Svínafellsjökull Glacier

September 15, 2025 -- Svínafellsjökull is a stunning outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap in southeast Iceland, Europe’s largest glacier. Unlike the vast ice cap it stems from, Svínafellsjökull is highly accessible due to its location near the town of Skaftafell, a major gateway to Vatnajökull National Park. 

Svínafellsjökull Glacier

Pig Hill Glacier

5 miles long x 2635 ft. wide x 6561 ft. high

Flying over the glacier

Video of glacier

The most common nickname for Svínafellsjökull glacier is "Pig Hill Glacier," which is a translation of its name, "Svínafellsjökull". "Svína" means "pig," "fell" means "hill," and "jökull" means "glacier". The name comes from a nearby farm and the mountain it overlooks, not from the glacier itself. 

Overlooking the glacier

Global warming is taking its toll on glaciers all over the world and Svínafellsjökull is no exception. Since the year 1890, glaciers in Iceland have been retreating at a steady pace, and since the year 2000, they have retreated exceptionally fast. It is estimated that half of the volume of Iceland’s glaciers will be gone by the year 2100, and around the year 2200, nothing but small ice caps on top of the mountains will remain.