“L’Ultima Thule attende e dentro il fiordo
si spegnerà per sempre ogni passione,
si perderà in un’ultima canzone
di me e della mia nave anche il ricordo.”F. Guccini, L’Ultima Thule
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Itinerary in pills
- About Askja volcano
- Day 1: East fjords, Hengifoss and west Stuðlagil canyon
- Day 2: East Stuðlagil canyon and Dettifoss
- Conclusions
Introduction
Once we have passed the Land of Ice, we arrive at the stretch of Ring Road where ancient glacial valleys meet the force of the sea. We have arrived at the fjords of eastern Iceland, among green landscapes immersed in the typical cold and solitary atmosphere of northern Europe. Small, isolated towns await us, along with basalt canyons bathed in emerald waters, charming deserted beaches, and new, impetuous waterfalls. Indescribable views, where nature has shown off its power.
The most eagerly awaited attraction in the area for us is the Askja volcano with its calderas, home to volcanic lakes of incredible colors. Unfortunately, we are also accompanied by bad weather, which prevents us from walking on the F-roads in poor condition that connect the volcano to the Ring Road, forcing us to give up the visit. Maybe next time.
The rain falls incessantly, and when we step out of our Dacia Duster, the wind penetrates vigorously through the cracks in our clothes. The time has come to slow down the intense pace that has accompanied our days so far and take a breather while we focus on other unmissable but more easily accessible stops.
Itinerary in pills
Our initial plan was to spend one day on the section of the Ring Road that overlooks the eastern fjords, starting from Stokksnes beach and continuing towards the Stuðlagil canyon, and another day at the Askja volcano, which can be reached by a round trip.
Unfortunately, on the days we were supposed to go to Askja, the bad weather made itself felt strongly, with incessant and heavy rain, which prompted us to avoid driving on the F-roads with our car and even to resort to a guided bus tour. Therefore, we extended our trip a little, dividing the stages we had set ourselves so that we could take it easy, without adding anything else. In hindsight, I can confirm that in favorable weather conditions, it would have been possible to follow the original itinerary.
On the first day, we drove along the Ring Road to see the eastern fjords and the Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss waterfalls, ending with a view of the western Stuðlagil canyon (accessible by car), and postponing our visit to the eastern side until the next day, when we also visited the Dettifoss waterfall. Again due to bad weather, we also had to give up visiting Stokksnes beach. Below is a summary of the itinerary.
| Day | Attractions | km/travel time | Map | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egilsstadir, Lagarfljot, Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss waterfalls, west Stuðlagil Canyon | 410/6h | Eastern fjords and west Studlagil | Grimmstadir |
| 2 | East Stuðlagil Canyon and Dettifoss | 310/4h | East Studlagil and Dettifoss | Laugar |
About Askja volcano
To reach the Askja volcano, you need to drive for about 6 hours there and back (3+3) on poor quality F-roads and you also need to cross some rather challenging fords, regardless of which route you choose. There are essentially two possible combinations. The first involves a rather long journey on the F88 and a final stretch on the F910. To travel on the F88, you need a large jeep; a normal 4×4 such as a Dacia Duster is not sufficient, partly because one of the fords you encounter along the way is particularly deep. The second option, which is the one we would have chosen, involves a first section on the F905 and a second section on the F910. Along this route, there are two fords, the first of which is more challenging and is encountered after half an hour’s drive from Modrudalur. Many people manage to cross even this more challenging ford with a 4×4 like our Dacia Duster (I even saw a video of a guy crossing the ford with a Panda 4×4), but as I haven’t done so myself, I refrain from making any judgement.
It is also possible to get there by organized bus tour. However, as is often the case in Iceland, the prices are quite high. The only agency I found after doing some research that can organize this is Myvatn Tours, at a cost of ISK 32,000 per person for the classic tour, equivalent to about €210.
The main attractions of Askja are the Viti crater (not to be confused with the Krafla crater) and the caldera, which can be reached more or less easily from the car park via a fairly flat path, except for the last steeper section, in about 40 minutes (just under an hour and a half there and back). Inside the crater, there is also a small geothermal lake where you can swim. The view from the highest point of the climb to the caldera is said to be truly spectacular.
Day 1: East fjords, Hengifoss and west Stuðlagil canyon
Our day begins in Höfn, the last stop on our tour of the Land of Ice. Our first planned destination is Stokksnes beach, known for its striking reflection of Vestrahorn, a mountain that Icelanders are particularly fond of. However, we have to skip this first stop due to thick fog, which prevents us from seeing anything. It also starts to rain heavily, and the rain continues to fall incessantly for the next three days.
