Vatnajökull Glacier

Vatnajökull is Iceland’s largest ice cap and covers around 10% of the entire island. Plugging a vast volcanic system below the ground, it epitomises Iceland’s nickname as the Land of Ice and Fire. There are plenty of ways to explore this huge expanse of frozen wilderness, from glacier hikes to boat tours and waterfall trails.

The formation of Vatnajökull glacier as we know it today pre-dates settlers in Iceland. Around 1,500 years ago, this vast ice cap was formed by the coalescence of several smaller glaciers from high in the mountains. So when settlers arrived around 870 AD, Vatnajökull had already been formed.

Combined, the ancient glaciers covered a huge swathe of land and today Vatnajökull glacier is between 8,100 and 8,300 square kilometres in size. It’s almost impossible to declare the exact size of Vatnajökull at any one time as its outlet glaciers move slowly every year – creeping forward by around one metre a day over the summer months.

In June 2008, Vatnajökull National Park was officially established, covering the glacier and surrounding area, including Jökulsárgljúfur and Skaftafell.