Iceland: Landmannalaugar – Driving to Landmannalaugar

Landmannalaugar is the mystical place of legends deep in the central inaccessible part of Iceland. On my previous three trip to the country, it was something of an ultimate yet unreachable holy grail – only a specially equipped 4WD could rich this place. Over the years the access improved slightly, and we had the ultimate Toyota Highlander SUV to try our luck in reaching Landmannalaugar. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that rough – only about 30km of true 4WD-ing through tracks across lava fields and sharp volcanic boulders. Unlike the southern and northern routes which require multiple river crossings, the western approach was dry, albeit very rocky. The stark black and white lunar landscapes of endless lava fields and volcanic cones slowly became colorful with yellow rhyolite mountains that Landmannalaugar is famous for. The visitor center and camp lies in a beautiful river valley, all green and bubbling with hot springs, and surrounded with spectacular mountains scenery.