亮点 
The Icelandic Highlands cover the majority of the country and many of Iceland’s impressive natural attractions can be found here. Away from crowds, noise and bustle, the Highlands offer silence, serenity, peace and extreme natural beauty.
A favourite amongst hikers and photographers, the Highlands are accessible from June to September.
The Central Highlands
The Central Highlands cover a vast area, at an altitude of over 500 metres (1640 feet), with numerous mountains reaching heights between 1,000 and 2,000 metres (3,281 and 6562 feet). Most of these higher mountains are covered by glaciers.
The tallest mountain in the country is located in the Highlands, beneath Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull. Hvannadalshnúkur stands at an incredible 2,109 metres (6,919 feet) tall and can be reached on some helicopter tours. Another notable peak is Bárðarbunga, a sub-glacial volcano in northwest Vatnajökull that stands at 2,000 metres.
Vatnajökull is the greatest of the three largest glaciers in the country, all of which are in the Central Highlands; the others are Hofsjökull in the centre of Iceland and Langjökull, west of Hofsjökull.
Various highlands paths lie between the glaciers. These usually open in June, but late snows have been known to push the opening to July. One of the major routes is Kjölur, which connects the south and north of Iceland. It is located between Hofsjökull and Langjökull and passes through a region of rhyolite mountains and geothermal oases.
Sprengisandur, is another noteworthy path connecting the south and north, and it is located between Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull.
Kaldidalur is also a significant highland road stretching west of Langjökull, from Þingvellir towards the Borgarfjörður district.
Always remember that the natural environment that makes up Iceland's Highlands is as delicate as it is enchanting. The slightest damage inflicted upon small areas can cause erosion and irreversible landscape wounds that can easily spread over large areas. Consequently, when travelling in the Highlands visitors must at all times uphold responsible travel etiquette.
Driving off-road and designated paths is strictly forbidden and punishable by heavy fines. The moss is delicate and should not be walked or camped on, let alone removed, and fishing is heavily regulated.
The South Highlands
Almost all the mountains south of the glaciers are tuff mountains, formed during the Ice Age. Volcanic activity is confined to tuff areas of the country and the southern Highlands are home to some of Iceland's most active volcanoes: Hekla, Eyjafjallajökull and Katla, which sits under Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland’s fourth largest glacier
Eyjafjallajökull is the most famous of these volcanoes. When it erupted in 2010, it caused major disruption to air travel across Europe, and widespread confusion to newsreaders everywhere as they tried to pronounce it; it was thus nicknamed to E11.
The South Highlands is also home to Landmannalaugar, one of the country's best hiking and hot spring bathing sites.
Northeast, Central-North and Northwest Highlands
In the northeast of the Highlands are the Lakagígar Craters the famous subglacial lake and volcano, Grímsvötn, and the glacier Öræfajökull. North of Vatnajökull, the best-known volcanoes are Askja and Krafla.
Also in this area is the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon, which holds the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss.
The northwest and central-north Highlands consist of ancient basalt formations, similar to the mountains that comprise the Eastfjords.
Highland Oases
There are a few oases in the highlands that have unique vegetation and wildlife. The most important of these are Þjórsárver, Nýidalur/Jökuldalur, Herðubreiðarlindir and Eyjabakkar. The pink-footed goose has its main nesting places at Þjórsárver and Eyjabakkar. Þjórsárver was designated as a Ramsar site in 1990.
Wild reindeer reside in the east Highlands; this is the only place they can be seen. Initially brought over for farming, the industry never took out and they have roamed free in their herds since.
