Laufskálavarða Cairns
About Laufskálavarða Cairns
Laufskálavarða is a low lava ridge covered in hundreds of small stone cairns, right beside Route 1 on the Mýrdalssandur sand plain in South Iceland. It sits between the Hólmsá and Skálm rivers, roughly 40 minutes east of Vík, and the field of piled rocks stands out sharply against the flat black sand around it.
The ridge takes its name from Laufskálar, a farm that stood nearby until a glacial flood from the Katla volcano destroyed it around the year 980. No trace of the farm has been found, and even its exact site is unknown. The largest part of the ridge is only about 48 by 20 meters, with smaller rocks scattered to the east.
Tradition says that anyone crossing Mýrdalssandur for the first time should build a cairn here for a safe journey. Nobody knows how old the custom is, but the reason is easy to picture: before the bridges and the paved road, travelers faced quicksand and unbridged glacial rivers, with the threat of a Katla flood always in the background. Many of the cairns you see today were built recently by visitors.
If you want to add a stone, keep it to this site and use the loose rock already on the ground. Building cairns elsewhere in Iceland damages moss and can mislead hikers who rely on marked routes. A small viewing platform at the parking area looks north toward Mýrdalsjökull, the ice cap that covers Katla.
The stop takes 10 to 20 minutes and is free, with parking right off the highway. It works as a stretch break between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur, which is about 35 minutes farther east, and can be visited in any season.
Good to know
What is Laufskálavarða?
Laufskálavarða is a lava ridge on Mýrdalssandur covered in stone cairns built by travelers. It is named after the farm Laufskálar, which a Katla flood destroyed around the year 980.
Why do people build cairns at Laufskálavarða?
Tradition says that people crossing Mýrdalssandur for the first time should build a cairn here for luck on the journey. The crossing was once dangerous because of quicksand, unbridged rivers and floods from Katla.
Where is Laufskálavarða?
Laufskálavarða is beside Route 1 on Mýrdalssandur in South Iceland, between the Hólmsá and Skálm rivers. It is about 40 minutes east of Vík and 35 minutes west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
Can you build a cairn at Laufskálavarða?
Adding a stone is part of the local custom at Laufskálavarða, so it is accepted here. Use loose rock from the ground and do not build cairns anywhere else in Iceland.
How long do you need at Laufskálavarða?
Most people stop for 10 to 20 minutes. Parking is right off the highway, and the walk around the ridge is short and flat.
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