Landmannalaugar () is a location in Iceland's Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands. It is on the edge of the Laugahraun

lava field A lava field, sometimes called a lava bed, is a large, mostly flat area of lava flows. Such features are generally composed of highly fluid basalt lava, and can extend for tens or hundreds of kilometers across the underlying terrain. Morp ...

. This lava field was formed by an eruption in approximately 1477. It is largely known for its natural geothermal

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

s and surrounding landscape. Landmannalaugar is at the northern end of the

Laugavegur Laugavegur () is a hiking trail in South Iceland. It is the most popular trail in Iceland, with an estimated 75,000-100,000 people hiking it every year. In 2012, National Geographic listed it as one of the twenty best trails in the world. Lau ...

hiking trail, and the Iceland Touring Association operates a mountain hut accommodating hikers.

Activities

Hiking

Landmannalaugar is known for its hiking trails. Some routes include the hike through the Laugahraun �lœiːɣaˌr̥œiːnlava field to Brennisteinsalda ("Sulphur Wave"), the one-hour hike up

Bláhnjúkur Bláhnjúkur () is a volcano in the south of Iceland. Its height is 940 m. Its name translates to ''blue peak'' in English. This comes from the blue-black colour of its sides. The colour is due to volcanic ash and lava flows. The mountain is sit ...

("Blue Peak"), and the four-hour hike to Ljótipollur �ljouːtɪˌpʰɔtlʏr̥crater lake ("Ugly Puddle"). Landmannalaugar can also be the starting point of several longer hiking trails, such as the Hellismannaleið �hɛtlɪsˌmanːaˌleiːθroute at the base of the

Hekla Hekla (), or Hecla, is an active stratovolcano in the south of Iceland with a height of . Hekla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes; over 20 eruptions have occurred in and around the volcano since the year 1210. During the Middle Ages, th ...

volcano, and the

Sprengisandur Sprengisandur () is a highland plateau in Iceland, defined roughly as the area between the Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull glaciers. History and etymology Like Kjölur and Kaldidalur, Sprengisandur is an ancient pass - during the time of the I ...

route for hikers prepared to travel through volcanic desert. The huts on the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails are (from north to south): * Landmannalaugar * Hrafntinnusker * Álftavatn * Hvanngil * Emstrur * Thórsmörk * Fimmvörðuháls

Other activities

Icelandic horse riding has been available in the area each summer. The horse riding trips visit places such as Jökulgil �jœːkʏlˌcɪːl̥(Glacier Valley), that can often be difficult to access on foot and are inaccessible by car.

Arctic char The Arctic char or Arctic charr (''Salvelinus alpinus'') is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes, as well as Arctic and subarctic coastal waters in the Holarctic realm, Holarctic. Distribution and habitat It Spaw ...

fishing is a common activity in Landmannalaugar and nearby lakes. Geothermal hot springs are also present in the area and can be publicly used for bathing.

Cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

often takes place in the area during the winter.

Parking reservation

The Environment Agency has implemented a parking reservation system, beginning in the 2024 season. The system aims to reduce car traffic, as heavy traffic and limited parking has often led to heavy congestion and traffic knots. A limited number of reservations will be available in advance and a reservation will be needed daily between 8 AM and 3 PM during Summer.

References

External links