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.
Langisjor is among the clearest highland lakes in the country. Its altitude is 670 meters and at its deepest it’s 75 meters.
The lake lies southwest of Vatnajokull, between the mountains Tungnarfjoll and Fogrufjoll. The beautiful Fogrufjoll mountains (literally 'The Beautiful Mountains'), to the east of the lake, are a popular hiking place and the waters allow for trout fishing.
Lakagígar, in the south of the Icelandic highlands, is a row of craters, formed during one of the largest eruptions in recorded history, known as the fires of the River Skafta, or ‘Skaftareldar’ in Icelandic. The area has some of the most stunningly attractive landscapes in Iceland.
The majority of the craters are today covered in moss.The total area of the lava field is 565 km² and the estimated volume of volcanic material is over 12 km². The Skaftáreldar eruption that formed the craters in the 18th century led to crop failure, disease and disasters in Iceland. Some believe that the airborne haze from the eruption, blocking the sunlight in the northern hemisphere, may have contributed to the French revolution in 1789.
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。
斯卡夫塔山是冰岛Öræfasveit地区的一个自然保护区，它曾经是一个国家公园，2008年，和杰古沙格鲁夫尔(Jökulsárgljúfur)国家公园合并为如今的瓦特那冰川国家公园(Vatnajökull National Park)。
斯卡夫塔山的自然景点
斯卡夫塔山地区的植被非常有特色，它们生长在沙地与冰川形成的特色地貌上，给整个地区带来盎然生机和独特的自然风光，游人很容易就会在这个地区内发现飞泻而下的瀑布、静谧的冰河湖、火山特色地貌和黑沙滩。这些多样化的景致也让斯卡夫塔山自然保护区成为了受摄影爱好者们欢迎的景区。
正如冰岛南岸许多地区一样斯卡夫塔山自然保护区内有着许多绝色的徒步路线，也有“冰岛徒步天堂”之称。与冰岛另一个长途徒步天堂—中央内陆高地地区不同，斯卡夫塔山景区内的徒步路线通常都只需要大半天时间就可以完成。
从斯卡夫塔山游客中心就有一条非常简单的徒步路线，让游人可以沿徒步路径通向斯瓦蒂瀑布(Svartifoss，意为黑瀑布，又译为魔鬼瀑布)、Hundafoss瀑布，以及斯卡夫塔山冰川(Svínafellsjökull)，远处是Kristinartindar山和Morsardalur山谷。
对于户外运动爱好者来说，斯卡夫塔山地区内是可以报名旅行团体验冰川徒步或者攀冰活动的最佳地点之一；如果有丰富的徒步登山经验，更可以选择报名难度高的冰岛最高峰华纳达尔斯赫努克火山(Hvannadalshnjúkur)的徒步旅行团，跟随经验丰富的徒步向导，登顶冰岛最高峰。
你也可以选择静态的活动，例如前往冰岛南岸大名顶顶的旅游景点—杰古沙龙冰河湖(Jökulsárlón)、钻石冰沙滩(Diamond Beach)观景游玩，体验冰岛冰川静谧之美。
如何前往斯卡夫塔山
