Breakfast around 7.30am then we leave. Near Route 1 we see a family of Whooper Swans, beautiful!
We drive to glacier lagoon (driving up to the parking lot gives an amazing sight) but it is very foggy so we don’t hike, we pass the bridge and stop at the two parking lots at the right side for a nice view. We stay a long time as the weather is clearing up and it is so quiet there. We see seals on the icebergs and others swimming around.
Then we drive on and spot an Arctic Fox crossing Route 1 just in front of us. Before we could stop and take the camera, the fox was far gone, but we still managed to take some good pictures.
We stop at Fjallsárlón, now we can see the glacier 'Fjallsjökull' which was covered by fog yesterday. Then we drive to Kviarjökull where we hike all the way to the lake. We are all alone and what an amazing view with the sun on the glacier. On our walk back we meet an Italian woman and have a nice long chat with her. Apparently she is traveling all Iceland by herself and she loves it.
Then walk back to the car and drive to Hofskirkja (passing our next hotel while driving to Öræfi), a tiny village called Hof with a beautiful little church with grass on the roof. Just a photo stop. Then we drive to Svinafellsjökull for a photo stop. Then we tried to take the next stop which should bring us on the northern side but it was closed.
Then we drive to the Skaftafell parking '1' where we first check at the ticket counter what we need for our glacier hike (booked in advance for tomorrow).
Then we hike to Pjófafoss and then further up to Hundafoss, then the Magnúsarfoss. Then up to the Svartifoss which is about 20m high and bordered on both sides by tall black basalt columns. It is quite a hike and the weather is warm again and we are wearing warm clothes!!!
Then back on our way to Öræfi to the Glacier lagoon Fosshotel where we arrive around 6pm, check in and we want to have dinner there after a shower but it is fully booked we can only have dinner now or at 9pm so we decide to eat now and shower later. Very nice dinner and room! For the first time we can get the room dark for the night!