|
Asbyrgi certainly is one of natures wonders. It is a 3½ km long canyon with up
to 100 m high walls occupied by fulmars during the breeding season. It is the northernmost
part of the National Park Jokulsargljufur under the management of the Forestry Service.
The well vegetated area between the canyon walls is a very popular recreational area,
especially among families, and local festivals are celebrated there. In its middle is a
freestanding and precipitous rock called "The Island". The canyon is partly
wooded, mainly with birch, willow, larch and fur. It was created by two catastrophic
flood waves from the icecap Vatnajokull far in the south, the first one about 8-10
thousand and the second about 3000 years ago.
According to the mythology Wooden, the chief
pagan god, was once riding his eight legged horse around the world and it put down one of
its legs and created this hoof like expression in the landscape. A road lies almost
all the way to its bottom, where it is nice to walk about and enjoy the surroundings. The
distance from the capital is about 545 km and 65 km from Husavik. |