Whilst much of Iceland’s scenery is jawdropping, there’s a stretch of the South Coast that is renowned for being the most scenic. After a few days in Reykjavik and a tour of the Golden Circle, we landed in Hella, a small town of 800 people about 94k from Reykjavik. Our arrival into Hella was accompanied by sputtering noises from our hire car.
Snowmobiling On Eyjafjallajokull Glacier
Hands down one of the best activities ever! Snowmobiling is expensive and I really had to weigh up whether it was worth it (it is). Do your research on the best operators/location dependent on the weather. Book in advance as there are limited numbers on each tour. I chose Arctic Adventures and we felt in very safe hands. The adventure begins at base camp and the subsequent bumpy jeep ride up the glacier. Once at the top, you’re given a short lesson (snowmobiling is similar to riding a jetski) and then it’s off to glide across the glacier. The minimum age to drive the snowmobile is 18 so our kids sat at the back of each one. Swooshing up and down the glacier, you follow the guide in strict formation with several stops to admire the scenery. Incredible to think that you are riding the Eyjafjallajokull ice cap, which covers the infamous massive volcano that erupted in 2010.
Skogafoss
With an hour’s detour to collect our new rental, we headed back on the Ring Road to the majestic Skogafoss waterfall.
Skogafoss is fed by two glaciers, Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull. Whilst the waterfall is pretty to look at, it’s the hike at the top that provides the best views. You could spend a day hiking along the path but we took a leisurely hour roundtrip. Triptins shares their review of a longer hike.
Eating near Skogafoss
We had intended to eat lunch at Mia’s Country Van but it was closed (always check opening times when you’re slightly off season!). Instead we ate all the snacks in the car and devoured a delicious dinner at Smidjan Brugghus. Rivalling any US equivalent, this is the place to come for delicious burgers, ribs and craft beer. A southern Iceland gem!
Myrdalsjokull Glacier
Continuing on the Ring Road, you’ll reach the entrance to Myrdalsjokull Glacier, which sits on top of Katla volcano. You can walk the gravel path to the glacier’s edge and admire from afar. For any glacier hiking, you need to book on to a tour to do it properly. I felt like Jetlag & Mayhem were a bit too young for this although I did see large groups returning with their pick axes!
A night at Snowfarm Cottage
I was looking for accommodation in Vik but unimpressed by the offerings. Airbnb then rolled out a beautiful cottage, about 45 mins drive from Vik, truly in the middle of nowhere! Thankfully we had our car fixed as it would have been very tricky with a breakdown. The snow was pelting down and our beautiful cottage was a vision in red, set amongst the snowfields.
