Egilsstaðir - Hengifoss - Lagarfljót - Iceland

In the region of Egilsstaðir there are enough places worth a visit. We've driven to the fjord of Reyðarfjörður, where a large aluminum factory has been built to boost the amount of jobs in the region.
A drive around the largest lake of Iceland, Lagarfljót, is also a nice experience. In the Hallormsstaðarskógur forest there are lot's of possibilities to make long or short hikes. Hengifoss is also worth a visit. After a short climb you arrive at Litlanesfoss. From here the you can already see Hengifoss. Another kilometer further you have a great view of Hengifoss. The Hengifoss is one of the highest waterfalls of Iceland. The water falls 118 meters down a wall of basalt. When we we're there it rained terribly. With our rain clothes on we wait on a rock for a dry spell and quickly took some pictures. We didn't go al the way to the waterfall, we didn't feel like hiking another 500 meters in the pouring rain.

The lake at Egilsstaðir was completely clear before the power plant was built. The water was filtered by the river and ended up in the lake. After the construction of the aluminum factory the power grid appeared not be sufficient, after which the river was dammed. A lot of older inhabitants still regret that Lagarfljót isn't clear anymore, but grey.
The surface area of Lagarfljót is about 53 km2 and the length is 30 kilometers. At it's deepest point the lake is 112 meters deep. According to the superstitious Icelanders there is a giant snake living in the lake, so big a ship could sail under it if it surfaced. In the past there we're farmers claiming their farms were destroyed by the waves the snake created. They never dared to rebuild their farms in the same place. Although there's little evidence the snake is swimming in the water, there is a big reward for whoever catches it in a picture.

If you want to see a lot of puffins in the region of Egilsstaðir, the drive towards Bakkagerði is certainly worth it.
A nice hike we wanted to take, was the hike at Hvituhnjúkur. Because of the bad weather near Egilsstaðir and the low temperatures the weeks before, we didn't think it was smart to begin this hike. In the descriptions it was said that far into spring there would be snow on the trail.