Active volcanoes, black sand beaches, blue glaciers, bubbling geothermal activity, ancient lava tunnels, gigantic fissures, roaring waterfalls, and the northern lights…Iceland is a land of extreme landscapes and every adventurer and photographer’s paradise.
I have absolutely no idea why Iceland hadn’t made it to the top of our vacation bucket list. Perhaps my oversight was due to the fact that no close friends or family had been there to rave about it and pique my interest (some of our best vacations have been thanks to friend recommendations). Or perhaps it is because I normally hunt out warm vacation destinations, especially on our recent round-the-world travel given packing limitations. However, when Jimmy suggested that we take advantage of the IcelandAir no-fee stop-over deal on our way to Scandinavia, just a few minutes of investigation resulted in the answer “most definitely.” Regardless of the cold, I am so happy that we did because we have been absolutely blown away (both literally and figuratively) by the stunning, diverse landscapes. The whole island is visually captivating, and we already can’t wait to go back for more.
Because this was a stop-over deal and we didn’t have a lot of appropriate clothes for the weather conditions, we only had 4 days to explore the island. But, those were 4 days packed with unbelievable sights and activities. We rented a car to have complete freedom to do the famous Iceland road trips. We didn’t have time for the entire Ring Road, but we did the Golden Circle and the Southern Coast highlights as well as a few sights around Reykjavic.
Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is one of the most popular road trips because you can drive round trip from the capital Reykjavic in about 3hrs and see a unique range of landscapes and some of Iceland’s most famous landmarks. Of course, we enjoy sightseeing at a slower pace and spend a lot of time at each site, so our whole day was closer to 7-8hrs.
Thingvellir National Park
Our first stop was at Thingvellir National Park, an area within a belt of volcanic activity and fissures where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates meet. A lovely walking path meanders through the fissures and up-close to the Öxaráfoss waterfall. Here, at the Almannagjá gorge, you can literally look directly at the edge of the North American tectonic plate.
For you Game of Thrones fans (like us!), many scenes were shot in this area; the wildling camp at the beginning of Season 4 (shot in the summer) and north of the wall in Season 3 (shot in the winter). If you look closely at the Almannagjá gorge, you may recognize that Caitlyn Stark visited here in Season 1 and the Hound and Arya Stark in Season 4 as this was made into Gates of the Moon, home of Lady Lysa, with crossbowman lining the walls.
Over 1000 years ago, Icelandic inhabitants met at this site for trading, games, and feasts. In 930AD the Alpingi (assembly) was established as the legislative and judicial authority. Lögburg, or Log Rock, was the focal point, and the Iceland flag marks the location where most historians believed this assembly occurred.
Many major historical events in Iceland have taken place here at Thingvellir, including the signing of their declaration of independence from Denmark in 1944. The Alpingi met consistently throughout the entire millennia making Thingvellir the site of the longest running, and still going, parliament.
Geysir Hot Springs Area
Not too far from Thingvellir, the landscape drastically changes from the lush green countryside with streams and waterfalls to an area of barren geothermal activity. The main attraction here is Strokkur geyser, which shoots a white column of boiling water 20-30m into the air every 5-10min.
Gullfoss
After Geysir, the landscape changes to relatively flat green meadows, and we both were wondering how the largest European waterfall (by volume) was just a short drive away. Out of nowhere, you pull up and boom, a 105-ft double cascade plummeting down into a giant fissure in the earth is right in front of you.
The layout is pretty cool because you can see it from multiple angles. You can walk down to its edge between the two cascades.
You can also walk along the top ridge for great views from above.
Kerid Crater
Kerid crater, our final stop along the Golden Circle route, was formed 6500 yrs ago when the magma chamber below the surface was emptied by a nearby erupting volcano resulting in a collapse. This large scoria crater is filled with groundwater that never drains out but rises and falls according to the changes in the water table.
Nearby Reykjavic
In between our big road trip days, we took a couple small road trips to see a few other unique Iceland phenomena.
Lava Tunnel
The Raufarhólshellir lava tube formed during an eruption 5200yrs ago. We got to walk along the ancient lava flow to learn more about the inner workings of a volcanic eruption and see the unique formations.
Saegreifinn – The Seabaron
Iceland is mostly known for its seafood, so one of our stops had to be at the quaint Icelandic restaurant known for the best lobster soup. Saegreifinn is a laid-back shop in the Reykjavic harbor with cute maritime décor and delicious seafood skewers and lobster soup.
And we couldn’t pass up the Skyr dessert. We ate quite a bit of this Icelandic-style yogurt while in the country and tried pretty much every Skyr dessert we came across. We are huge fans!
Blue Lagoon
We also spent a relaxing evening at the Blue Lagoon. The unique geothermal water of the Blue Lagoon originates 2000m below the surface and is a mixture of seawater and freshwater. On its way to the surface, the water picks up minerals such as silica and arrives at a lovely, warm 98-104 degrees F. The water is actually white due to the silica but looks blue thanks to the reflecting sunlight.
The unique properties of the geothermal water offer many skin benefits. Everyone gets a complimentary silica mask from the swim-up bar, and watching a bunch of people wander around the pool with white stuff smeared on their face is pretty comical. So, of course, we joined in…with drinks in hand.
We had such a wonderful evening trying out the different facial masks, the educational cave, the massaging waterfall, and the relaxing sauna and steam caves that the time just flew by. Before we knew it, we had our last drink and toasted the midnight sun!
