Jul 09, 2019
Iceland

Langisjór lake & the Sveinstindur peak, Icelandic hidden gems

Have you always looked for the most magical places in Iceland? The least touristy and most authentic? Then you definitely can’t miss Langisjór Lake and Mount Sveinstindur!

The Langisjór lake

Lake Langisjór is approximately 20 km long and up to 2 km wide and extends almost to the southwestern edge of Europe’s largest glacier, the Vatnajökull. Its greatest depth is 75m, its area is 27 km² and it is located 670 m above sea level.

Almost all its surroundings are arid mountain deserts and no documentation that speaks of its existence was found until the end of the 19th century. The lake is dotted with many islands and the scenery is exceptionally magnificent. Its discharge, Utfall, cascades into the Skaftá glacial river. The Langisjór area is a part of the Vatnajokull National Park.

Langisjór

How to get to Langisjór? From the F208 road, the F235 road appears, which brings us close to the lake and the Skaelingar and Sveinstindur refuges. To access, it is essential to use a 4×4 vehicle.

Where to sleep in Langisjór? Next to Langisjór there is an area designated for camping. If you are looking to live a unique experience in one of the secret lodges in the highlands you can also join our Isolated Iceland trip.

The Sveinstindur peak

From Mount Sveinstindur (1,090 m.y.) we have, without a doubt, one of the best views of the mountains in the country (if visibility is good). From the top we can see: the Lakagígar (the Laki craters), the Langisjór lake, the Vatnajökull glacier and the Fjallabak area. The path is quite easy, although the slope is quite steep.

The trail is well marked, and the summit is usually completely covered in snow in early summer. Those who reach the top of Sveinstindur will forget about the rest of the world, endless shades of blues and greens stretch over 25km of lake to the Vatnajökull glacier.

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Hiking distance: approx 12km (round trip)
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking duration: 3 and a half hours – 4 hours