We therefore travel a long stretch of the Ring Road, passing through a few small villages, including Egilsstadir, the best known in the area. We stop for lunch in Reydarfjordur, which we find more interesting, and find a fairly inexpensive takeaway restaurant (a rare thing in Iceland), which prepares a truly delicious fish curry for us. In general, the journey is very picturesque, as is the entire Ring Road, but less exciting than on other days.
We arrive at the Hengifoss car park after a long drive of about 4 hours. After paying for parking (1000 ISK, equivalent to €6.50), we decide, despite the rain, to take the steep path that leads first to Litlanesfoss waterfall and then to Hengifoss. We only manage to get as far as Litlanesfoss, which we see in all its beauty, but we are unable to continue further because the rain becomes too heavy and the ground is extremely slippery, so we decide to turn back. We therefore content ourselves with glimpsing Hengifoss in the distance.
After retreating from Hengifoss, we head towards our last stop, the western part of Stuðlagil Canyon, which we reach in about an hour and a half by car, the last stretch of which is on a relatively easy dirt road. To get there, just search for “Stuðlagil Canyon West Parking” on Maps.
Note: it may be useful to know that there is a gas station near the start of the dirt road heading towards Egilsstadir. We had a hard time finding any others in that area.
Stuðlagil Canyon has only been a tourist attraction for a few years. Before the construction of the Kárahnjúkavirkjun hydroelectric power plant, completed in 2007, the canyon was not visible. The opportunity to see this spectacular attraction came about after the artificial diversion of the Jökla glacial river, whose waters are used to power the power plant’s turbines, which reduced the flow within the canyon. Once you arrive at the parking lot (free, unlike the one on the east side), you can easily reach the viewpoint overlooking the canyon. The view is more than worthwhile, but nothing compared to what we will see on the east side. Apart from the viewpoint, there is nothing else near the parking lot, so the visit only takes as long as it takes to take a few photos. The path down into the canyon starts from the east parking lot.
Our day’s journey ends here. We finally head to Grimmstadir, where we spend the night. Here we have a funny adventure because we discover that our B&B is located 5 km from the reception, in a very remote place. It would be ideal for seeing the Northern Lights, but unfortunately the incessant storm categorically prevents us from enjoying this experience too.
Day 2: East Stuðlagil canyon and Dettifoss
We start the day by returning to Stuðlagil, but parking on the east side. We are also more or less lucky, because the rain gives us a brief break. The parking lot, which I understand is a recent addition, is located very close to the Studlafoss waterfall, which greatly shortens the route compared to some time ago. The waterfall is not very high, but since we are passing by, it is worth stopping for a moment to observe the basalt columns surrounding the drop.
The trail along the east side of the canyon is fairly flat and not at all complicated, but it can be made more difficult by rain, as was the case for us. It takes a half hour to reach the point where you can descend into the canyon, and as you get closer to this point, the view becomes increasingly spectacular. The descent into the canyon is also fairly easy, but again, it is important to be careful not to slip, especially if the ground and rocks are wet. What you see, however, is truly splendid, with bright green water (despite the sun being elsewhere) surrounded by a long row of basalt columns. Overall, you can expect the visit to take a couple of hours, including plenty of time for photos.
In the early afternoon, we continue towards Dettifoss, Iceland’s largest waterfall, which we reach in about an hour and a half by car. In this case, we bring forward the visit that would have been scheduled for the following days. To get to the waterfall, you have to walk along a short path, which takes about twenty minutes. The trail is slightly uphill but still fairly easy. However, as we arrive at the waterfall, we are caught in one of the worst downpours we have ever experienced, partly due to the strong wind. We end up getting wetter than we would have been in the shower, partly due to the humidity from the waterfall, despite being well equipped.
Despite everything, the spectacle of the waterfall is truly majestic, with the water cascading down abundantly. However, we are unable to stay long because the storm is intensifying. So we return to the car park, and since the sky shows no sign of improving and we are soaked to the skin, we decide to give up on what would have been our last stop, the Asbirgy canyon, which can be reached from Dettifoss in half an hour. We therefore return to our base in Laugar to warm up and dry everything we managed to get wet, which was quite a lot.
Conclusions
Despite the bad weather, we managed to do most of the things we had planned. Giving up on visiting the Askja volcano left us with a bitter taste in our mouths, but such eventualities are always to be expected, especially in Iceland. It was a real shame, especially because I had studied in detail how to cross the fords!
The highlight of the two days described in this article was undoubtedly Stuðlagil Canyon, which we managed to visit properly. Even with overcast skies, the colors are truly beautiful and the walk is quite pleasant. The eastern section is definitely the most worthwhile.
As for Dettifoss, despite being Iceland’s most important waterfall, I must say that it excited me less than Gullfoss and Godafoss, and not only because of the rain. However, it is definitely worth the 20-minute walk to see it.
The walk to Hengifoss, passing through Litlanesfoss, is also very picturesque, although the ground can be very slippery in bad weather.
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