Skaftafell was a place for regional assembly back in the days. The farms there were moved up to the hillside due to all the water from Skeiðará. Since 1967 Skaftafell has been a national park and later becoming part of the Vatnajökull national park or since 2008. The area around Skaftafell is amazing for all sorts of outdoor activity, the most popular hiking trail there leads you up to Svartifoss (black waterfall). Svartifoss is known for its black column basalt surrounding the waterfall itself. It’s a very beautiful hike and takes you about 30-40 minutes one way on a very good and well-marked path. Always good to get information about longer hikes and condition at the visitor center in Skaftafell. In Skaftafell you can also find a few companies offering a variety of activities to do on the glaciers around. Driving from Skaftafell towards Jökulsárlón will take you along the mountainside along the Vatnajökull ice cap. The largest one in Europe. All the outlet glaciers you see on your way are coming from Vatnajökull ice cap or Öræfajökull which is an ice cap belonging to Vatnajökull.
