Hvannalindir

The name Hvannalindir is derived from the plant angelica (“hvönn” in Icelandic), which thrives in the area undisturbed by the grazing of livestock. As an oasis of vegetation and an ecosystem, Hvannalindir is a unique site in Iceland, mostly undisturbed by the grazing of livestock since the country was first settled, and surrounded by desert in all directions. The most conspicuous plants are fields of Salix and flourishing hosts of Angelica at the edges of the lava and along rivulets. However, there are only 32 species of flowering plants where the abundance is greatest at the borders of the lava fields. A total of thirty species of birds have been observed at Hvannalindir and at ponds south of the area. Six species can be considered annual nesting birds in the area: pink-footed geese, long-tailed ducks, ptarmigan, purple sandpipers, red-necked phalaropes and snow buntings.
Important cultural relics are preserved in the Hvannalindir area, including the ruins of an outlaws' lair, by the edge of the Lindahraun lava field. The ruins were discovered in 1880 by Þorgils gjallandi (Jón Stefánsson) and three local companions, and were investigated by archaeologist Kristján Eldjárn (later President of Iceland) in the summer of 1941. It is widely held that the legendary outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur and his consort Halla lived in the Hvannalindir area for some years after 1767 before moving to Eyvindarver by the river Þjórsá.