Rugged Coast, Lava Fields and a Pig Glacier

A beautiful destination

After a crazy night of storms, we weren’t overly optimistic about our next day’s activities. We were driving to Scott’s favorite place in Iceland, Jökulsárlón. 

But, before getting there, we made a few stops. 

Dyrhólaey

We started at Dyrhólaey, about 25 miles east. Like all these stops, we had been there before. Several times.

A favorite spot

Same place on a sunnier day in 2021

But, wouldn't you go back?

A volcanic peninsula and nature reserve on the South Coast east of Vík, Dyrhólaey is famous for its massive naturally formed sea arch, black sand beach and dramatic panoramic views. 

Black sand and black rocks (oh, and a Glaucous Gull,too)

Dyrholaey was formed by an underwater/subglacial volcanic eruption approximately 80,000 to 100,000 years ago during the late Pleistocene (last Ice Age). This eruption created a volcanic island made of basalt and tuff that emerged from the sea, similar to the formation of the island of Surtsey in Vestmannaeyjar. Although it was originally an island, it is now attached by a relatively thin strip of land that emerged as ocean levels dropped. 

You can see how the lava from created the land mass.

A mass of cooled lava juts out over the shore

And, you can see how the ocean carved the cliffs.

The black sand is finely eroded lava

It was windy and slightly rainy, so photo ops were limited, except, of course, for catching the waves pounding against the lava rock cliffs.

I've actually seen it more dramatic than this on a sunnier day

It was, however, clear enough to see the lava rock promontory that holds an arch large enough for boats to sail through and, in some cases, small airplanes to fly through. In this wind, no one was attempting either.

It's too shadowed to make out the big arch, but you can see a smaller second arch

The photos from 2015 (top) and 2017 show the bigger arch much better

The area is also famous for its 1927 Lighthouse. We had photographed it on a sunnier day in 2017, so we didn’t even go up to see it this time.

Better day, better view, longer walk

We noticed that, although we couldn’t remember exactly how the roads and parking areas used to be laid out, Dyrhólaey was quite a bit different from our last visit. I believe you now park a bit farther from the water’s edge and have to walk a bit longer. The trade off is a nicer lot and nicer trails.

Plus, photos with no cars in them

The wind kept howling and the rain was getting worse, so it was challenging to take photos.

Scott's cell phone was a bit easier to handle than my long lens

Eventually, we had to move on. We had planned to try to see Reynisfjara again after it was too windy two days earlier.

The Reynisdrangar sea stacks of Reynisfjara in the distance

But, this day the weather was even worse as we rounded the mountain between Dyrhólaey and Vík, so we just kept going.

I marked Reynisfjara on the map to provide perspective on where we visited (and didn't)

I mentioned earlier that Vík produced the worst weather of the trip. Well, a lot of it was on this day. With the wind, rain and cold (I don’t think I mentioned cold, but it was), we plowed on.

We didn't go back because it was worse than this

Eldhraun Lava Field

Finally, the rain stopped and we were able to do a tiny bit of sightseeing.

A clearer sky over the lava fields

We stopped to explore the Eldhraun Lava Field just west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. It has a nice parking area, some trails and some interpretive signs. 

Yes, it's a stop to look at the ground

The world's largest volcanic flow of its kind, Eldhraun covers 218 square miles. Unlike some other parts of Iceland where lava flows are predominantly sharp, black rock, Eldhraun is bumpy terrain covered in thick green moss. 

An extremely fragile environment

The flow was created by the catastrophic 1783-1784 Laki eruption, which lasted for eight months and released massive amounts of toxic sulphur dioxide gas and lava. 

Laki then; Illustration: Grunge

Laki today; Photo: Wikipedia

The eruption caused widespread famine and livestock loss in Iceland.

But, it may have had a broader effect. The Laki eruption triggered years of extreme weather. The sulphur dioxide gas caused a persistent haze that blocked sunlight and lowered temperatures across Europe. 

Sulphur cloud, Bardarbunga volcano, Iceland; Photo: Ragnar Th Sigurdsson

The immediate aftermath was intense heat and thunderstorms, heavy hailstorms and flooding in the summer of 1783. This was followed by an exceptionally severe, long winter in 1783-1784, which included nearly a month of continuous frost. Widespread crop failures, livestock deaths and famine in France crippled the food supply and exacerbated economic hardship, laying a critical foundation for popular unrest and revolution in 1789.

Left: Storming the Bastille, unknown; Right: Liberty Leading the People, Eugène Delacroix

Even after the climate settled down, the land was changed forever. Slowly, the sharp, raw rock was covered with a woolly fringe moss that takes up to 100 years to grow. But, even with the soft green covering the landscape is harsh. The Apollo 11 crew trained there in 1969 due to its moon-like surface.

Apollo 11 training; Photo: Werner Hoffman

Waterfalls

After that brief stop, we detoured to take a look at a couple of waterfalls, as one does in on the South Coast.

Systrafoss, in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, is a 226-foot-high double waterfall that doesn’t actually fall, but, rather flows down giant rocks.

Double the flow

Its name translates to "Waterfall of the Sisters," which I thought came from the fact that there are two falls side by side.

Nope! The name comes from a legend about two nuns who tried to seize a golden comb from a hand reaching out of the lake at the base of the waterfall, leading to them being dragged under and drowned. Mine explanation was a bit sunnier. Theirs a bit more Nordic.

Foss a Sidu, a little further east, is a 98-foot-high ribbon waterfall cascading over basalt cliffs. You have to view it from the road because it is on private property. The waterfall flows from the lake Þórutjörn down to a historic farm that has been inhabited since the 9th century.

Imagine a private waterfall

Due to its low water volume and high elevation, strong winds can sometimes make the water appear to flow upwards or sway in the air.

Svínafellsjökull

Next, we drove for about an hour before stopping at Svínafellsjökull, or, less elegantly, “Pig Glacier.” 

Maybe you can put lipstick on a pig!

We had been there before and just loved the setting and the views.

It's popular, but not crowded like Skógafoss

You have to walk down a relatively short (and well-maintained) path to see the glacier; it takes about 10 minutes. 

Part of the path is a road

And, when you do, it is quite impressive.

Views along the way

Located within the Skaftafell Nature Reserve, Svínafellsjökull is an outlet glacier of the much larger Vatnajökull ice cap.

Svínafellsjökull is five miles wide; Vatnajökull is 3,200 square miles

Famous for its brilliant blue ice, dramatic crevasses, and sharp ridges, it is a popular spot for guided hiking (we didn’t) ...

That looks challenging

... and photography (we did) ...

Vast landscape (that tiny blip is Scott)

Actually, glacier hikes on Svínafellsjökull were restricted because of high landslide risk from nearby Mount Svínafell. 

Warnings for when the conditions are good

Climate warming and heavier-than-normal rainfall was wreaking havoc with the landscape (I will address that more in a later blog).

I took this in 2014; I think the glacier has shrunk

Svínafellsjökull features a stunning, often-photographed glacier lagoon and is surrounded by steep, rocky terrain.

A special place

The name is not actually related to the glacier; it is derived from the nearby historic farm, Svínafell.

Nothing piggy here

If it looks familiar, that’s because it was used in filming Interstellar, Batman Begins and Game of Thrones. 

Game of Thrones gives Iceland its approval, but I'm a bigger fan of Interstellar

Our next stop was our actual destination. But, let’s tackle that (and a ton of photos) on my next installment.

Pure magic!

Trip dates: September 5 -28, 2025