Álftavatn

About Álftavatn

Álftavatn is the lake where hikers on a four-day Laugavegur trek usually spend their second night, a sheet of water in a green valley ringed by dark, moss-streaked peaks. The name means Swan Lake, and the huts on its shore sit roughly halfway between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk in the Fjallabak highlands.

The descent from Hrafntinnusker is 12 kilometers with about 490 meters of downhill, usually four to five hours on foot, and the first sight of the lake from the Jökultungur slopes is one of the best moments of the whole trek. From Álftavatn the trail continues 16 kilometers to Emstrur. Expect river crossings on both legs, including Grashagakvísl on the way in and Bláfjallakvísl further on, which can run high after rain.

The Iceland Touring Association (FÍ) runs two Álftavatn huts with 72 sleeping-bag places, plus a large campsite with toilets and paid showers. A warden is on site in summer, roughly from late June to mid-September, depending on when the highland roads open. Book hut beds through FÍ well before summer, and note that bookings for the 2026 season opened as fixed five-night Laugavegur bundles.

If you have a spare afternoon, the unmarked climb up Brattháls takes 1.5 to 2 hours round trip and looks straight down on the lake. Drivers can reach Álftavatn on the F210 Fjallabaksleið syðri, but only in a high-clearance 4x4 that can handle unbridged rivers. Outside the summer season, the huts are locked.