Landmannalaugar

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Landmannalaugar

Landmannalaugar (Icelandic, meaning the hot springs of the people of (the) land) is a region near the volcano Hekla in the Southern Highlands of Iceland.

Landmannalaugar can only be reached by tourists in the summer time, as the road is closed until beginning of June and stays open until late September. Two ways lead to Landmannalaugar and one of them is accessible by regular car, though the road is not good.

The easiest route is to take either Rd. 30 from the mainroad and change into 32, cross the Sultartangi hydro-electric dam, going onto 26, then F208 and just before arriving in Landmannalaugar, making a right turn to F224. Road 26 can also be accessed directly from Rd. 1 just before arriving in the small village of Hella, crossing through typical Icelandic farmlands.

The Landmannalaugar area is famous for its incredible natural beauty. The area consists of more geological elements than you can count, but more obvious are the rhyolite mountains and vast lava fields, rising up right by the mountain hut. The many mountains around come in all the world's colours; pink, brown, green, yellow, blue, purple, black, white and more, the most notable mountains being Bláhnjúkur (Blue peak) and Brennisteinsalda (Sulphur dune).

Right by the hut and the lava field there is a hot natural pool, which is in fact a naturally heated stream, blocked with rocks and wood so that it forms a pool. People can bathe here and are there showers and toilets nearby, as well as a place to leave your towel right by the pool.

In Landmannalaugar you can also ride an Icelandic horse, for shorter or longer rides. The guide is highly experienced, as she has been there every summer for almost a decade. The horse riding trips takes you places which can often be difficult to access on foot and not permitted by car as there are no official roads, as an example into Jökulgil (Glacier Valley). No reservations are needed and you can simply show up, or call before you: (+354) 854 7735. The horse rental is open from 1st July.

From late June and through the summer, a couple from the Westfjords come and serve food and coffee to travelers in their green bus-shop, Fjallafang, as well as selling other things useful to travelers.

Landmannalaugar is the usual starting point for the famous 4 day long hiking trail aptly called Laugavegur, as the main shopping street in Reykjavík city center is called the same and is referred to the herds of people that walk the trail every day. The name though, actually means "The Landmannalaugar Trail", "Laugar" being a shortened version for "Landmannalaugar". The usual 4 day trail ends in Þórsmörk National Park, but 1 - 2 days can be added, trekking then all the way to Skógar nearly at the coast via Fimmvörðuháls between the two glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull.

The huts on the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails are (from north to south):