Many popular tourist destinations in North East Iceland have been inaccessible for much of the winter due to heavy snows. The roads leading to Dettifoss and Goðafoss waterfalls, the geothermal area in Námaskarð and Leirhnjúkur and the lava field of Dimmuborgir have only been ploughed occasionally due to a lack of funding, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports.
Popular destinations only accessible on 4x4s
Due to the lack of maintenance of the roads to these tourist destinations travellers driving compact cars have frequently gotten stuck, requiring assistance. Much of the time Dettifoss and Dimmuborgir are only accessible in a 4×4. Local authorities and tourism companies have expressed concern over the conditions, calling for more funding and better organization for the roads’ maintenance.
Out of the aforementioned popular tourist destinations the only regularly maintained road is to Goðafoss waterfall. The road to Dettifoss is only ploughed occasionally by the national road administration. The mayor of Þingeyjarsveit municipality, where Goðafoss waterfall is located, told RÚV that the reason was that the stretch of road could be added to the regular maintenance schedule. “We had cars regularly getting stuck there, as people were trying to get to the waterfall.”
Road conditions are not marked
Making matters worse, the roads lack signs warning travellers that they are impassable to regular cars. In a post to a Facebook group dedicated to discussions about the Icelandic tourism industry, a local woman, Lilja Aðalsteinsdóttir, described what she said is a regular occurrence on the road to Dimmuborgir lava field: “There are no markings by the highway, indicating what the conditions along the road are, and people drive along, in good faith, only to find themselves in 40-50cm deep snow, and then get stuck, and by then it is too late to turn the car around.”
Lilja adds that the road to Dimmuborgir is frequently only accessible on altered 4x4s, and that there are few spots along the road to turn around in case people encounter trouble.
Many popular tourist destinations in North East Iceland have been inaccessible for much of the winter due to heavy snows. The roads leading to Dettifoss and Goðafoss waterfalls, the geothermal area in Námaskarð and Leirhnjúkur and the lava field of Dimmuborgir have only been ploughed occasionally due to a lack of funding, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports.
Popular destinations only accessible on 4x4s
Due to the lack of maintenance of the roads to these tourist destinations travellers driving compact cars have frequently gotten stuck, requiring assistance. Much of the time Dettifoss and Dimmuborgir are only accessible in a 4×4. Local authorities and tourism companies have expressed concern over the conditions, calling for more funding and better organization for the roads’ maintenance.
Out of the aforementioned popular tourist destinations the only regularly maintained road is to Goðafoss waterfall. The road to Dettifoss is only ploughed occasionally by the national road administration. The mayor of Þingeyjarsveit municipality, where Goðafoss waterfall is located, told RÚV that the reason was that the stretch of road could be added to the regular maintenance schedule. “We had cars regularly getting stuck there, as people were trying to get to the waterfall.”
Road conditions are not marked
Making matters worse, the roads lack signs warning travellers that they are impassable to regular cars. In a post to a Facebook group dedicated to discussions about the Icelandic tourism industry, a local woman, Lilja Aðalsteinsdóttir, described what she said is a regular occurrence on the road to Dimmuborgir lava field: “There are no markings by the highway, indicating what the conditions along the road are, and people drive along, in good faith, only to find themselves in 40-50cm deep snow, and then get stuck, and by then it is too late to turn the car around.”
Lilja adds that the road to Dimmuborgir is frequently only accessible on altered 4x4s, and that there are few spots along the road to turn around in case people encounter trouble.
