Fjallsárlón and Jökulsárlón Day 6

Day 6: Fjallsárlón and Jökulsárlón

It has been raining since last night and throughout the night. By morning, it will turn into drizzle. The mountain slopes are foggy, and nothing can be seen of the glaciers. Despite the weather, we prepare for the upcoming hike and start at 9 AM to Svartifoss. First, we ascend 190 meters in elevation, passing the Hundafoss waterfall. The path is mostly built with natural stone steps. At Svartifoss, the river cascades over a cliff edge framed by basalt columns like organ pipes.
We continue along the loop trail, with many tourists turning back here. After we need to ascend the plateau again, we descend once more. We pass by a cluster of several grass-roofed houses.
In Iceland, grass-roofed houses, also known as turf houses, are traditional dwellings made from turf, lava rock, and driftwood. These houses were the predominant form of housing until the 20th century and provided good insulation against the cold Icelandic winters due to their thick walls (up to 1.5 meters).
After about 2 hours, we are back at the car after covering 6 kilometers. We then drive for another 45 minutes to two glaciers with their respective lakes.
Fjallsárlón is the smaller of the two. We walk a short distance along the lake and admire the icebergs floating in the water. Fortunately, the sun is now shining, and the reflections in the water create a beautiful image. The ice shimmers blue.
At the parking lot, we have lunch before heading to the second glacier with a lake, which is a 10-minute drive away. Jökulsárlón has an outlet to the sea, which carries the icebergs out. Some pieces end up on the beach due to the current and waves. The beach is called Diamond Beach. The large ice chunks in the water create stunning images and fascinate not only us. We sit by the glacier lagoon for a while, watching the icebergs, birds, and the water. We even catch a glimpse of a seal.
Then the rain catches up with us, and we return to the parking lot.
Initially, we wanted to spend the night in Höfn but decide to drive a bit further so that tomorrow's journey isn't too long.
We make one more stop at Stokksnes, a peninsula. There, next to a lighthouse, is a recreated Viking village. It was originally intended for a film, but that never happened. The kids don’t want to walk anymore, so only René and I take a loop. It’s low tide, and the sun is shining. We walk the path to the edge of the Viking village and ship before returning. We don't want to pay an entrance fee. Now we cover another hour of driving. The landscape changes. We follow the coastal road northeast.
Shortly after 6 PM, we reach our campsite just beyond Djúpivogur. The site has many amenities, like shared kitchen access and a fire pit. The kids insist on having a campfire, and we fulfill their wish.
There we meet an Icelandic family and discuss their beautiful country.