The Perfect Hike at Skatafell in Southern Iceland

We knew we had to make time for a hike while in Iceland; Skatafell in Vatnajökull National Park was the perfect option. We started by hiking up to see Svartifoss which started at the visitor center. It was clearly marked and easy to find the waterfall. This first part took about 30 minutes of climbing and gaining elevation. Svartifoss aka black falls gets the name because of the dark lava hexagonal columns all around. The basaltic columns were so interesting and are formed by the way the lava cools. Iceland is known for these basaltic lava columns. We enjoyed a Frontman IPA from Black Shirt Brewing at the waterfall – yes illegal but we didn’t leave any garbage 🙂

We then followed the S6 path that cut across the top of Skatafell which was beautiful and took us to incredible views of skaftafellsjokull glacier. We finally followed the S5 path down and the entire trip took about three hours. This was a beautiful hike, not very strenuous, and provided seriously incredible views. There are longer hikes and shorter ones for you to pick from in the park—something for everyone. We wore snow pants to help keep us warm against the wind and they were also a good choice for the muddy hike down.

I don’t want to read your post, what should I know?

• Hike at Skatafell in Vatnajökull National Park
• For a perfect three hour hike start at Svartifoss, then take S6 to see views of skaftafellsjokull glacier, then S5 to head back to the visiter center
• Wear snow pants to protect yourself for the wind and mud, and layers, it gets cold up top