Svinafellsjokull (Svínafellsjökull) is one of the southern outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest ice cap. It lies in the Skaftafell area of Vatnajökull National Park, a place popular with tourists, photographers and lovers of the rugged beauty of Icelandic nature. Thanks to its incredible formations and stunning views, it is also one of the most popular places in the country for glacier hiking.
From higher up, there are magnificent views of the mountains, the ocean and Vatnajökull National Park with its many other glacier tongues.
Like all glaciers, Svinafellsjokull has a magnificent, almost otherworldly look – deep blue ice, glistening white snow and veins of black ash that remind us of eruptions centuries ago.
There are no marked trails on Svínafellsjökull, but there is usually a trodden path up the glacier, over the rocks along its edge. The intensity of the blue ice can be downright mesmerizing, but if you decide to go up the glacier, be extremely careful. In the lower part, near the parking lot and around the glacier lagoon, anyone can walk and admire the glacier without any problems.
The beauty of Svínafellsjökull has been appreciated not only by Icelanders and visitors – like many other places in the country, it caught the eye of the producers of Game of Thrones. Scenes of the dramatic battle from season 7 were filmed here.
How to get to Svínafellsjökull
Svinafellsjokull is in the Skaftafell area, near the Svartifoss waterfall, about 140 km (85 miles) northeast of Vík í Mýrdal. From Route 1, take the short (about 2 km / 1.2 miles) but terribly potholed gravel road that leads to the parking lot right by the glacier.
Map: driving directions from Vík to Svinafellsjokull — click to open the interactive map
