From Laugarvellir to Strutsfoss
On Tuesday, August 10, we left for the southern fjords with several points of interest on the agenda and only one real hike planned.
It was 9 am when we left Seyðisfjörður in the direction of the 931 which runs along Lake Lögurinn from the west.
The drive was a pleasure as we passed Hengifoss then the renovated farm of Skriðuklaustur with its charming traditional peat roof.
To start the day gently, we headed to the Laugarvellir hot spring and enjoyed a quiet swim!
Laugarvellir hot spring
The spring was quite far from the main roads, so we branched off on road 910 in the direction of Kárahnjúkar and the famous dam that had caused a lot of ink in the country. Then, we continued on the 910, past the majestic Mount Snaefell. At the very end of the Hálslón dam, the 910 turned into the F910 and we had to count precisely 7.5 km before arriving at an intersection where we had to turn left.
From there, it was 2 km to the hot spring. Very quickly we saw the car park just before the river. From there, a small path led down to an oasis in the middle of this immense desert of earth and gravel, Laugarvellir, a waterfall of hot, even very hot water with 3 or 4 pools with a gradual temperature since the hot spring was located right next to an icy cold river!
The temperature in the first pool was slightly above 40 °C, a bit too hot so we decided to swim in one of the pools below. The temperature was perfect, around 37 °C, and the place was truly magical. We stayed for nearly an hour enjoying the peace and quiet in the pools before heading back.
The Strútsfoss hike
Once back near Lake Lögurinn, we crossed the street to join the little 935 which went down a cul-de-sac heading south. This was the parking lot for the hike to Strútsfoss, a waterfall much less well known than Hengifoss but still very pretty.
The hike was no challenge but climbed a bit at the end on the rocky path. It took 7.5 km to make the return trip, which we wrapped up in 1H45. You couldn't really get close to the waterfall, however, and needed a good zoom to photograph it.
The waterfall was quite photogenic with the red slopes of the mountains around it. It was a bit reminiscent of Hengifoss, except that here the water fell over two floors. In total, the Strútsfoss waterfall fell from a height of almost 120 m.
Mjóifjörður Fjord
Returning to the car, we decided to visit the Mjóifjörður fjord on the way back. The dirt road number 953 that went down into the fjords was absolutely superb, but the descent was steep, some slopes almost 20%!
This fjord was wild, remote, and just superb. Right at the beginning of the descent we stopped near a very pretty waterfall: Klifbrekkufossar. It was divided into 6 layers and fell from a height of nearly 100 meters!
After a visit of the fjord itself, we hit the road again to get to our accommodation, still in blazing sunshine and a good 15 °C.
