Discover another great drive: F570 Iceland is a 4WD road around the Snaefellsjökull glacier on the Snaefellsnes peninsula.
After my drive through the lava field of Berserkjahraun, I started another off the beaten track adventure: the exhilarating road to the glacier.
4WD mandatory!!!
Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Iceland:
My favorite platform to rent a car in Iceland: DiscoverCars
The unmissable boat tour: Whale Watching
Fun activity: Swimming in Silfra Fissure
My favorite places to stay:
- Reykjavik: see best rated hotels – e.g. Vintage Boutique Hotel
- Lake Myvatn: see best rated hotels – e.g. Hotel Laxa
- Vik area: see best rated hotels – e.g. Hotel Vik i Myrdal
PLANNING TIPS – F570 road to Snaefellsjökull
F570 is a 4WD Road at the western end of the Snaefellsnes peninsula that leads to the Songhellir Singing caves and to the Snaefellsjokull glacier made famous by Jules Verne.
Getting to Road F570 Iceland
- F570 crosses the Snaefellsnes peninsula between North and South Coast
- At the northern end it joins the road circling the peninsula just East of Olafsvik and on the South coast just East of Arnarstapi
- You can also check out my map of Snaefellsnes with places to visit to locate this road
- And check out my eBook that will help you plan an unforgettable road trip!
Plan your dream trip in Iceland thanks to my guide
- 8 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 100+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Tips to make the most of your time
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Driving F570 – road conditions
- The Road is 19km long and rising to over 800m – the Southern part is in better condition than the Northern section
- The Glacier is closer to South (7km)
- If the cloud cover is very low I would not recommend the drive as you will be in them for most of the drive
- The Singing caves are at the beginning of the road, starting from the South – it is recommended to bring a flashlight
- It is a 4WD road. It is not easy with some big cracks and rocks, and some very steep portions. I have seen normal cars make it but I want to remind you that F-marked roads are forbidden by rental companies for 2WD-cars (re the insurance)
- That said, there were no rivers to cross… Personally I had never driven 4WD before, I stressed a bit seeing some portions but going slowly I managed it and even found it fun
- The summit is four to five hours’ walk; or you could drive part way along the F570 and then walk; or join an organised tour to walk or do snowmobile on the glacier
- I think the 19km drive took me less than 2 hours to drive it with many stops
- I managed the drive with my little Suzuki Jimny
Songhellir caves
I drove F570 starting in the South just before arriving at Arnarstapi. The crossroad is well indicated and I started the steep ascent. My first stop was at the Songhellir ‘Singing Caves’ just a few minutes after. Those caves are well known because of their echo properties (which in the Saga were considered to be dwarf talks). So stop and go shout for a little while. It feels good.
Then, considering the beginning of the drive which was harder than what I had done before, I took the time to weigh in the pros and cons to continue on this 4WD road. Seeing that I would not be alone I decided to try one section at a time and turn around if I felt I could not drive through the next one.
The glacier Snæfellsjökull from F570 Iceland
Made famous by Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Snæfellsjökull (Snæfell means “Snow Mountain”) stands at the Western end of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. The volcano has built up through numerous eruptions over the last 800,000 years. It rises 1446m (4745 ft) above sea level with a summit crater 200m in depth, 1km in diameter and full of ice. The latest eruption took place around 1800 years ago.
The National Park of Snaefellsjökull was established on June 28, 2001 and its proximity to Reykjavik (approx. 2 hours drive) makes it one of the most visited parks in Iceland.
F570 drive through land of contrasts
I was amazed all the way as I just needed to drive a few minutes to discover a new landscape. Lava is everywhere, bare or covered with moss, rough or smooth.
Chasing the rainbow on F570
Once at the top, with cloud all over my head and very strong wind I spotted a rainbow! I started chasing it to see its full length with different landscapes until I was down the road back on the coastline. It was an amazing sight with the landscape and I took way too many pictures.
Plus you cannot see it on those shots but the wind was crazy. At one point I had to walk backwards and leaning to reach my car. I loved the feeling though; Being alone surrounded by surreal landscape, chasing a rainbow and blown away by the wind. I started breathing more deeply and feeling alive with all my senses!
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And another waterfall
At the end, arriving on the North coast, I found a little waterfall to perfectly finish this drive. However I am not able to find its name and it is annoying me so much.
For a first 4WD experience, what a success! I normally do not like driving but I really enjoyed the focus it requires. At the same time do not worry, there are no river to cross or anything huge. If you rent a 4WD I really recommend this drive.
Plan your trip to Iceland this Summer:
Want to see more of the best Iceland has to offer?
- Tips to plan your Iceland road trip – read article
- Tips to rent a car and drive around Iceland – read article
- Itinerary suggestions – read article
- 45 Most beautiful landscapes in Iceland in pictures – read article
- The best stops on the Ring Road – read article
- The best locations off the beaten path around Iceland – read article
- 21 Most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland – read article
- Top 5 places to see around Myvatn – read article
- 5 best Lava Fields in Iceland – read article
- The 5 most beautiful black sand beaches in Iceland – read article
Plan your dream trip in Iceland thanks to my guide
- 8 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 100+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Tips to make the most of your time
- 130+ original photos to help you choose
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Hi Claire,
I have to say I found your articles to be most enjoyable and useful in our trip planning. The level of details that go into each of your articles are really something else that goes far beyond other articles I’ve read.
I’m debating on whether or not to try driving F570 all the way from North to South in end September (I hear the view from North to South are fantastic) but am hesitant due to our lack of 4WD / offroad driving experience. Looking at some other posts, some people have mentioned that the road is only passable in monster 4×4 trucks. We only plan to rent a smaller 4×4.
Would it be better to just drive partway from the South (better road conditions than the North per your article), to the glacier and turn around afterwards?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Thanks.
Regards, Sue.
Hi Sue
I am happy you are enjoying my blog and finding it useful.
The fact is that the road can completely change from one day to the other depending on the weather. So it is difficult to tell you what is possible.
I did do the road only with my very small 4WD and no experience. I thought: “I go to the next bend bend and if it’s no good I turn around” (that was probably foolish thinking back to it…)
Maybe you can wait at one end of the road and ask the people exiting the road how the conditions were.
But don’t stress about it. Personally I thought it was not the most beautiful road. I preferred Berserkjahraun. And if you drive the South Coast you will see plenty of glaciers very close by.
Have a great trip!
Thanks Claire! We’ll definitely plan for Berserkjahraun (also based on your articles recommendation 😉 ). And I will definitely be back here for inspiration and guides on our next adventure.
Regards, Sue
It’s early January and we mistakenly drove this road in our 2wd small car.
Really it isn’t that bad. Maybe if it is snowing up there but it was wet and about 7degrees centrigrade.
There are some. Steep decents so had to put the automatic car into manual mode.
But the road is wide and has lots of visibility.
Definitely no need for a monster truck!
We are from the Scottish Highlands..
Hello Claire — thank you for the wonderful article- and pictures– loved the rainbow ! If we drive till Snaefellsjökull glacier on F570, is there a glacier view point or a short hike to get to a viewpoint ? Is it clearly indicated ? Thanks !
HI. When I drove it, I did not see any.
Have a great trip!