Landmannalaugar

Landmannalaugar (Icelandic, meaning "the hot springs of the people of (the) land") is a region near the volcano Hekla in the Southern Highlands of Iceland.

The Landmannalaugar area is famous for its natural beauty. The area consists of many geological elements, most obvious being the rhyolite mountains and vast lava fields, rising up right by the main mountain hut. The many mountains in the surrounding area are colored in variations of pink, brown, green, yellow, blue, purple, black, white and more, the most notable mountains being Bláhnúkur (Blue peak) and Brennisteinsalda (Sulphur dune).

Landmannaluagar is a popular tourist destination. Tourists visit the area from June through late September, after which time the road is closed. A mountain lodge, in operation since 1951, can accommodate 78 people and has basic amenities. It is located centrally near natural geothermal hot springs, also popular with tourists.

Two routes lead to Landmannalaugar and one of them is accessible by regular car, though the road is rough. The easiest route to Landmannalaugar is to take either Rd. 30 from the mainroad and change into 32, cross the Sultartangi hydro-electric dam, going onto 26, then F208 and just before arriving in Landmannalaugar, making a right turn to F224. Road 26 can also be accessed directly from Rd. 1 just before arriving in the small village of Hella, crossing through typical Icelandic farmlands.

Icelandic horse riding is also available in the area. The horse riding trips visit places which can often be difficult to access on foot and not accessible by car as there are no official roads, as an example into Jökulgil (Glacier Valley).

From late June and through the summer, a couple from the Westfjords come and serve food and coffee to travelers in their green bus-shop, [http://www.landmannalaugar.info "Fjallafang"] , as well as selling other things useful to travelers.

Landmannalaugar is the usual starting point for a four day long hiking trail aptly called Laugavegur, as the main shopping street in Reykjavík city center is called the same and is referred to the herds of people that walk the trail every day. The name actually means "The Landmannalaugar Trail", "Laugar" being a shortened version for "Landmannalaugar". The usual four day trail ends in Þórsmörk National Park, but one or two days can be added, trekking then all the way to Skógar nearly at the coast via Fimmvörðuháls between the two glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull.

The huts on the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails are (from north to south):
* Landmannalaugar
* Hrafntinnusker
* Álftavatn
* Hvanngil
* Botnar
* Þórsmörk
* Fimmvörðuháls

External links

Information:
* [http://www.landmannalaugar.info The official Landmannalaugar information site]
* [http://www.fi.is Ferðafélag Íslands; for booking huts on the Laugavegur hiking trail] Photos:
* [http://www.isafold.de/strutsstigur02/img_landmannalaugar.htm Mountains near Landmannalaugar]
* [http://www.isafold.de/sprengisandur96/img_bogi.htm Coming down laugarvegur from Hrafntinnusker]
* [http://www.isafold.de/sprengisandur96/img_laugahraun.htm Laugarvegur, in the foreground Brennisteinsalda, right-hand side in the middle ground, Bláhnjúkur]
* [http://www.isafold.de/sprengisandur96/img_landmannalaugar.htm The campground of Landmannalaugar]