The highlands of Iceland have some of the very last wilderness left in Europe. Landmannalaugar in the Fjallabak Nature reserve are among the most scenic and otherworldly of so many amazing destinations in Iceland. The central highlands are littered with lava fields, volcanoes and mountain ridges and this is basically what you can expect on the highland road that is taken up here. The area lies right on the edge of the Laugahraun lava field and sports a very nice natural hot spring as well as having rhyolite mountains with their varied colours and abstract shapes.

Landmannalaugar are very much a part of the south icelandic system of volcanoes with Hekla to the west as well as Eyjafjallajökull and Katla to the south. The amount of volcanic activity in these parts is simply extraordinary with geothermal areas, earthquakes and active volcanoes all around. If you are looking for a place where truly it feels like you are on a different planet then this is it, and it is not just the place itself but the whole journey up here is absolutely awesome. No wonder some of this area has been used as backdrop for sci-fi films and post-apocalyptic worlds.

All day tours have their highlights and Iceland is blessed with an amazing amount of spots that are like no other in the world and fortunately can often be combined such is the diversity in this country. Going to Landmannalaugar in Fjallabak Nature Reserve you might want to prepare for some walking and up to a full day hike depending on how much physical activity you are interested in, it can easily be enjoyed even without any kind of hiking but the option is there. When doing any kind of Icelandic touring it is always a good idea to do a little research and even if you are not planning to do sleeping bags and mountain huts it is nevertheless a good idea to bring some supplies or at least confer with your driver/guide. 

While traveling in this part of the country it is a truly frightening thought that the local shepherds would spend months up here without GPS and before electricity. Just the idea of impending eruptions, the ground suddenly trembling from earthquakes and then entertaining the idea of trolls and monsters possibly hiding in the rugged lava or behind the next hill. Wondering about the blue peak in rhyolite mountains and what entity might live there or indeed what went on when these mad landscapes were created. The Iceland highlands are indeed a great adventure that should leave no traveler untouched with their otherworldliness, breathtaking sights and true beauty.