Day 5: Zum Vatnajökull National Park

Über Nacht sind die Temperaturen auf bis zu +5 Grad gestiegen und Regen und Sturmböen begleiten uns heute auf dem Weg zum Vatnajökull National Park, Europas größtem Gletscher. Auf unserem Weg von rund 180km werden wir wieder einige Wasserfälle sehen und diese bei dem Regen hoffentlich auch besuchen können.

Fjaðrárgljúfur:

Ein Fluss hat sich nach der Eiszeit durch den Berg gegraben.

Der Canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur (wie mir eine Einheimische sagte, auch für Isländer kein einfaches Wort) liegt in der Nähe von Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Die Schlucht wurde durch den Fluss Fjaðrá geformt. Der Fluss entspringt im Hochland und hat sich bis zu 100 Meter tief in das Palagonitgestein gegraben.

Skaftafell
Hier sind wir in einer kleinen Rundwanderung zum Gletscher gelaufen. Teilweise nahezu weglos und verwässert, war sowohl das Ziel, als auch der Weg sehr interessant.

Part of the area around Skaftafell was formally declared a national park in 1967, and since 2008 has been part of Vatnajökull National Park. Natural beauty, favourable weather conditions, and a selection of hiking trails make Skaftafell an ideal destination for those who like to enjoy outdoor activities in Icelandic nature. There's a trail for everyone at every skill level. Short and easy trails lead to the waterfall Svartifoss and the glacier Skaftafellsjökull, but for those who want to venture further out, the Morsárdalur valley and Kristínartindar mountain peaks are perfect in terms of distance and effort. By the mountain Sandfell in Öræfi is Háalda, a mountain that was declared a national monument in 1975. A hiking trail that leads to the country's highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur, begins at Háalda.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach
Located on the edge of Europe's largest glacier, with only a small distance separating it from the Atlantic Ocean, the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon stands as Iceland's grandest and most breathtaking glacial lake. This remarkable destination gets the award of being the largest and deepest among Iceland's many glacial lakes. Atop its sparkling waters, icebergs gracefully float, surrounded by sheer peaks, rugged lava fields, and picturesque black-sand beaches.

These are some fun facts that’ll likely catch your interest.
- Jökulsárlón is Iceland’s largest and deepest glacial lake.
- The icebergs that make up the glacial ice could be over 1,000 years old.
- Each year, approximately 100 metres of ice break off from the lagoon.
- Jökulsárlón has been featured in several Hollywood movies, including the James Bond films.
- The Icelandic Government purchased the lagoon for 1,520 million ISK in 2017.

Diamond Beach
Einfach gesagt, werden die kleinen Eisberge vom Gletscher ins Meer gespült und das Meer wirft diese wieder an den Strand. Der ist komplett schwarz und damit wirken die Eisbrocken wie Diamanten.

The alternative names for the renowned Diamond Beach in Iceland are Breiðamerkursandur, Fellsfjara, Fellsfjara Eystri, and Vestri-Fellsfjara. We, as Icelanders, recognize the challenge faced by foreign visitors in pronouncing or recalling the Icelandic names of famous locations. As a result, nicknames frequently become a convenient alternative. Diamond Beach is a black sand beach in the south of Iceland, very close to the famous Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon and its neighbour Fjallsárlón. Part of the reason Diamond Beach has become so well-known is because of its proximity to these two visitor destinations, but it’s equally worthy.

This isn’t your usual, run-of-the-mill beach. You certainly won’t want to swim here: even in summer the water can be extremely cold. Thanks to the size of the waves coupled with strong currents and the unpredictable, rapidly changing weather, it’s not safe to swim here – or even paddle. But you won’t mind at all once you discover just how much there is to see on the beach itself.Read more