Landmannalaugar, often in Russian-language sources this place is called the colored mountains, although the name translates from Icelandic as the land of baths / springs. And now rhyolite, colored mountains are located near these thermal springs! Landmannalaugar is considered one of the most famous and unusual sights of Iceland.
Landmannalaugar is a place that most people fall in love with from the first moment. Valley The Landmannalaugar and the colored mountains of Iceland are one of the most incredible places not only in Iceland itself, but perhaps all over the world! This place is located at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level, in the middle of the central highlands of Iceland - Highlands.
Content:
- Geology - how the Landmannalaugar springs and the colored Mountains were formed
- Hiking in the area of the colored mountains
- Laugavegur Hiking Trail Camping
- How to get to Landmannalaugar
The Landmannalaugar Park is located near the Hekla volcano in the southern part of Iceland and is one of the most popular attractions in the country.
TitleL'andmannalaugar literally translates as – "the bathhouse of the men of this land." And all because there are many natural baths with healing water from thermal springs. Also, some Icelanders call this place the "Pearl of the Mountains".
This is an amazing place for photographers with an endless variety of geological formations, steaming hot springs and rivers, frozen lava and colorful rhyolite mountains that change colors depending on the lighting. It is a remote place among the mountains, accessible only from the end of June (and sometimes only from July) to the end of September. During the rest of the year, the roads become impassable for ordinary transport.
Geology - how the Landmannalaugar springs and the colored Mountains were formed
The famous multicolored mountains are formed from volcanic rock – rhyolite, similar in composition to granite. They contain inclusions of various minerals, which, interacting with water and oxygen from the air, are oxidized and therefore these mountains have a great variety of colors and their shades. And in combination with the colors of the sky, water, snow and ice, the whole range of colors of the rainbow will open up in front of you. Many mountains have colored stripes and shades of red, pink, green, yellow and orange. Two mountains are considered the most popular:
- Brennisteinsalda, which means "grey wave"
- Blahnjukur - "blue peak".
Landmannalaugar is an amazing area not only from a geological but also from an aesthetic point of view. The Landmannalaugar hot springs are located next to huge lava fields. Basically, these fields of frozen lava were formed here in 1477 after a volcanic eruption.
Landmannalaugar originally became known for its natural geothermal baths. For centuries, it has served as a place to relax. And today, not taking a swimsuit and towel with you when visiting this place would be an unforgivable mistake.
The most popular road leading to Landmannalaugar, Sigölduleið, passes by stunning natural sites, including Lake Blagilur, located in the crater of an extinct volcano.
Hiking in the area of the colored mountains
Landmannalagar is part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the south of the Icelandic Highlands. The area of the reserve is approximately fifty thousand hectares. Fjallback Park was created in the late eighties to protect the fragile northern nature of the Highlands.
The Landmannalaugar area is located in the northern part of the Laugavegur route and serves as the starting point for this famous 54 kilometer four-day hiking route. This is one of the most popular hiking trails in Iceland. However, this area is also the starting point for many other interesting routes, including the route to the Brennisteinsalda mountain - Sulfur Wave, which we have already written about. It is also worth following the trail to the Blancourt volcano, the Blue Peak, from which glacier-covered mountain peaks can be seen on clear days.
If you want to visit the Colored Mountains, but renting a four-wheel drive car does not fit into your plans, then this is possible by arriving on special buses or as part of an organized tour, the most interesting thing is that the price of a round-trip bus ticket and the price of the tour are almost the same. So you can choose: a bus or a guided tour to the colored mountains of Landmannalaugar.
From mid-June to mid-September, several companies organize tours to the Landmannalaugar area. But it is quite possible to get here on your own in a rented car. The Icelandic tourist Association has also organized a camping site here, where you can stay with a tent and a small shop.
If you don't have a lot of time, then we want to recommend you several routes from a few hours to half a day in the vicinity of the colored mountains
Day trips in the Colored Mountains of Landmannalaugar, Iceland
The colored mountains or Landmannalaugar in Iceland attract an endless stream of people who want to see this beautiful nature with their own eyes. But not many tourist...
Laugavegur Hiking Trail Camping
In recent years, Landmannalaugar has become a kind of base camp for the Laugavegur hiking trail and tourists admiring this gem in the Highlands. The Icelandic Tourist Association (Ferðafélag Íslands in Iscelandic) built a shelter hut here in 1969, it can accommodate 110 people. There is also a good camping site, but the soil here is very rocky and hard.
For decades, this place has been a favorite among Icelanders.
How to get to Landmannalaugar
Highland Road, Fjallabak nyrðri passes through most of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve and is one of the easiest roads in the Highlands. All other roads require some off-road driving experience. But even for this road, you need a four-wheel drive car. If you are traveling through the Icelandic Highlands, it is worth remembering that the sparse vegetation of these places is very fragile and traffic outside the official roads is strictly prohibited!
There are two main routes to Landmannalaugar from Reykjavik - the F225 Dómadalsleið mountain road, often called Landmannaleið, or the F208 Nyrðri Fjallabak mountain road.
Everyone recommends using the F208 road as it is lighter. In addition, the F208 road usually opens earlier than the F225, this often happens in early summer, but it strongly depends on weather conditions and the amount of snow in winter.
If you intend to drive on Mountain roads in Iceland, these are all roads that are marked on maps with the letter F, you need a four-wheel drive car. Because according to the rules, you cannot drive on these roads in a regular car without four-wheel drive.
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From Reykjavik, you need to take the ring road number 1, which makes a ring along the coast of Iceland. From Reykjavik, you need to move east. Shortly after you cross the bridge over the river, you will see the turnoff to the 26 Landvegur road. You need to drive about 50 kilometers north on road 26, and at Mount Búrfell you need to turn right onto the mountain road F225 if you decide to follow it. If you are driving on the F208 road or the F225 is closed, continue along highway 26 and after about 25 kilometers there will be a turn onto the F208 Nyrri Fjallabak road.
Both Landmannaleið and Nyrðri Fjallabak roads lead to the colored mountains. Usually both roads open in early July, but quite often the F208 road opens a couple of weeks earlier - around the middle of June. Both roads are closed in mid-September. Also be prepared that you will need to cross small rivers by wading, so think about whether you are ready for such an adventure? Moreover, any breakdowns in the car when crossing rivers are usually not included even in the most comprehensive insurance.
The 30 kilometers of the F208 road may seem a little boring, but the F225 highway will not let you get bored. Shallow and easily passable fords, steaming and emitting thick white steam land, with transitions of lava desert zones into green plains. And of course the mountains are just unreal colors! And all these colors and shades somewhere gently flow into each other, and somewhere they contrast sharply.
If you still decide that crossing rivers by car is not for you, but you really want to get to the Landmannalaugar area, then a good option would be to use the harsh Icelandic four-wheel drive bus. It makes regular flights from Reykjavik to the Highland area. Read more in the article about Icelandic transport
Buses in Iceland, routes and schedules
The easiest and most popular way to travel around Iceland is to rent a car. But what if for some reason this option is not suitable for you?
Not many people kn...
Also, if you want to take the Laugavegur route or stay overnight in the Colored Mountains, so-called "passports" can help you, which make it possible to get to one place and leave another.