斯卡夫塔山自然保护区位于冰岛东南部一号环岛公路旁，从首都雷克雅未克(Reykjavík)出发，需要大约4小时车程才可以到达。由于冰岛一号公路南岸沿途有许多大牌景点，游人通常都会采取边玩边走的方式慢慢朝斯卡夫塔山进发，因此实际从雷克雅未克到斯卡夫塔山会比预计的4小时长出许多。
雷克雅未克与斯卡夫塔山之间有着许多著名的冰岛著名旅游景点，其中包括南岸著名两大瀑布：塞里雅兰瀑布(Seljalandsfoss)、斯科加瀑布(Skógafoss)；赫赫有名的米达冰川(Mýrdalsjökull)、埃亚菲亚德拉冰盖(Eyjafjallajökull)；广袤的Sólheimasandur黑沙滩、Skeiðarársandur黑沙滩；有着特色火山岩石的迪霍拉里(Dyrhólaey)海岬、以及本身就是冰岛代表性岩石的雷尼斯岩柱群(Reynisdrangar)。如果需要中途停歇、加油或者补充干粮，则可以选择在途径的维克镇(Vík)和教堂镇(Kirkjubæjarklaustur)内进行。
斯卡夫塔山游客中心
在斯卡夫塔山的游客中心(Skaftafell Visitor Center)，你可以找到此地区最完备的信息，以及它的历史、地理知识。你可以了解以此为出发地的各个徒步线路、观光建议、住宿选择等。
在斯卡夫塔山地区也有郊区酒店方便准备在这个地区深度游览的游客落脚，但如果希望入住这些酒店，必须提许久预定—斯卡夫塔山是非常热门的冰岛住宿地点，住宿很容易被提早订满。如果你没办法预定区内的酒店，也可以考虑预定距离保护区不远霍芬镇(赫本镇,Höfn)或者教堂镇(Kirkjubæklaustur)内的住宿。
冰岛斯维纳山冰川(Svínafellsjökull)是欧洲最大冰川瓦特纳冰川的分支，以极具特色的冰川地貌及周边美景成为了冰岛最著名的冰川徒步目的地之一。
交通方式
斯维纳山冰川属于斯卡夫塔山自然保护区(Skaftafell Nature Reserve)一部分。自然保护区以拥有数量众多的徒步路线闻名，除了受徒步爱好者欢迎外，许多摄影师们也视这个保护区为拍摄自然风光的冰岛摄影胜地之一。
这个自然保护区曾经是独立的冰岛国家公园，只是在2008年和杰古沙格鲁夫尔(Jökulsárgljúfur)国家公园合并为如今的瓦特那冰川国家公园(Vatnajökull National Park)。
自然保护区全年皆可造访，从冰岛首都雷克雅未克(Reykjavík)出发，沿贯穿冰岛全国的一号环岛公路开车约4小时即可到达。沿着一号公路行驶到998号公路后左转，就可以抵达斯卡夫塔山自然保护区游客中心。
斯卡夫塔山自然保护区游客中心是绝大部分斯卡夫塔山冰川徒步旅行团的自驾集合地点，也有部分冰川徒步旅行团会提供雷克雅未克接送，或从维克镇(Vík)出发。但要正式踏上冰川，还涉及一小段徒步的路程。
如果你准备自驾造访斯卡夫塔山，途径的维克镇及教堂镇(Kirkjubæjarklaustur)都是很好的休息站，你可以在这两个小镇加油、买一些干粮。雷克雅未克和斯卡夫塔山自然保护区之间还有多个著名旅游景点，其中包括塞里雅兰瀑布(Seljalandsfoss)、斯科加瀑布(Skógafoss)及雷尼斯黑沙滩(Reynisfjara)。
斯维纳山冰川的特色
斯卡夫塔山斯维纳冰川经常与索尔黑马冰川(Sólheimajökull)竞争成为冰岛最受欢迎的冰川徒步地点。虽然索尔黑马冰川距离雷克雅未克更近，有更适合攀冰的冰墙，但斯维纳山冰川也有者与众不同的过人魅力。
首先要提到的是它的表面，有别于索尔黑马的冰墙，斯维纳山冰川的表面有着更多尖锐的边缘，虽然无法攀爬，形态却更为优美。
第二，斯维纳山冰川的高度赋予了它更加的观景机会。登上索尔黑马冰川，你可以看到Sólheimasandur黑沙滩的荒芜之景以及冰岛南岸平原上的黑沙滩，而登上斯维纳山冰川则可以看到瓦特纳冰川国家公园内许多冰川冰舌和周边巍峨的群山，附近绿色植被和远处的海景也可以尽收眼底。
而两作冰川的共同特色，则是它们周边都有着许多著名的旅游景点。例如斯维纳山冰川比邻遍布冰川巨冰的杰古沙龙冰河湖(Jökulsárlón)；索尔黑马冰川则是距离冰岛南岸两大著名瀑布更近。
斯维纳山冰川和索尔黑马冰川的颜色都以白色、蓝色为主，其中也参杂了一些在几个实际之前火山爆发后所留下的火山灰。
如果在夏季冰川徒步，你会发现冰川的颜色较浅但徒步的难度较简单，在登顶后看到的景色也更为辽阔清澈。如果在冬季冰川徒步，你则会有更大机会在参加冰川徒步旅行团的过程中发现冰川天然形成的冰洞。
斯维纳山冰川的美不仅仅受到冰岛人和游客的赞誉，更受到了大热美剧《权力的游戏》的青睐，曾多次出现在剧集中，其中以第七季最多。《权力的游戏》第七季大部分“城墙以北”的场景都在斯维纳山冰川取景拍摄，倒数第二集的激战戏码，就是斯维纳山冰川成为剧中“明星场景”的最佳体现之一。