兰德曼纳劳卡(Landmannalaugar，意为“国民温泉”)位于冰岛南部的内陆高地地区，是冰岛夏季最受欢迎的热门徒步景点之一，以缤纷的地质色彩与天然的地热温泉而闻名。
地质风光
兰德曼纳劳卡的地质景色开阔而壮丽，有着令人屏息的美感。兰德曼纳劳卡高地坐落于Laugahraun熔岩原的边缘；这片诞生于1477年火山爆发的黝黑岩浆地，与色彩斑斓的兰德曼纳劳卡形成了极鲜明的对比。
冰岛中央内陆高地的明丽颜色来自这一地区的流纹岩山脉，红、粉、绿、蓝、金等多种色泽彼此交织，构成了流纹岩独一无二的奇妙纹理。
兰德曼纳劳卡的另一大地质风光是天然地热温泉。几世纪来，这里一直都是行客们歇脚休息的天然驿站，温暖舒适的温泉水能将人们旅途的疲惫彻底洗去。来兰德曼纳劳卡旅行的游客，也要记得带上泳衣与浴巾，秉持远古先民的遗风，在大美冰岛自然间纵情野浴。
Sigölduleið(即F208号公路)是通往兰德曼纳劳卡的必经之路，道路两旁就有地热温泉分布；Bláhylur火山口湖等自然胜景也位于道路沿线。
游客一般通过两条自驾路线前往兰德曼纳劳卡。最快捷的路线经由冰岛西部的塞尔福斯镇(Selfoss)或黄金圈景区的辛格维利尔国家公园(Þingvellir)；沿冰岛南岸进入高地的路线更加漫长，但沿途可以游览闻名遐迩的瀑布、火山、冰川、黑沙滩等冰岛自然景点。前往冰岛中央内陆高地，必须选择租用四驱车。
游客也可以选择更加奢华、更加便捷的旅行方式，乘坐直升机直降兰德曼纳劳卡。如果旅行预算有限，也可选乘大巴前往。
徒步旅行
兰德曼纳劳卡标志着Laugavegur徒步路线的北端终点。Laugavegur也是冰岛最受欢迎的徒步路线之一，连接着冰岛内陆高地的兰德曼纳劳卡、索斯莫克(Þórsmörk，“雷神索尔的山谷”)以及南岸平原地区的斯科加瀑布(Skógafoss)。
这里还有着许多主题、长途各异的徒步路线。一条通向炫目多彩的Brennisteinsalda火山；这座被称为“硫磺波浪”的火山口仿佛一条色谱，将斑斓的地质岩石色彩熔于一炉。另一条则通向Bláhnjúkur“蓝峰”火山；登上山顶一览高地全貌，周围的五座冰川皆可尽收眼底。
每年的6月中旬至9月中旬，许多冰岛运营商都会开放中央内陆高地徒步旅行团，这一地区的露营地届时也会开放。喜爱户外探险运动的游客，不妨在兰德曼纳劳卡体验露营与徒步，以跟团或自驾的旅行方式进行一日游或多日游。
Háifoss, or the 'High Waterfall', is a waterfall in Fossárdalur valley, innermost of Þjórsárdalur valley, in south Iceland. It is the country’s third tallest falls.
Features of Háifoss
Háifoss is 122 metres (400 feet) tall, meaning the only waterfalls larger than it in the country are Morsárfoss (240 metres, or 787 feet) and Glymur (198 metres, or 650 feet). It is fed by the river Fossá, which feeds into the longest river in Iceland, the Þjorsá.
A second waterfall falls right beside Háifoss, albeit from a lesser height and with less power. This feature is called Granni, which translates to ‘Neighbour’. Both can be seen together from the viewing area on the south side of the falls, in close enough proximity to be photographed in a single frame.
Within sight of Háifoss is the volcano Hekla, one of the country’s most notorious and explosive volcanoes; it has gone off over 20 times since the country’s settlement, earning the nickname ‘the Gateway to Hell’.
Folklore at Háifoss
The area around Háifoss is, like much of the rest of the country, steeped in folklore. It was said to be the home of an ogress, who would fished trout from the falls and threatened any who came too close.
A group of travellers including a teenage boy were camping by the river, when he threw a rock in it. This was seen by the ogress, who was offended at the act on what she considered her property. She thus waited until nightfall, when it was safe for her to emerge.
She snuck up to the boy’s tent, lunged in, and began to drag him out by his feet. The boy’s friends, however, woke, grabbed his arms, and began a tug-of-war to save his life.
