After a few days of camping, our teenage companions had enough of pitching tents. Feeling pity on them, we set out to stay in Hvoll hostel. However, once we arrived at Skaftafell National Park we decided to just camp in Skaftafell to save time and money. We planned on doing the Adventure Glacier hike the next day, and it would have been a hassle driving back and forth. Also, camping was much cheaper than staying in a hostel.
Skaftafell National Park was located right next to a glacier. One side borders tall mountains, and on the other a flat plain. When we arrived the visitor center was already close, so we just pitched our tent. Just like the other places we stayed in Iceland, it seemed to operate in honesty system when it comes to camping. We we’re free to pitch our tent anywhere we wanted to, and we just paid our camping fee the next day.
There were plenty of toilets and shower stalls. The bathroom facility was modern. However you had to pay 600 kronos for 5 minutes of hot water. Surprisingly, for a campsite so close to a glacier, it was the warmest place we stayed on the ring road.
Unfortunately, my family was too tired and we never got to hike to Svartifoss.
Things you need to know:
1) There is a cafe in the visitor center where you can have light snack
2) There’s a gas station a few kilometers away where you can buy some food and camping supplies. There’s also a restaurant inside that serves a pretty good buffet lunch.
3) If you do plan on cooking make sure you bring your own stove. There’s none available in the campsite. In our case we brought a Greatland propane stove, and never needed it until Skaftafell. The only problem was we needed propane gas, and the gas canister available at the gas station wouldn’t fit with the stove. To be safe, it’s recommended to bring a Coleman stove since it’s widely used in Iceland. Check this link to see how the gas canisters look in Iceland.
4) The closest grocery store is at ViK and Hofn. Make sure you go food shopping in these towns if you plan on cooking in Skaftafell.
5) You can charge your electronics at the visitor centre front desk for a fee.
6) The ground is hard so it’s difficult to plant the stakes to secure your tent. It feels like there’s a stone layer right under the grass.
