Skeiðarársandur黑沙滩＋Skeiðarárjökull冰川小飞机团

Vatnajökull is the largest ice cap in Iceland and the third largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of the island's landmass. 

Facts about Vatnajökull 

• Surface: 8,100 km2 
• Average thickness: 400 - 600 m
• Maximum thickness: 1,000 m
• Height: 1,400 - 1,800 m
• Highest peak: 2,200 m (Hvannadalshnjúkur)

Information about Vatnajökull 

Vatnajökull Glacier belongs to the greater Vatnajökull National Park, which encompasses the former national parks Skaftafell in the southwest and Jökulsárgljúfur in the north. Vatnajökull's highest summit is Hvannadalshnjúkur, which rests on top of the stratovolcano known as Öræfajökull. 

Underneath the glacier rest some of the most active volcanoes in the country, the most notable being Grímsvötn, Öræfajökull and Bárðabunga. The volcanic activity of the glacial area occurs at intervals throughout the ages, and many geologists believe such a period is scheduled to happen in the immediate future. If their calculations are correct, it would mean a significant volcanic activity for Vatnajökull over the scope of the next half century. 

The glacier boasts of over 30 outlet glaciers, which are channels of ice that flow out of ice caps but remain constrained on the sides to valleys. The major outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull include Dyngjujökull in the north, Breiðamerkurjökull and Skeiðarárjökull to the south; and Síðujökull, Skaftárjökull and Tungnaárjökull to the west. 

Glaciers are in constant motion underneath their weight, as they form over centuries when the accession of snow exceeds its melting. Each year, due to the melting ice water, new ice caves form that disappear come spring. 

• Click here for a selection of Ice Cave tours 

Numerous rivers run out of Vatnajökull, making up some of the greatest glacial rivers in Iceland:

• Tungnaá (west)
• Köldukvísl (west)
• Þjórsá (west)
• Jökulsá á Fjöllum (north)
• Skjálfandafljót (north)
• Jökulsá á Brú (north east) 
• Jökulsá í Fljótsdal (north east)
• Jökulsá í Lóni (south)
• Hornafjarðarfljót (south)
• Jökulsá á Breiðamerkursandi (south)
• Skeiðará (south)
• Núpsvötn (south)
• Hverfisfljót (south)
• Skaftá (south) 

Vatnajökull National Park 

The Vatnajökull National Park in its current state was established in June 2008. The park now covers an area of 14.141 km2, making it the second largest national park in Europe with a 14% coverage of the island of Iceland.

The combined forces of volcanic and geothermal activity, glacial rivers and ice make up the different features of incredible landscapes that together give Vantajökull National Park its unique qualities. 

Rivers divide the highland plateau to the north of the park; an area that sees massive glacial flows in the summertime. The volcanic table mountain Herðubreið towers over this particular region, along with volcanoes Askja, Snæfell and Kverkfjöll. 

The canyon Jökulsárgljúfur was carved out by glacial floods centuries ago. At the upper end of the canyon, you'll find Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Further north, the horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi is believed to have formed when Óðinn's horse Sleipnir stepped his foot down from the heavens. 

East around Snæfell, wetlands and ranges are home to roaming herds of wild reindeer and abundant birdlife. Steep mountain ridges make up the south side of Vatnajökull, where outlet glaciers crawl in between the ridges onto the lowlands. The sandy plains of Skeiðarársandur also lie to the south as they reach out to sea. The glacial river Skeiðará runs through this vast desert. 

One of Iceland's most visited landmarks is the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, which sits at the head of outlet glacier Breiðamerkurjökull. There, large icebergs that have broken off the glacier gather to float in the lake before ending up in the Atlantic Ocean, or on the nearby Diamond Beach. 

• Click here for a selection of Jökulsárlón tours

The Future of Vatnajökull 

The volume of Vatnajökull reached its peak around 1930 but has since been in a steady process of decline. Because of rising levels of global temperature, approximately over the last 15 years, Vatnajökull has on average lost about a metre of its thickness annually. 

If temperature levels continue to rise, the glacier could be all but gone nearing the end of the next century, leaving only small ice caps on top of the highest mountain summits.  

Vatnajökull and Jökulsárlón in Popular Culture

• HBO's Game of Thrones (season 2, 2012)
• Batman Begins (2005)
• James Bond: Die Another Day (2002)
• James Bond: A View to a Kill (1985) 

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。从斯卡夫塔山游客中心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，远处是Kristinartindar山和Morsardalur山谷。

对于户外爱好者，斯卡夫塔山是前往冰岛最高峰－华纳达尔斯赫努克火山(Hvannadalshnjúkur)的最佳营地选择。

斯卡夫塔山游客中心(Skaftafell Visitor Center)

在斯卡夫塔山的游客中心，您可以找到此地区最完备的信息，以及它的历史、地理知识。您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。

Skeidararsandur is a vast sand plain, formed from alluvial deposits. It covers 1300 km², making it the largest sand in the world.

There is little vegitation in general to be found at Skeidararsandur. It is very rocky near the glacier, becoming more muddy and gravelly further on and made up of of sand and clay where it reaches the sea. Carex does however grow to a degree at Skeidararsandur and it is one of the largest nesting places for the Great Skua. There is also an abundance of seals by the shore.

