass through small creeks.
It was raining when we went and with the rushing water, it can be slippery. Skútafoss was not long after and definitely the main attraction on this trail. The waterfall is three separate walls that lead down from the mountain. There is an aerial view of it, a nice front view of it from the stream, and a path that leads right next to the base of the falls. If you are brave, you can go up and sit behind the falls. It is very slippery and it is all sharp rock so BE CAREFUL.
After Skútafoss, there is a cool waterfall along the side of the mountain that I got a picture with. Again, this area with the rain and fog made it look so cool. Something out of Game of Thrones.
The last waterfall on the trail is Innstifoss. This waterfall was separated by a couple big rocks in it that gave it a unique look. At this point in the trail, we were starting to get soaked, so we quickly pushed back to the car.
This section of Iceland is beautiful and full of fascinating landscapes. As someone that grew up loving Skyrim, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones this part of the country really hit home for me. If you make it out here I highly recommend all of these areas to check out if you have the time to!!
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