Accommodation
Apartments for 2 persons each. Extra bed available on request. Privat entrance, cooking facilities and bathroom in all apartments.
Board
Good cooking facilities are in the apartments. Next grocery store is at Freysnes 3 km / 2 mi from the Potato Storages.
Service and recreation
There are marked hiking trails into the Skaftafell area of the Vatnajökull National Park. Guided hiking, cycling, mountaineering and glacier tours are also on offer (8 km / 5 mi). There are daily tractor-pulled hay-cart rides around Ingólfshöfði nature reserve, departing from Hofsnes during the summer months. Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon (50 km / 31 mi) is a must-see, and you can even go sailing among the icebergs on a boating tour.
There’s a geothermal swimming pool in Kirkjubæjarklaustur (76 km / 47 mi). The Söluskálinn Freysnesi gas station sells fast-food and a small selection of grocery items (15 km / 9 mi). There’s a larger supermarket with a wider selection in Kirkjubæjarklaustur (84 km / 52 mi).
A unique nature experience in a spectacular location
Towering over Svínafell is Öræfajökull, an ice-capped volcano whose summit, Hvannadalshnúkur, is the highest peak in Iceland, standing at 2,110 m / 6,921 ft. One of the many smaller outlet glaciers branching off from Öræfajökull glacier is Skaftafellsjökull, which you can reach on a very easy hike from Skaftafell. There are a range of other longer and more challenging hikes (3-5 hours) on offer from Skaftafell. Guides can take you to Falljökull, widely considered to be one of the most beautiful outlet glaciers in the region.
Skaftafell – a jewel of Icelandic nature
It’s a short drive from Svínafell to Skaftafell. Originally granted national park status in 1967, Skaftafell is now part of the enormous Vatnajökull National Park. Here you are greeted by a region of unparalleled natural beauty - shrub-covered hills, mountain peaks reminiscent of trolls, shimmering ice cliffs, charcoal-coloured glacier rivers, and black volcanic sands. Good weather conditions and the variety of hiking trails make Skaftafell a dream destination for adventure seekers. There are marked trails suitable for everybody: short and easy trails to Svartafoss waterfall and Skaftafellsjökull glacier, and longer and more challenging hikes to places such as Morsárdalur glacial valley, the Skaftafellsheiði plateau and the Kristínartindar mountain peaks.
Vatnajökull National Park runs a visitor centre in Skaftafell where tourism companies operate various scheduled tours around the park.
Bountiful birdlife and breathtaking views of Ingólfshöfði
Ahead of Hof is a vast sand plain, Skeiðarársandur, through which several glacier rivers flow down to the sea in numerous channels, rivulets and streams. Down by the coast, very close to Hof, is Ingólfshöfði promontory, a nature reserve named after Iceland’s first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson. With cliffs teeming with birdlife, Ingólfshöfði a paradise for bird lovers. The panoramic views across the land and coast are also spectacular. Travelling on the hay-cart from Hofsnes up to Ingólfshöfði is a unique and unforgettable experience that is not to be missed.
Hosts: Regína and Klaus