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The Land Between The Sands
Oraefi
Northern lights over Oraefajokull viewed from Hofsnes.
Glaciers, mountains and living nature
Welcome to Öræfi
Oraefi, southeast Iceland, has traditionally been one of
the most isolated parts of the country. Meltwater and outwash from Vatnajökull -
Europe's largest glacier at 8,000 km2 - made the region an obstacle
for both humans and animals. The first mouse in Oraefi, for example, was only
reported after 1960; it was sometimes said that the main cause of death among
cats in Oraefi used to be boredom.
The isolation of Oraefi came to an end in 1974 when the sands
could be crossed by car at last when a bridge was built over the river Skeiðará,
thereby completing the Ring Road around Iceland. Since then, tourist traffic
through Oraefi has grown steadily to the point where more than 160,000
travellers pass through the region every year. In fact some travellers always
braved the perils to go through this isolated region. In the old days they had
to be ferried and escorted over the rivers and glaciers, and local people were
renowned for their knowledge of the land and their skills in finding their way
over it. Centuries of experience and a local culture of hospitality created a
tradition of welcoming visitors, long before Oraefi became one of the most
popular regions for travel and tourism in Iceland. And rightly so, because few
parts of the country offer travellers such a diverse range of natural beauty.
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