Photo Gallery » Rainbow Mountains in Iceland

Rainbow Mountains (Landmannalaugar) in the Fjallabak nature reserve in Iceland is an amazing place that made a huge impression on us. Despite the fact that the whole week on the island was full of spectacular views, these colorful landscapes delighted and made the greatest impression.

Road to the Rainbow Mountains

Landmannalaugar in the Rainbow Mountains can be reached by bus (e.g. from Reykjavik), a 4-wheel drive car or, as we saw along the way, even by bike. However, the bike is rather for real ironmen because on the way you have to overcome over 26 kilometers of gravel road sprinkled with stones and volcanic dust that rose with every gust of wind, creating giant black clouds sanding your face and eyes.

How to get to Landmannalaugar

There are two roads leading to Landmannalaugar in the Rainbow Mountains: F208/F224 and a slightly shorter one (without a number) marked on the Google map as Landmannaleið - which in translation means the path of the lander. Both routes require a car with a 4-wheel drive and it is forbidden to use passenger cars on them. When taking the shorter one, you have to cross streams several times. And this is not covered by any insurance and as warned in the car rental company, it is not worth risking because it can be very expensive and change your whole financial life. I don't know if it's true, but I heard that in the summer season, at least one car drowned by tourists is pulled out of streams in Iceland every day.

Road through the volcanic desert

For the first 20 kilometers you can doubt because at the beginning the road is covered with giant stones. You have to slowly avoid larger boulders and choose smaller holes. Later, an endless slag field begins, on which a car with normal wheels drives at a speed of about 20-30 km/h. You also have to watch out for what's going on behind you, because every now and then you see speeding monster trucks or buses on giant tires in the mirror. For them, this road is not a problem - they go really fast.

Off-road vehicles in Iceland

Off-road vehicles in Iceland are real monsters: giant wheels with pressure regulation systems, high suspension, air intake (snorkel) and protective grilles for lamps.

Suzuki Jimny in Iceland

There are a lot of smaller off-road cars like Suzuki Jimny or S-Cross and Dacia Duster in addition to big off-road cars on mighty wheels in the Icelandic wilderness.

Free car park Landmannalaugar

We arrived at the parking lot in Landmannalaugar after almost 2 hours of driving, interrupted by stops to photograph the views. Parking (Bílastæði við Landmannalaugar) is free, but if you want to drive to the campsite itself, you have to cross two more streams - just like the brave little Suzuki Jimny in this photo.

Landmannalaugar hut and camping

However, we did not decide to drive the car through the water, so we left it in the parking lot and headed towards the Landmannalaugar shelter, campground and the entrance to the trails.

Trekking trails in Landmannalaugar

Several trekking trails start in Landmannalaugar - white, orange and red. The most popular trail in Iceland - Laugavegur - is marked in red. Every year, up to 100,000 tourists travel this 55-kilometre route. Depending on weather conditions, the trail opens in June and closes in September.

Trekking in the Rainbow Mountains

To see the first spectacular views, just go out on the trail and after a few minutes colorful mountains begin to appear. You do not need to overcome any major hills to see the breathtaking landscapes.

Volcano Brennisteinsalda - sulfur wave

Brennisteinsalda is a volcano with a height of 855 m above sea level. and its name can be translated as: sulfur mountain, sulfur dune or sulfur wave. And indeed, looking from the trail, it looks like a big rainbow wave. This incredibly colorful mountain is one of Iceland's most famous volcanic wonders. Its conical shape and intense color palette make it one of the most photogenic volcanoes in the country. It is worth knowing that it is an active volcano, and its last eruption took place in 1961. There you can see many fumaroles from where water vapor with hydrogen sulphide comes out on the slopes.

Beautiful landscapes of the Rainbow Mountains

But as always in the mountains - the higher the more beautiful! If you do not have much time or strength, I suggest climbing the first and probably the most colorful mountain on the red trail - and it is the Brennisteinsalda volcano (855 m above sea level). To get to the top, turn right at the marked fork from the red trail to the green trail, which after a short steep ascent will lead you to the viewpoint. And what to write here... you have to see it because no words will fully reflect the beauty of this amazing panorama...

Colorful mountains in Iceland

Looking at these views, I understand why it takes 4 or 5 days to walk the 55-kilometre trail, especially if someone is passionate about photography. It's hard not to stop every few dozen steps and not take a picture.

Icelandic Rainbow Mountains

These landscapes seemed unreal - like graphics or holograms... I've seen quite a lot of mountain views but these enchanted me and hypnotized me deeply. I was very reluctant to start going downstairs...

Photographic masterpieces of nature

I absorbed the views and wanted to capture every detail and fragment of the landscape. Colors, shapes, forms, lights, shadows - they drew me in completely...

Cosmic mountain views

Icelandic views were often so unreal and far from what we are used to that in many places we felt like on another planet.

The most beautiful places in Iceland

We were surprised many times by the variability of the landscape, unusual colors and forms every day during the 7 days of traveling around Iceland. In such places, my senses sharpen, the ability to observe works at increased speed and I absorb the views. If I had to point out which places in Iceland are the most beautiful, I would have a huge problem because I fell in love every day and it seemed to me that it was here. Then we moved on to another place that was even more amazing. And yet we saw only a piece of this amazing island. But I have to say that Landmannalaugar and the surrounding area is at the top of my list.

The mountains of Iceland

The mountains of Iceland are undoubtedly one of the country's greatest treasures. There are about 130 volcanoes on the island, including 18 active ones. The relief is dominated by plateaus and highlands of volcanic origin. The island offers unparalleled mountain landscapes that impress with their ruggedness and beauty. Regardless of the season, the mountains of Iceland are an oasis of calm and inspiration for travelers who want to discover the extraordinary wonders of nature.

Hot springs in the mountains

We came down from the mountains in the evening. Although in Iceland in June it's hard to tell when it's evening because the sun shines until 11 pm and then goes below the horizon for a moment, but it's still bright. There are hot springs at the Landmannalaugar hut that heat the stream and the water is hot as a bathtub. It is worth taking a bathing suit with you because after trekking you can take a bath and relax admiring the colors of the mountain slopes and illuminated by the endless sunset. I marked a good place to bathe on the map.

A viewpoint by the road in the Fjallabak reserve

We stopped at the viewpoint at the Frostastaðavatn lake on our way back via the F208 road.

Amazing Icelandic views

Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland offers a space unlike anywhere else in the world. Its vast, unspoilt areas make you feel like you are at the edge of the known world, surrounded only by the beauty of nature. Volcanoes in Iceland are real powerhouses of nature that are both a threat and a fascination. Active craters such as Eyjafjallajökull and Hekla are reminders of the dynamic forces that make up the island.

Volcanic landscapes in Iceland

Volcanic landscapes in Iceland delight with their unusual and raw beauty. The rocks formed from the solidified lava create picturesque geological formations. The landscape of the Landmannalaugar region is like a volcanic masterpiece. Picturesque, colorful volcanic cones, overgrown with mosses and lichens, create an unprecedented palette of colors.

Volcanic wasteland

And finally, a drive through the black volcanic desert. Such views are also impressive - you can watch how the earth was formed and how life begins to emerge on dry, scorched earth. Iceland is a must-visit destination for photography and nature lovers!