A chunk of the Skaftafell National Park which is part of much bigger Vatnajokull National Park. In the bottom left, left of picture you will find the camping site and some services. Bottom right, also out of picture, you find the Fosshotel and Freysnes mentioned in the article. PIC IceNineJon
Y ou know the deal. When options are limited you raise prices and usually you get away with it. Especially when foreign tourists constitute most of your business.
That is exactly what the owners of the Fosshotel next to the famous and extremely beautiful Skaftafell National Park in Iceland have done knowing their hotel is the only one in the approximate area.
The hotel is a run down kinda place and judging from numerous online reviews neither very nice or friendly. On the contrary, apart from rave reviews about the location, naturally, most think the basic hotel heavily overpriced. Same goes for most services on offer here. A simple road diner close by at Freysnes offers what we believe is the most expensive soup in Iceland.
But here is the dilemma. Any self-respecting visitor must spend time here. Skaftafell is fabulous in any regard. One of few places where you can get so close to Vatnajokull glacier as to almost touch it without buying some fancy and expensive 4×4 tour. The only starting point for the popular climb to the top of Iceland´s highest peak and a number of other amazing natural sights around.
Team Total Iceland recommends bringing a tent or renting a vehicle you can sleep in. This might not sound a very sexy way to stay in a beautiful park for some but there is actually an upside here. By staying in a tent/van you not only get to stay a few minutes away from the awesome glacier but you get to hear it and feel it too.
You see, glaciers, on account of being a mass of frozen snow tend to give off cold wafts for miles around. Sitting comfortably outside your tent on a clear summer night and feeling the cold actually wafer through the air is so amazing you forget about the actual cold. This just might be the freshest air you have ever breathed.
The glacier also moves mind you and when it does it makes scary noises. Scary in a nice way. Such moments will instantly make you forget the hassle of putting up a tent and perhaps rolling uncomfortably around a lot while sleeping. It is still worth it folks by a long shot.
This is only possible to experience by camping here. One cannot hear anything from nearby hotels.
In Skaftafell, close by the campsites, you will find a small, expensive store, and a small restaurant too. Absolutely worst case you just pick up the tent and get the hell outta here. But we doubt that will happen.