The official sunset was at 11:57pm, but dusk never turned to dark as it was still light when we made it back to our hotel at 2:00am. Such a crazy place!
Southern Coast Route
Our last day of road tripping included the southern coast. This route was our favorite! We wanted to stop a lot…like every 5 minutes! Lurking around every bend in the road was a new, breathtaking landscape. I didn’t want it to end…and thankfully, the days are long here so we were able to squeeze in quite a bit.
Kelder Turf House
We started off the day at a quiet sight with a little history lesson instead of dramatic waterfalls or geysers. The Kelder turf house is the oldest surviving turf house in Iceland as it was mentioned in one of the famous Sagas and was supposedly inhabited from 974AD until 1946 when it was turned over to the National Museum. Although not a place many tourists stop, the scenery here is still amazing, and I can totally see why they picked this location with such an amazing view from the front yard.
Icelandic Horses
I was so pumped that we took the detour to see the Kelder turf house because it gave us the opportunity to see the famous Icelandic horses right by the roadside. Icelandic horses can be seen all over when driving around Iceland, but they aren’t always this close to the fence.
Icelandic horses are special because they have not been crossbred for over 1000 yrs. A law passed in 982AD prohibited the import of horses, and today, if an Icelandic horse leaves the island, the horse can not return. Selective breeding and natural selection in the harsh Icelandic conditions have created a unique breed of small, hardy, smart, and friendly horses with a second fuzzy coat for winter in a multitude of colors.
Seljalandsfoss
This waterfall and surrounding area was my favorite spot during our entire Iceland road trip. Although this stop is packed with other tourists, the view of the waterfall is still spectacular.
I have always wanted to swim or walk behind a giant waterfall, and my dream finally came true.
As the icing on the cake, we even went out of our comfort zone for a little adventure away from the tourists. We found a spot where a few hardy souls were climbing up slippery rocks through a waterfall and its muddy banks to the top of the ridge.
I was worried about Jimmy’s fear of heights, but the walk along the ridge to the top of the waterfall looked too good to pass up. Somehow, I convinced Jimmy that it was a good idea and off we went. We got this!!
And, man, we are both glad that we did. Some of the best views of the trip were from this vantage point.
As our courage grew, we ended up being a bit more daring and walked around the edge of a hill right at the top of the waterfall, and I had a little moment of panic when there was just a narrow space between the hill and then the drop-off.
When things got a bit too crazy and there appeared to be nowhere to go, we got down on our hands and climbed/crawled up the tiny hill above us to get away from the edge. From this spot, I felt like the queen of the world.
I wished we had more time to continue exploring as the whole area was full of rolling hills, giant boulders, and raging rivers.
This place totally made me think of Arya Stark…I wish I had “Needle” to work on my swordsmanship.
Vik
After our big climb, we were getting hungry. Up until this point, we had very little time on previous days to worry about food (crazy for the Lovgrens, I know!) Just too many beautiful things to see! But, Iceland is known for their lamb, I mean, they basically own the place and go wherever they please.
Although I always feel bad after looking at all the cute sheep as we drive along, I had to get one lamb dish while in the country. So, we sped past the remaining sites on our list (because we had to follow the same route to return back to our hotel anyway) to get to our turnaround spot, a small town named Vik. The sightseeing highlight in Vik is a pretty little church up on a green hillside covered in purple wildflowers.
Here, we stopped at a cute little restaurant called Halldorskaffi, thanks to a travel blogger recommendation, and found a delicious lamb meal with au gratin potatoes and a mushroom flan (that Jimmy ate because after all my travels and bizarre foods, I am still not a fan of mushrooms when they are a bit slimy/squishy in texture).
And, of course, we had to try the Skyr cake!
Reynisfjara
Next stop was the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara. The area is picturesque with waves crashing on the black sand, giant boulders to climb over, caves to explore, and columnar basalt formations to pose on.
The sea stacks behind Jimmy in the pictures above are called Reynisdrangar. Legend has it that two giants were trying to haul a boat to shore, but daybreak caught them before reaching the mountain and turned them to stone. The columnar basalt formation forms a cavern called Halsaneffshellir. These columns form when magma cools slowly and cracks into columns, usually hexagonal, as the surface area decreases.
Dyrhólaey
Across the black sand beach is a promontory with steep cliffs and three gaps at sea level formed from a volcanic eruption 100,000 yrs ago.
At 115m above sea level, this spot is a wonderful stop for some views overlooking the black sand beach and the interior landscape. Bird watching is also a fun activity as there is a large colony of sea birds living in the sea stacks and on the cliff face, and they soar effortlessly as the wind swirls around the cliffs.
Skogafoss
After a long day with so much to see, we were worried that we were running out of time for the last big sight of the road trip. Even though the sun is up until midnight, we weren’t sure when the parks closed. Luckily, around Skogafoss is a campsite at the start of a 24km hiking path to a glacier, so perhaps it never closes! We were able to sneak in one last gorgeous Iceland waterfall.
And climb to the top, this time with a much easier staircase, for our last views of the green, rolling, Icelandic countryside.
Wow! Our time in Iceland flew by way too fast. We could have spent weeks exploring the gorgeous, rugged landscapes. We are already planning (seriously, I told my sister and travel companions to get this on their list now!!) for a second winter round in the land of fire and ice!!
Amazing and beautiful!