Vestdalur Hike - Seidisfjoerdur - Things To Do Reviews

Iceland is not just Reykjavik and the Golden Circle. You need to travel the entire country to get a feel what Iceland is and all the beauty it provides. One place I recommend stopping off in is Seydisfjordur in the North East. This small town is the major ferry terminal for transportation to Europe. It is also home to some beautiful sights, including the Vestdalur Hike.

This hike is a short climb up a valley along side a series of waterfalls. The valley is made up of a series of plateaus (an elevated mass of land that is relatively flat - like a table). The river runs down the middle of the valley and becomes a waterfall at the edge of each plateau. As you get higher, the waterfalls become larger. And at any given time, you can just turn around and look out over the valley you just hiked up and see how the river zig-zags until it meets the ocean.

Its a truly spectacular hike, and if you love waterfalls this hike has plenty for your viewing.

At the top you can continue hiking until you reach Vestdalsvatn, a small lake that remains frozen most of the year. You'll also get a view of Mt Bjolfur.

From the lake, you bear left and make your way west towards a skiing area. The path will end back at the road leading to Seydisfjordur.

To find the Vesdalur hike, just start walking up the road past the HI hostel to where a rough 4WD track takes off up the glacial valley to your left. The track peters out after a few hundred meters, but keep walking uphill. Keep to your left and you'll soon come around a corner where you'll see the Vestdalsa river running into the ocean. Make your way up the left side of the river. There is a small path, but you'll lose it from time to time as the grass can grow quite high.

You should be able to get more information about the hike from the town (or at least from the HI hostel).