Travel the South Coast

Travel Iceland with Iceland Travel

Travel the South Coast

The South of Iceland is home to many of the country’s most celebrated locations including Gullfoss, Geysir and the historically significant site of Þingvellir. The majority of people visiting the region tend to focus on these areas, but for the more determined explorer the South Coast has a wealth of natural treasures to be discovered. The beauty of the coastal road, which extends from the Markarfljót valley to the southernmost village of Vík, is that it threads through some of Iceland’s most remarkable landscapes - stitching together a progression of diverse natural wonders, including waterfalls, rivers, famous volcanoes and glaciers. The area is also famous for its rich folklore and legends, so a stop at many of these locations and you could find yourself at the site of a legendary event or in the company of Icelandic trolls and elves!

Down by the Sea

There are a few towns dotted along the coastline, detached from the main thread of Rte. 1, but nonetheless worthy of attention. These little towns are but a short trip away from the main road, across the Flói marshland (a breeding ground for many birds), but tend to get overlooked in favour of the more celebrated highlights of the region further on. Eyrarbakki.

Until 1925, Eyrarbakki was the main trading center and port in the South of Iceland, where for centuries boats were literally dragged out through the surf to be launched into deeper waters. It’s now better known as the host of Iceland’s largest prison and its concentration of criminals at LitlaHraun. Don’t let this bit of trivia put you off visiting though, the town provides a valuable insight into the past of Iceland’s old fishing communities and hosts a few historic exhibitions too, including the country’s oldest primary school, the Maritime Museum, and Húsið (The House) – a complex of attractive preserved architecture, with one Scandinavian wooden-kit home dating back to 1765. The younger village church was built in 1890, but it’s better known for the royal attention Queen Louise of Denmark gave it when she painted the altarpiece. Húsið – husid.com

Stokkseyri.

This pretty little place, with its black sandy beaches and rich culture, was founded around 900 AD by Hásteinn Atlason; like its larger neighbour Eyrabakki, it was once an important fishing village - nowadays it’s more known for its super-famous lobster soup, served at the Fjöruborðið seafood restaurant Eyrarbraut 3 fjorubordid.is Stokkseyri is also known for its creepy installations at the Ghost Center (open daily in the summertime between 13:00 - 18:00 (1pm - 6pm)) and its Elves, Trolls and Northern Lights exhibition. Hafnargötu 9 – icelandicwonders.com

You can explore this interesting area at depth by kayaking along the unique lagoons and water canals on the coastline, a good idea for all bird lovers! (Departures from the Stokkseyri swimming pool) kajak.is – Stjörnusteinar

WHO WEARS THE TROUSERS? Stokkseyri is the hometown of maritime adventuress Þuríður Einarsdóttir. As captain of a fishing boat in the late 18th and early 19th century she was quite a character, whose life (in men’s trousers) can be explored at Þuríðar cottage – a replica of the old fishing barrack built in her memory.

The Westmann Islands

If you’re a fan of Gordon Ramsey you might have already been introduced to the extraordinary Westman Islands and its puffins on his F-Word cooking show. It’s not just the tasty puffin population attracting visitors though; this collection of 15 islands, located about 10km from the mainland, is also of great historical and geological importance. The Islands have been drawing attention since the year 870 when the Westmen, who were a group of rebellious Irish slaves, sought refuge there after they’d murdered their master Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson - they consequently became the island’s first inhabitants. When his foster brother, Ingólfur Arnarson (the first Icelander), heard of the treachery he hunted them down and slaughtered them all.

