Iceland F-roads
F210 Fjallabaksleið Syðri
Closed
Road notes by Nimrod Ron · Iceland Lead & Content Curator· Updated
F210 Fjallabaksleið syðri is the southern Fjallabak route between the Hvolsvöllur area and Skaftártunga, across the black Mælifellssandur plain under the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap. The Hólmsá crossing puts it in the top water tier: glacial, deep, and changing by the hour, so it is a modified super-jeep road, not a rental 4x4 road. It opens late June to July and the green cone of Mælifell is the reason people attempt it.
Key facts
- Connects
- Keldur near Hvolsvöllur to Skaftártunga near Route 1, south of Landmannalaugar
- Length
- 110 km, about 5 to 7 hours in good conditions
- Opens
- late June to July
- Closes
- September
- Rivers
- Yes. Water tier 4: large and unpredictable water crossings
- Car
- Modified super jeep, a highland bus or a tour; not a rental 4x4
- Region
- Southern Highlands
Status today
Closed
- Álftavatnskrókur – StrúturClosed
- Strútur – EmstruleiðClosed
- Snæbýli – ÁlftavatnskrókurClosed
- Emstruleið – RangárvallavegurClosed
Source: umferdin.is (Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration), as of 29 Oct 2026, 09:51. Re-check road.is on the morning you drive.
The facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Connects | Keldur near Hvolsvöllur to Skaftártunga near Route 1, south of Landmannalaugar |
| Region | Southern Highlands |
| Length of the F-road section | about 110 km |
| Driving time | 5 to 7 hours |
| Status now | Closed |
| Typical opening | late June to July |
| Typical closing | September |
| Difficulty | extreme |
| 4x4 required | Yes, by law |
| River crossings | Yes · water tier 4 |
| Car that fits | Modified super-jeeps only — 35-inch+ tyres, snorkel, and an experienced driver. |
Reaches: Mælifell volcano · Mælifellssandur · Hvanngil and the Laugavegur crossing · Mýrdalsjökull views
The road
The southern Fjallabak route runs below the Laugavegur trail through Hvanngil and out across the Mælifellssandur, a flat black desert where the only landmark is the mossy cone of Mælifell. The track is rougher and less maintained than the northern F208 and the sand floods and shifts after rain and melt.
River crossings and the car
The Hólmsá crossing on the eastern side is the problem: glacial, wide and unpredictable, with levels that rise through a warm afternoon. F210 is in the fourth water tier, which means modified super-jeeps with large tyres and snorkels and an experienced driver. Rental companies do not permit standard 4x4s on it, and a stuck car here is a very expensive recovery.
Water tier 4: Large and unpredictable water crossings. Modified super-jeeps only — 35-inch+ tyres, snorkel, and an experienced driver.
When it opens
Late June to July, and it closes in September. The road authority often marks sections impassable even in season after rain. Treat the live status as the minimum check and the recorded dates below as history, not a promise.
| Year | First day open | Last day open | Days open | Days sampled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | not yet | – | 0 | 11 |
Download the data (CSV) · free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.
How itineraries use it
Almost never by self-drive. Travelers who want Mælifell book a super-jeep day tour from Hvolsvöllur or Vík, which also takes in the Mælifellssandur and sometimes Hvanngil, and keep their own car on the paved roads.
Itineraries that use F210
Editor-picked Highlands plans from real trips drive this road or reach the places on it. Duplicate one and make it yours.
See itineraries with F210Questions about F210
Can I drive F210 in a rental 4x4?
No. The Hólmsá crossing is deep, fast and glacial, and rental contracts exclude F210 for standard 4x4s; standard rental cover excludes water damage in any case. It is modified super-jeep territory, with 35-inch tyres and snorkels. Book a Mælifell tour from Hvolsvöllur or Vík if you want the volcano; the tours run in July and August.
How do I get to Mælifell?
By super-jeep tour from Hvolsvöllur or Vík in July and August, a full day. The volcano sits on the Mælifellssandur plain on F210, beyond the Hólmsá crossing that rules out rental cars, and the black sand around it is soft after rain. From the Landmannalaugar side F210 reaches it too, with the same crossings.
When is F210 open?
Typically late June or July to September, later than Landmannalaugar because the Hólmsá stays high into the summer, with sections closed after heavy rain even in season. Check the live status above and road.is on the day; the recorded opening and closing dates by year are below. Tours go when the road is open and not otherwise.
Read next
Deeper reading on iceland-trip.com
Our sister site covers every place in depth: access, parking, seasons, what to expect. Written by the same team.