Hvoll Guesthouse

Southeast Iceland

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Formerly an HI-affiliated hostel, this well-run guesthouse (also known as Road 201) is on the edge of Skeiðarársandur (3.5km south off the Ring Road via a gravel road) and feels remote despite its large size. There’s a busy atmosphere; facilities include several kitchens (bring food – the closest supermarket is 25km away in Klaustur) and a laundry.

Breakfast is available for purchase in summer. Prices here are for made-up beds.

Hvoll makes a good base for exploring Skaftafell and the surrounding sandar; birdlife here is rich. Scheduled passing buses should be able to stop at the Ring Road turn-off.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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    Fjaðrárgljúfur

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    Lómagnúpur

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  • Svínafellsjökull

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    Heading east on the Ring Road from Skaftafell, a sign points the way to the glacier Svínafellsjökull. A rough, potholed dirt road leads 2km to a car park,…

  • Skeiðarársandur

    Skeiðarársandur

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    Skeiðarársandur, the largest sandur in the world, covers a 1300-sq-km area and was formed by the mighty Skeiðarárjökull. Since the Settlement Era,…

  • Systrafoss & Systravatn

    Systrafoss & Systravatn

    14.29 MILES

    At the western end of the village, the lovely double waterfall, Systrafoss, tumbles down the cliffs and a sign outlines three short walks in the pretty…

  • Núpsstaður

    Núpsstaður

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  • Laki

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  • Kirkjugólf

    Kirkjugólf

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    The basalt columns of Kirkjugólf (Church Floor), smoothed down and cemented with moss, were once mistaken for an old church floor rather than a work of…

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Nearby Southeast Iceland attractions

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Just east of Foss á Siðu waterfall (about 11km from Kirkjubæjarklaustur on the Ring Road) is the outcrop Dverghamrar (‘Dwarf Rocks’) – two rock formations…

2. Foss á Siðu

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3. Núpsstaður

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Inland from Lómagnúpur peak is Núpsstaðarskógar, a beautiful low-growing woodland area on the slopes of the mountain Eystrafjall. Due to the perils of…

6. Kirkjugólf

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7. Steingrímsson Memorial Chapel

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West of the village and south of the Ring Road is this vast, dimpled, vivid-green pseudocrater field. Pseudocraters formed when hot lava poured over…