Out of the 15 islands the largest is Heimaey (Home island) and the only one inhabited by people. Over the centuries the population grew until the islands attracted the attention of some Algerian pirates; they landed at Ræningjatangi (the robber’s spit) in 1627 murdering 40 settlers and kidnapping a further 250 - or half of the inhabitants - most ended up as exotic slaves in the Ottoman Empire. The country was devastated by these so-called Turkish raids and it wasn’t until 1970 that the law demanding the death of any Turk found on the island was repealed. The Westman Islands are considered babies in geological terms with the oldest of them emerging from a submarine volcano over 10,000 years ago. Surtsey is the youngest, appearing dramatically from the sea during a four-year series of eruptions starting in 1963. With a prosperous fishing industry and a fleet of 60 fishing vessels the economy of the Heimaey flourished, it was mainly thanks to this same fishing fleet that the entire population (5,000 people by then) were safely evacuated when a volcano erupted in the middle of a January night in 1973. This volcanic episode lasted until July of the same year, covering 30% of the town in lava and ash - adding a total of 230 million cubic meters of volcanic materials to the island. Apart from the daily flights to the Westman Islands from Reykjavik, the Herjólfur ferry service operates from Landeyjarhöfn a few km east of Hvolsvöllur – it makes several trips a day and only takes 30 minutes.

Herjólfur ferry - Landeyjarhöfn herjolfur.is Daily flights icelandair.com/flights/vestmannaeyjar Highlights of the Westman Islands. Before you head off to Stórhöfði to feast your eyes on puffins galore (the islands have the largest puffin colony in the world), there are a few mustsee exhibitions downtown to get you clued-up first. The Museum of Natural History (open daily during the summer between 11:00am - 17:00 (5pm)) has an interesting display of rocks, taxidermy and a lively aquarium of marine fauna; while further up the road, summer screenings of ‘The Volcanic Film Show’ are hosted by the local cinema. This informative documentary includes video footage of the Surtsey eruptions and gives an insight into the island’s famous birdlife. These exhibitions should prepare you for both the Pompei of the North - an ongoing excavation project on the ruins of the 1973 eruption, and for the hike to the old and new lava sights of Helgafell and Eldfell. Heiðarvegi 12.

Another stop of interest would be the Eldheimar Museum. Its interactive exhibition gives visitors a glimpse into people’s lives on Heimaey before the eruption, an event that would change their lives forever.

Suðurvegur / Gerðisbraut 10 – eldheimar.is

CONCERT FOR PUFFINS? to see the Westman Islands from a different perspective take a boat trip around with Viking Tours. The entertaining tour of sea and birdlife includes a free (at least for the puffins) solo brass concert while the expert tour guide demonstrates the acoustics of a sea cave with a saxophone. You can book your tour in your app or on the Iceland Travel website - icelandtravel.is

The South Coast Road

Back on Rte. 1 the glacier-topped mountains press ever closer to the coastline and give rise to a succession of increasingly dramatic spectacles all the way to Vík and beyond. They also generate a profusion of glacierfed waterfalls enhancing the scenery with delightful, but dangerous, looking torrents of water.

Seljalandsfoss. This waterfall is majestic enough faceon without its rearward access to make your jaw drop; but the opportunity to view the water falling from the inside out, is so thrilling you don’t even realize (until you’re back out front) that you should’ve brought your waterproofs along! Skógar is best known for its excellent Folk Museum whose owner has been collecting an assortment of artefacts since the year 1949.It’s open daily between 09:00-18:00 during the summer. The area also marks the start of the popular Fimmvörðuháls trail between the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers to Þórsmörk – Skógar – skogasafn.is Standing at 60m (197 ft) tall, and clearly visible from the road, the Skógafoss waterfall with its alluring beauty, draws you in for a closer inspection. On a sunny day the waterfall makes rather splendid rainbows, and if you pose in the right position for the camera, you can get a snapshot with a rainbow coming out of your hat - creative minds have framed some excellent shots here! A staircase by the side of the falls winds all the way up to a top made of grassy slopes; with plenty of spots overlooking a stretch of sensational south coast vistas, why not stop for a picnic? The staircase also marks the start of the Fimmvörðuháls pass.

