 The
main hiking routes in the Nature Reserves are marked. Organised
walking tours under the guidance of a warden are offered in the
summertime.
The
old trail across the Budahraun lava field is known as
Klettsgata.
It leads to the Budaklettur rock, past the Budahellir cave, and
onwards across the lava field. In places, hoof prints chiselled by
horses into the rock are visible. The Klettsgata trail makes an
enjoyable hiking tour, suitable for all. An estimated three-hour walk.
The
Jadargatan (Jadragatan) trail lies along the edge of the lava
to a big rock, south of the Midhusatun field, where it joins with the
Klettagata trail. The trail is vague in many places. The estimated
walking time from Budir is two hours.
An
enjoyable route leads to
Frambudir,
where the spirit of days gone by prevails among historical relics
covered in vegetation. A walk from the church to Frambudir takes about
half an hour.
It
is possible to walk from the Budir Nature Reserve to the beach at
Arnarstapi and Hellnar. Hikers should assume 6-8 hours for this walk.
An
old route lies along the
Solvahamar
cliff to the foot of the glacier, the site of the Sölvhamarsrustir
ruins, which are protected by the National Museum of Iceland. A walk
from Arnarstapi to Solvahamar takes less than an hour and is never a
disappointment.
Between
Arnarstapi and Hellnar, all the way from the sea up to the glacier, is
a stretch of lava called Hellnahraun. A trail called
Nedstagata
lies across the lava along the beach. From there the way in which the
forces of nature sculpt and shape the landscape is clearly visible. A
walk between Arnarstapi and Hellnar takes a good hour.
Just
above Hellnar is
Bardarlaug, an explosive crater from the close of the
last glacial epoch. The crater was protected as a natural phenomenon
in 1980.
East
of Bardarlaug are the ruins of the ancient
Laugarbrekka,
a former parliamentary site. Gudrun Thorbjarnardottir, one of the most
widely travelled women of her time, was born here.
West
of the Hnausahraun lava field the
Raudfeldsgja
ravine cuts into the east side of Mt. Botnsfjall. The river
Sleggjubeina runs along the bottom of the ravine. There is a short
walk from the road to the ravine. |
 |
