Hiking the coast.
Hiking the coast from Hafnarfjordur to the village Hafnir
which is located on west coast of Reykjanes, is done in 7 stages. Each stage is around 15 km. The hike takes us through Vatnsleysustrond (literally "Meltwater Beach").
 
THE REYKJAVEGUR HIKING TRAIL

A map of the trail can be found here.

Close to Reykjavik is a popular hiking trail called Reykjavegur.The Reykjavegur hiking trail is divided into a few easy stages and at the end of this suggested program, it is easy to add more stages.
This program starts at the lighthouse on Reykjanes and ends at the geothermal power station Nesjavellir.

1. The Reykjanes lighthouse – The Blue Lagoon 19 km.
2. The Blue Lagoon – The Leirdalur Valley 13 km.
3. The Leirdalur Valley – Lake Djupavatn 14 km.
4. Lake Djupavatn – Summer Camp Kaldarsel 18 km.
5. Kaldarsel – The Blue Mountains (ski resort) 16 km.
6. The Blue Mountains – The Hamragil Gorge 20 km.
7. Hamragil – Nesjavellir (power station) 14 km.

The terrain en route is mainly tufted meadows, mossy
lava fields, barren sands, and hillocks. This is probably
the longest, marked hiking trail of the country
and at the end of each stage, drinking water and toilets
are available, but it is recommended always to carry
sufficient supplies of water for each leg.

There are many interesting hiking places on the southern part of Iceland. I will guide you through some of the most popular.

The Mountain Ok elevation 1200 meters.
To ski Mountain Ok is a lot of fun. To get there you drive the Kaldidalur route ( The Cold Valley ) which
lies between the Mountain Ok and The Long Glacier and its highest elevation is 727 m.
Usually it is passable for most types of vehicles three to five months of the year.

Fimmvorđuhals
Fimmvörduhals is between the glaciers of Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull
at 1.100 meters above sea level.
The Eyjafjoll Mountains are a large and jagged range
in south Iceland whose name, "Island Mountains," refers
to the nearby Westman Islands. Their top is a volcanic cone, capped by a glacier. This east-west range measures 25 to 30 km long and half that distance wide.

The Eyjafjallajokull Glacier and the mountains it rests on are one of the most impressive sights in south Iceland. Covering an area of 78 km(2), the glacier tends to thin out towards its rims, except to the north where its tongues Gigjokull and Steinholtsjokull creep down onto the lowlands facing the Thorsmork nature reserve.

A popular trail goes through the region
from Skógar to Básar. At Skogar you can see the beautiful waterfall Skogarfoss. Utivist offers organized trips through Fimmvörđuháls
all weekends during the summer. Many enjoy taking two days for this route, staying at Utivist's Fimmvörđu-hals cabin at the highest elevation on the journey. 

Basar
Basar in Godaland is an outdoor paradise, in the area known as Thorsmork. At Basar, Utivist  hiking club operates a campsite and two large cabins which can
accommodate a total of 90 people. These cabins are available for use by individuals or groups during shorter or longer periods over the entire year,
according to space availability. During summer months an attendant/supervisor is on hand. Those planning to use the cabins must make advance reservation
 through the Utivist office. At Utivist you can obtain an excellent map of hiking trails with descriptions of the area in both English and Icelandic. Útivist operates
 organized tours to Basar every weekend of the summer. There are also scheduled general trips to Basar on other days of the week. See trips at Helgarferđir (Weekend tours).

THE MOUNTAIN HEKLA
An active volcano for centuries, the mountain Hekla is one of the most famous in the world. Old tales tell of the belief that the souls of the condemned traveled through Hekla's crater on their way to hell.
The whole mountain ridge of Hekla is about 40 km long. The fissure which splits the mountain ridge is about 5,5 km long. The mountain is about 1491 m high. It is thought that Hekla has had at least twenty eruptions since the settlement of Iceland. The biggest eruption was in 1104. Hekla has erupted four times in the 20th century, the last time in 1991.

    
Mountain Hekla as seen from the air. Click on the
mountain to see the view from up there.

Skaftafell National Park. 
The national park was established the 15^th of September 1967 and is one of two national parks in the country according to laws of nature-protection.
The park is a masterpiece of seemingly impossible contrasts of nature. Towering mountains, like Kristinartindar imposing glaciers,
 gulches with clear brooks and beautiful waterfalls, birch woods, a wealth of wild flowers and lush vegetation. Places to explore on hikes include Svartifoss, Sjonarsker for a commanding view and Morsárdalur valley with its fine birch forest Baejarstadaskogur. Insect life is very varied and many bird species. The Park is run by the Icelandic Nature Conservation Council. There is a visitor's center with permanent exposition on the Park's main natural and historical characteristics, basic tourist services such as grocery shop, restaurant, a camping area, organized hiking tours and activities for children. Open from June 1^st to August 31^st. At other times please contact the park wardens.

Many people think that this is the most beautiful place in Iceland. Here you have the opportunity to hike and camp in one of Iceland's best kept secret.
In the park is Vatnajokull the biggest glacier in Europe, with Hvannadalshnukur being the highest mountain in Iceland 2119 meters.

In the park is the waterfall Svartifoss The route from the campsite to Svartifoss is one of the most trodden in the park and it takes about an hour or hour and a half to walk to the fall and return to the campsite, a journey well worth taking. You can also hike into Morsárdal where Bćjarstađaskógur is, but there you can find the highest fur trees in Iceland. Around 30 kilometers further east is Jökulsarlon, which displays huge ice rocks on their way to the sea.

Jokulsarlon
Jokulsarlon is around 50 km east of Skaftafell. Jokulsarlon ( glacier lagoon ) is a deep lake clustered with ice floes, between the Breidamerkurjökull glacier and a ridge of glacial till. The glacial lagoon began to form around 1950. before this, the Jokulsa river flowed from under the glacier directly out to sea, swiftly and dangerously. Today the Jokulsarlon lagoon is popular with visitors, who can during summertime cruise on the water among majestic ice floes.

More photos from Skaftafell National Park can be found here!!

Strutsstigur
This 3 days hike is becoming popular amongst hikers. The first day is from Eldgjá  to Alftavatnskrok, where the hiking club Utivist has an excellent Hut. The second day is hiking across the Eldgja ridges and into Strutslaug where one can have a bath in a natural  hot spring.
The third and last day we continue to the hut at Hvanngilsskala.

South Iceland.
Practical information and listing of travel possibilities

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