The Glacial Heights

Mýrdalsjökull. Iceland has a number of glaciers condensed in this area and this one is the country’s fourth largest. With a thickness of 700m / 2297ft in places, this solid frozen mass sits firmly in shimmering splendour on top of the foreboding Katla - a massive subglacial central volcano. Its caldera is 10km (6.3 miles) in diameter and has erupted between 16–20 times with an average interval of 40–80 years, since the settlement of Iceland.

Each time it blows, the glacial meltwater causes catastrophic flash-floods in the plains below, creating, over time, the vast Mýrdalssandur desert on the southeastern side of the glacier. Katla last erupted in 1918. However luring glaciers look, do not be tempted to set off and conquer one on your own, at least not without training or experience—glaciers can be extremely dangerous. The best way to tackle these ice-giants is in the company of a good-natured expert tour guide. You can book your tour in your app or on the Iceland Travel website - icelandtravel.is

MOVIE-BUFF TRIVIA if you’re a fan of the TV series Game of Thrones you’ll probably already know that scenes from season 2 were filmed on top of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. However, you might not know that during the shoot the activity and illuminations created by the film crew led to the emergency services being called out to investigate reports of a possible eruption!

A turn-off from the main road onto Rte. 218 leads to Dyrhólaey - a magnificent rocky promontory with sheer cliffs marking the southernmost extremities of Iceland. Its most fantastic feature is a huge wave cut archway said to be large enough for a sailboat to pass through; this also makes it an irresistible attraction for photographers and daredevil aviators! The area is teaming with birds of numerous species, occupying the rugged cliffs and nesting in the grassy slopes. Dyrhólaey is a bird sanctuary and out of bounds during the breeding season (May 1st - June 25th).

SAFETY TIPS be very careful whilst walking on top of Dyrhólaey, there are no fences ruining the view to protect you from falling. Iceland is thankfully not a nanny-state, so you won’t find any big signs stating the blatantly obvious dangers. The road to the top is very steep and not recommended for smaller vehicles, or inexperienced drivers - especially in wet weather.

Vik and Around

A right turn onto Rte. 215 leads to Vík’s visual trademark – The Troll Rocks of Reynisdragar. According to folklore, this row of impressive basalt spikes, reaching 66m (216 ft) high and reminiscent of a giant sea-wading dinosaur, are the masts of a troll ship turned to stone in the morning sun. In the same location at the southern end of Rte. 215 the black pebble beach of Reynisfjara forms a spit of lands extending over 2km / 1.2 miles from the Reynisfjall mountain towards Dýraholaey. At the base of the same mountain, the gaping mouth of the Hálsanefshellir basalt sea cave beckons the spelunker (cave explorer) in you.

SAFETY TIPS: Be very careful on the beach of Reynisfjara as the waves can sneak up on you very suddenly and there are dangerous riptides at play there.

On the road to Vík just north of the town, memorable trout-fishing moments await in the freshwater lake of Heiðarvatn – at least they do if you have a fishing permit! Vík. This quiet village is situated in the mild and fertile Mýrdalur valley and framed on all sides with wonderments of nature. The western border is marked by the glacial river, Jökulsá, to the east by the river Blautakvísl, and to the south by black, volcanic beaches and the Atlantic Ocean. Mýrdalur is an area of great contrasts with lush green pastures lying between vast black volcanic sands where rugged glacier topped mountains rise up towards the sky. The area is an ornithologists paradise and is host to the country’s largest nesting colony of arctic terns. In the early summer months (May – July) countless puffins, kittiwakes and fulmars make their homes in the in cliffs to the west of the village.

BEWARE OF THE BIRDS Arctic terns are fiercely protective of their eggs and hatchlings. Intruders will soon feel like extras in an Alfred Hitchcock horror film if they disturb their nesting grounds. These crazy birds do not hesitate to pick a fight with your scalp as they take turns dive-bombing you. If you must wander into their kingdom, take a stick or umbrella to hold up and they will attack that instead.