Had they not been present, he would likely have met the fate of many others in Icelandic tales, and been killed and eaten by the ogress. As it were, however, they managed to free him. The boy, however, was terribly injured and spent a month bedbound after the assault.
Ogres and ogresses are not as common in Icelandic folklore as trolls, which are purely Scandinavian in origin, but there are other examples of them. The most famous is Grýla, an ogress whose thirteen children (which she bore with a troll) became the Yule Lads, or devilish interpretations of what we consider Santa.
She was also known for her giant cat, which snatched away children who did not get clothes for Christmas (motivating them to do their sewing and knitting before the date arrived), and her appetite for the young.
Getting to Háifoss
Reaching Háifoss requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle, as it goes over a bumpy gravel road. It is easiest to reach in the summer months. This road takes you to a car park south of the waterfall, from which you can take a short hike to the perfect viewing spot.
The falls can also be hiked to, by following the river Fossá from the reconstructed farm of Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng, which was destroyed by an eruption in the Middle Ages.
Ljótipollur is an explosion crater and crater lake in the south Highlands. Its name means ‘Ugly Puddle’, despite the fact it is an incredibly beautiful site. It is part of the Veiðavötn volcanic area.
Ljótipollur is located in the southern highlands, in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. It is most easily reached by those who go to Landmannalaugar, and take the four-hour hike to it and back.
Landmannalaugar is a highland oasis, open throughout the summer months, with colourful rhyolite mountains and hot springs. It is a hiker’s paradise, marking one end of the Laugavegur trail that ends in Þórsmörk. Though this journey takes four days, Ljótipollur is a perfect example of a hike within Landmannalaugar that can be done within hours.
Those in Landmannalaugar who wish to take a shorter hike should take those to Mount Brennisteinsalda or Mount Bláhnúkur.
Ljótipollur is a beautiful feature, with blue waters, green vegetations growing up and down its slopes, and vividly coloured red lava rock surrounding it.
Wikimedia, Creative Commons, Photo Credit: Bromr
Hjálparfoss is a waterfall (or, officially, a pair of waterfalls that conjoin) in south Iceland.
Description of Hjlálparfoss
Hjlálparfoss is an incredibly serene feature, marking where the rivers Fossá and Þjórsá meet. Both of these are renowned as some of Iceland’s best and easily accessible fishing rivers, while Þjórsá also takes the title of being the country’s longest.
The two rivers fall from a lava field at about a 45 degree angle from each other, from about the same height, and their cascades merge as they tumble into a serene pool.
The lava field that this feature falls from was created in one of the many eruptions of the nearby Hekla volcano. Hekla is one of Iceland’s most active, unpredictable and explosive volcanoes, so violent that in the Middle Ages it earned the nickname ‘the Gateway to Hell’.
Hjálparfoss is but one of the many waterfalls in this area. Nearby, one can also find Þjófafoss, which flows from the Þjórsá river, and Háifoss, one of the tallest waterfalls in the country.
The water that flows from Hjálparfoss feeds the country’s second largest hydroelectric dam, which sits just a little downstream.
Getting to Hjálparfoss
Hjálparfoss is easy to get to, being just 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the village of Flúðir, famous for being home to the ethereal Secret Lagoon.
To reach it from Reykjavík, travel along the Ring Road heading south, before turning left onto Route 30. Turn right onto Route 32, which is a gravel road, and Hjálparfoss will be on your right as you get towards the end of the road.
Hjálparfoss is close to other popular locations, such as the aforementioned waterfalls and lagoon, and the famous sites of the Golden Circle. It is more than possible to comfortably visit it alongside Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area and Gullfoss waterfall within a day.
