Bird’s-eye view: Wild river on the South Coast

LANDSCAPE South Iceland

By the mouth of Markarfljot

TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir PHOTO: Ben Simon Rehn

Markarfljot is one of the mighty glacial rivers on the south coast of Iceland. From its source in Myrdalsjokull glacier it runs 100 km (62 miles) to the sea. Some of its tributaries come from the neighbouring Eyjafjallajokull glacier. The volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 caused a massive jokulhlaup, a glacial outburst flood, in Markarfljot, threatening to destroy the bridge across it, so that two vents had to be dug into Ring Road 1. Today, the river doesn’t seem so wild. Photographer Ben Simon Rehn captured this image on an unusually quiet winter’s day on the sand plains of Markarfljótsaurar near where the river mouths into the ocean. Usually, the wind would have blown the snow away, but on this day, the snow has created beautiful patterns, resulting in a striking contrast between the black sand, white snow and blue river.

GETTING THERE: It takes approximately two hours to drive from Reykjavik to the mouth of Markarfljot. → airicelandconnect.com