Nature Trips from Skaftafell

The area around Skaftafell, south of Vatnajökull glacier is for sure one of the gems of Icelandic nature. For nature lovers it´s a paradise. We offer trips to two of the most spectacular spots of the area.

Jökulsárlón á Breiðamerkursandi, yes, that is it´s official name, is without a doubt one of the most spectacular natural phenomena  in Southeast Iceland. Massive Icebergs break off the outlet glacier which crawls into the lagoon. These giant lumps of ice slowly float with the light current from the glacier towards the shortest glacier river in Iceland (approx. 500 m), running from the lagoon to the arctic ocean. As the icebergs float closer to the river, most of them get stranded where they stay and tower over visitors with eyes wide open, jaws to their chests, happy hearts and clicking cameras. Screaming Arctic Terns dive for food in the lagoon while patient visitors can spot peaceful seals swimming amongst the icebergs. This truly is one of the masterpieces of mother nature, definitely worth a visit.

Ingólfshöfði cape is a historical place which takes it´s name after Ingólfur Arnarsson, a Norwegian outlaw and the first settler of Iceland. This is the place where he came ashore and spent his first winter here. The cape is isolated between the black sands of the south coast, impossible to cross with ordinary vehicles, and the North Atlantic Ocean. The isolation makes it the perfect home for thousands of seabirds who inhabit the cliffs in the summertime. Adorable puffins, Arctic Skuas amongst other species fly around and are not afraid of humans at all, they don´t have to be.

We sell trips to Jökulsárlón and Ingólfshöfði during the summer at our sales office in Skaftafell. No pick-up is available for these trips alone but they can be done as a part of the combo trips Glacier Grand Slam and Blue Ice & Black Sands. Our combo trips include pick-up from Skaftafell.