南岸是冰岛最为著名的旅游观光线路之一，与黄金圈不相上下。
自位于西南角的首都雷克雅未克（Reykjavik）起，南海岸线一直向东延伸至杰古沙龙冰河湖（Jökulsárlón），一路美景不断，瀑布、火山、黑沙滩、冰川点缀其间，秀丽与浩瀚之景并存。
地理、自然与野生生态
一号公路串联起的南海岸线是冰岛南部最容易到达的地区，以低地地貌为主，如牧场、海湾、沼泽、河口、黑沙滩。
表层土地之下，是一片面积庞大的熔岩地，名为Þjórsárhraun。熔岩地的边缘一直延伸至海岸线外的数百米处，成为了南岸低地与海洋之间的缓冲区，阻止了大西洋的海浪直接侵袭低地土地。这也致使南岸地区没能形成深邃的峡湾，是冰岛唯一没有峡湾的沿海地区。
一年四季，都可以在南海岸看到多种鸟类。淡水鸟通常会在沼泽地与河口附近筑巢，海鸟则聚居在悬崖和岩石之上。雷尼斯岩柱群（Reynisdrangar）、迪霍拉里（Dyrhólaey）海岬都是海鸟们的聚居地，比如每年会在五月至八月之间回到冰岛筑巢的北极海鹦（Puffin）。还有不少鸟则是一年四季在冰岛长居，如白嘴潜鸟以及各类海鸥、鸭子。
野生海豹也经常聚居在南岸沿岸，以杰古沙龙冰河湖和钻石冰沙滩（Diamond Beach）为首。在冰岛旅行，一定别忘了在观光时多留意海面，或许还会发现鲸鱼和海豚的身影。
南岸著名旅游景点
冰岛南岸以多样化的自然美景闻名，每天都有成千上万的游客到访此地区，领略冰岛的自然之美。
从冰岛首都雷克雅未克出发，沿着一号公路南下，首先会看到两座著名瀑布：塞里雅兰瀑布（Seljalandsfoss）和斯科加瀑布（Skógafoss）。在瀑布的上方，则是“恶名昭彰”的艾雅法拉火山（Eyjafjallajökull，其上是同名的埃亚菲亚德拉冰盖）。行驶途中，在天气明媚的日子，还可以看到远远矗立于海中的西人岛（Westman Islands）。
一路南行，还将看到米尔达斯冰原（Mýrdalsjökull），在其下方沉睡的则是冰岛最活跃的火山之一－卡特拉火山（Katla）。米尔达斯冰原的分支索尔黑马冰川（Sólheimajökull），则是冰岛最著名的冰川徒步地点之一。
继续前行，将到达聚居着大量海鸟的迪霍拉里海岬。即使不在海鹦繁殖的夏季造访，海岬魅力不减。一路开车至海岬之巅，可俯瞰南岸海岸线，各异的岩石、巨大的海蚀拱门映入眼帘，南岸黑沙滩与北大西洋的壮阔被尽收眼底。
著名的雷尼斯黑沙滩（Reynisfjara）与冰岛最南端的小镇维克镇（Vík）毗邻。在黑沙滩正对面的海上矗立着传说中由巨怪所变的雷尼斯岩柱群。
欣赏美景之余，在黑沙滩一定要留意危险的巨浪，不要接近海边，从而避开潜在的危机。翻开地图，会发现南极洲与雷尼斯黑沙滩之间没有任何陆地，不断加力的海浪威力可想而知。
经过维克镇之后，将抵达一片荒漠黑沙平原Skeiðarársandur，随后进入瓦特纳冰川国家公园（Vatnajökull National Park）园区。国家公园从南一直延伸至北，南侧是欧洲最大的冰川瓦特纳冰川、无数的冰舌，以及著名的杰古沙龙冰河湖。
这些壮美之景都可以通过一号公路到达，而它们还只是冰岛南岸美景的冰山一角。
值得一游的南岸景点数不胜数：广袤的Sólheimasandur黑沙滩上的DC-3飞机残骸、瓦特纳冰川国家公园的斯卡夫塔山自然保护区（Skaftafell Nature Reserve）、隐藏在塞里雅兰瀑布几百米外的秘密瀑布（Gljúfrabúi）、杰古沙龙冰河湖对岸的钻石冰沙滩，以及附近的Fjallsárlón冰河湖，都是冰岛南岸不容错过的美丽景致。