 Eruptions under the Vatnajokull glacier have caused many glacial bursts, the latest one being in 1996. They start at the Grimsvotn volcanic area and are known as Skeidararhlaup.

Svínafellsjökull in an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe. It is one of the country’s most popular places for glacier hiking due to its incredible formations and excellent views.

Getting to Svínafellsjökull

Svínafellsjökull is part of the Skaftafell Nature Reserve, a place of popularity amongst hikers, photographers, and those with a passion for raw natural beauty.

This reserve was even a National Park in its own right, before the creation of the enormous Vatnajökull National Park which absorbed it.

The reserve is easy to reach throughout the year if travelling from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík, as it is located just off the Ring Road which encircles the country. Travelling on this route east for four hours, you will come to a left turn onto Route 998, which will take you to the car park and visitors’ centre.

Most tours onto Svínafellsjökull start here, although some go from Reykjavík and the village of Vík. Reaching the glacier requires a short hike.

If travelling yourself, the villages of  Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur are good for stopping off for fuel, rest and refreshment. There are also many significant attractions en route to admire, such as the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss and the black sand beach of Reynisfjara.

Features of Svínafellsjökull

Svínafellsjökull competes with Sólheimajökull for the country’s most popular glacier for hiking. While Sólheimajökull is closer to Reykjavík, and has better walls for ice-climbing, Svínafellsjökull has distinct appeals of its own.

Firstly is in its surface. While Sólheimajökull, as mentioned, has walls,  Svínafellsjökull is made up of many sharp ridges that, while not possible to climb on, are much more beautiful to behold.

Secondly, it boasts even more beautiful views from its heights. From Sólheimajökull, you can achieve magnificent panoramas over the wastelands of Sólheimasandur and the black sand beaches of the south coast, but from Svínafellsjökull, you are able to see across Vatnajökull National Park with its many other glacier outlets and mountains, the forested beauty of Skaftafell, and the ocean.

Both glaciers, however, are matched when it comes to surrounding attractions, meaning a visit to them can incorporate many other sites. Svínafellsjökull, for example, is near to Jökulsárlón, a magnificent glacier lagoon filled with giant icebergs, while Sólheimajökull is close to the aforementioned waterfalls.

Both also have beautiful colouration, with deep blue ice, gleaming white snow, and veins of black ash, memories of eruptions centuries past.

If glacier hiking in summer, the colouration is less vivid but the journey easier and the views usually clearer. If hiking in winter, the intensity of the blue ice is mesmerising, and there is a greater chance of finding an ice cave on the glacier that is safe to enter.

Svínafellsjökull’s beauty has not just been appreciated by Icelanders and visitors; it, like many other destinations in the country, was noticed by the producers of Game of Thrones.

Many of the scenes filmed ‘North of the Wall’ in Season 7, during the dramatic battle of the penultimate episode, were shot on Svínafellsjökull. The greater Vatnajökull was used throughout the series as the base to which the Wall itself is built with CGI.

The South Coast of Iceland is the country's most visited sightseeing route, along with the Golden Circle. 

The famed South Coast shoreline stretches from the greater Reykjavík area and is dotted with natural wonders such as cascading waterfalls, volcanoes both active and dormant, black sand beaches and glacier lagoons. 

Geography, Nature & Wildlife

Iceland is divided into eight geographical regions. Out of these, the Southern Region is the largest, as it spans over 24.000 square kilometres with its administrative centre in the municipality of Selfoss. 

What is known as the South Coast embodies the shoreline of this particular region. The area consists of a lowland that is mostly composed of marshlands, bays and cultivated pastures that are met by a series of black beaches where the estuaries to the east and west of the district close off the coastal body. 

Underneath the soil rests a vast lava field, known as Þjórsárhraun. Its edges reach several hundred metres offshore where the ocean waves crash upon them, thereby protecting the lowland from the invasion of the sea. This results in the South Coast being unusually lacking in the deep fjords that so distinctly characterise the rest of Iceland's shore line. 

The region boasts vibrant bird life during all seasons. It is not only rich with both marshland birds and seabirds but also migrating birds such as the North Atlantic puffin. Some species stay throughout the harsh Icelandic winter, including the northern diver, the loom and various species of gulls and ducks.  

Highlights of the South Coast 

The South Coast offers an unprecedented array of natural wonders that draw thousands of visitors each day. When driving the route from Reykjavík City, the highlights in their correct order are: 

• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
• Vestmannaeyjar; The Westman Islands
• Eyjafjallajökull Glacier Volcano
• Skógafoss Waterfall
• Sólheimajökull Glacier 
• Dyrhólaey Peninsula
• Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
• Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks
• Coastal Village Vík í Mýrdal
• Skeiðarársandur Glacial Sand Plain
• Vatnajökull National Park
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon 

These attractions count for but a fraction of what the South Coast has to offer. The vast sand plains of Sólheimasandur are home to a crashed DC-3 Plane Wreck, and close to Seljavellir by the Skógar Village there's Seljavallalaug, one of the oldest swimming pools in Iceland. 

• Explore the many wonders of the area on these South Coast Tours