Glaciers are some of Earth’s most ethereal—and mighty—natural wonders. But few are more stunning than Iceland’s Vatnajökull ice cap. Covering more than 3,000 square miles and eight percent of the country, it’s not only Iceland’s largest glacier but the largest in Europe.
It’s said that if Vatnajökull was spread evenly over the entirety of Iceland, it would form a 98-foot-thick layer of ice. But it’s not just the glacier’s size that makes it remarkable; beneath its glassy surface lie at least seven volcanoes (most of which are active), caldera lakes, and bubbling cauldrons of geothermal activity.
In addition to being enshrined as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, Vatnajökull National Park has been named one of the most important geological sites on the planet by the International Geological Union. Its diverse, otherworldly landscapes are the result of millennia of interplay between fire and ice.
At over 5,000 square miles, the vastness of Vatnajökull National Park can feel difficult to comprehend. But it’s not too hard to see and experience the beauty of the area firsthand. The park’s Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre in Skaftafell, Iceland (about a four-hour drive from Reykjavík) is open year-round and provides direct access to the Skaftafellsjökull glacier, part of the greater Vatnajökull ice cap. Skaftafellsjökull is best visited in the winter, when the glacier extends to lower elevations (you can make the trek in about two hours) and turns bright blue.
Vatnajökull may be the park’s namesake, but there’s plenty else for visitors to see and delight in. On the coastal edge of the ice field, travelers can find Jökulsárlón, a lagoon that sits between the base of the glacier and the ocean. One of Iceland’s most popular tourist sites, its (very photogenic) blue, glacial-fed waters are filled with stray icebergs. Walk a bit further and you’ll find Diamond Beach, named for the chunks of ice that wash up on its black sand shores.
You can see Vatnajökull glacier, Jökulsárlón lagoon, and Diamond Beach on one outing from Reykjavík. But if you’d like to make a larger expedition out of the adventure, consider embarking on a trip along Iceland’s “Ring Road,” aka Route 1, a popular way to see the vast natural wonders of the country.
Read the full article here