Tag Archives: Highlands

Fjallabak Nature Reserve

View from Brennisteinsalda to Bláhnjúkur
View from Brennisteinsalda to Bláhnjúkur

The scenery in the Icelandic highlands is magnificent in all its diversity and colours. Barren black desert sands and multicoloured mountains are a fascinating attraction. Fjallabak Nature Reserve is one of the places that many visit and not without reason. It is famous for its natural geothermal hot springs and colourful rhyolite mountains.

Landmannalaugar
Landmannalaugar tourist center

Landamannalaugar is a very popular destination, at the beginning of the hiking trail Laugavegur. Lots of people come there and enjoy a bath in the hot springs.

Colourful rhyolite landscape
Colourful rhyolite landscape

The route to the area is rather rough and not recommended for small cars.

Geothermal heat and mineral deposits
Geothermal heat and mineral deposits

White cottongrass in abundance

White cottongrass, Kýlingar, near Landmannalaugar
White cottongrass (Eriophorum scheuchzeri), Kýlingar, near Landmannalaugar

From far off you can easily mistake white cottongrass (Eriophorum scheuchzeri) for snow. Its beautiful white fields are very prominent in the scenery. Here in Kýlingar, near Landamannalaugar in the Southern Interior, white cottongrass grows in the fertile soil from a former glacial river. 40 years ago there used to be a lake here that has been filling up with mud and clay from the river.  Now we have this beautiful wetland with shallow crystal clear creeks and cotton grass growing luxuriantly.

The bird life in the spring is probably an interesting sight but it is not an easy place to visit because the roads usually do not open until late June or beginning of July.

fifusund-2

The Landmannalaugar area attracts a lot of tourists in the summer time. For photographers it is exceptional in its diversity and colours.  Here is Atli photographing, visit his Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/atlapix/