South Coast Iceland

 Planning a long road trip along the South Coast, we headed east out of the city.  Though the initial hour of the drive provided no highlights, we were soon into stunning mountains, countless waterfalls, huge glaciers, endless lava fields, sheep farms, horse breeders, and cliffside puffins.

Stopping for the Thjorafoss falls, more water tumbles over these falls than any other in Iceland.  Salmon and sea trout migrate up the Thjora River, and a handful of anglers were poised along the shoreline trying their luck.  Only fishermen are allowed along the river banks, other visitors have to stay at the top overlooking the falls.

Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi are the next falls along the trip. Providing the opportunity to walk behind it, Seljalandsfoss is one of the country’s most popular falls, and a number of visitors donned rain ponchos to venture behind but still emerged wet.  The nearby Gljúfrabúi can be seen through crevices in the mountains hiding it.  Visitors willing to get their shoes wet can wander through the gaping hole to get a closer view. 

Continuing eastward, we stopped next at Eyafjallajökull.  In Spring, 2010, this volcano erupted bringing air travel in Europe to a standstill for 8 days due to the heavy plumes of ash.  Stopping at the visitor's center, we saw a film that was created during the event.  It was scary stuff, but the park ranger told us they generally have a lot of warning prior to the eruptions, and deaths in Iceland due to volcanic action are rare. 

Skógafoss was our next stop, yet another gorgeous waterfall.  This one is a little taller and much wider than Seljalandsfoss but doesn’t offer the chance to walk behind it.  But it’s still a popular stop, and in the mid-afternoon sun, there was a full rainbow running across near the bottom.  For Game of Throne fans, numerous shows over three years were produced in Iceland, and the memorable Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen’s first kiss at a half-frozen waterfall was filmed here.

Finally, we stopped at Reynisfjara.  The black sand beaches run alongside dangerous waters known for their killer rogue waves.  Basalt columns in beautiful geometric shapes next to the beach were formed due to the way basaltic lava cools.  Countless puffins nest in the protected grassy cliffs above the stony formations.  With winds gusting around 30 mph and literally jerking the camera around, taking photos of the birds was a challenge. 

Now it was time to head back to Reykjavik.  We had crammed a lot of stops into the day but still had a 2 1/2 hour drive back.  Departing the next morning, we had a flight to Copenhagen, with an overnight stay, and then boarded the Norwegian Getaway cruise ship for a 9-day cruise in the Baltic Sea. 

South Coast Iceland pics

Reykjavík, Iceland

Looking for something a little more low key, the following day we headed into Reykjavik.  Having signed up for a “free” city tour (tips are expected), we met our tour guide, Sara, and a dozen or so other tourists in front of the Icelandic Parliament building.  As a native Icelander with roots going back to the Vikings, Sara had a friendly but no-nonsense approach, which seemed to be the norm for locals.  Politics were brought up frequently, and she wasn’t shy about letting us know her position on things.  She was staunchly proud of their cradle to grave system.  Their tax rate is around 50%, but all medical and educational needs are met.  High school continues until age 20, with a 99% graduation rate.  All students must be proficient in 4 languages before they are allowed to graduate, with English language lessons beginning at age 6.

Swimming pools and hot springs are popular year-round.  Sara admitted to enjoying her neighborhood facility about 5 times a week.  She had even met actor Ryan Gosling, and some of the cast from the popular Game of Thrones series, while soaking.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get the opportunity to try out this experience before leaving. 

Leading us through the city, we visited the oldest house, the Prime Minister’s office, City Hall, The Pond, and a world-famous hot dog trailer near the city center. The same family has been serving hot dogs to locals and tourists since 1937.  The unique dog is made primarily from lamb, with beef and pork added.  It is then served with sweet brown mustard, ketchup, fried onions, raw onions, and a remoulade sauce on a heated bun.  Long lines are a testament to the popularity of this unique dog, and Alan concurred with the consensus.  On completion of the tour, we continued to traverse on our own. 

The harbor here appeared to be more commercial in nature, but there were several businesses offering whale tours and such.  Just about any article about the city includes a photo of the unusual Hallgrímskirkja church.  A statue of Leif Erikson (the true discoverer of North America in 1000 AD) stands in front of the church.  Normally open to the public, the church was closed for a funeral during our visit.  Another architectural highlight in the city is the Harpa concert hall.  Located along the waterfront, the building has the appearance of an iceberg, when the light hits on it just right.  Operas, concerts, plays, and daily films displaying the majesty of Iceland are offered at the center.  

Zero rain had been in the day’s forecast, but a combination of cold, rain, and wind moved in late afternoon.  Unprepared for the weather shift, the inclement conditions made exploring difficult, so we ended our day.  On to the South Coast next.

Reykjavík pics

Snaefellsnes Peninsula-Iceland

Traveling up the west coast to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, we headed out of Reykjavik.  Though a tunnel to the peninsula provided a shortcut, our GPS failed to provide that information and we wound up driving around the Hvalfjordur fjord.   The unnecessary additional miles, however, were beautiful and we learned that the US and British Navy had been based within the fjord during World War II. 

Heading north, we pulled off the road to a nondescript building.  Highway signs indicated there was wifi (there wasn’t) and restrooms.  It turned out to be the visitor center for the region, which provided us with a much-needed map.  Craggy cliffs, moss-covered lava fields, and soaring mountains dotted with waterfalls accompanied us on our drive.  

Basalt columns, ravines, and caves surround the pier at Arnarstapi.  Brisk winds almost dissuaded us from venturing out to the waterfront, and only a handful of tourists walked beyond the warmth of the nearby restaurants.  A statue of the demi-troll Barour Snæfellsas overlooks the water.  After getting chilled to the bone, we backtracked to a little restaurant, where we partook in a delicious, traditional, hot, Icelandic Lamb and Vegetable Soup.  At $18, it was the most expensive soup we’ve ever indulged in.  Prices throughout Scandinavia are high, but Iceland topped everywhere else.

Entering the Snæfellsjökull National Park, the landscape is primarily moss-covered lava fields and impressive cliffs.  The mountain the park is named for is still active.  A glacier dominates the view but was frequently covered with clouds during our visit.  Stopping at Svalpúfa, the high cliffs were teeming with birdlife and we had a wonderful view of Lóndrangar cliffs.

The Black Lava Pearl Beach turned out to be a lesson in patience.  Not realizing until our vehicle was committed to the turnoff, there were perhaps a hundred cars, campers, and buses trying to fit down into a parking lot designed for maybe 40 vehicles.  We were able to park and walk out to the overview, which was lovely, but it probably took 45 minutes to extract ourselves from the chaos.  A field of friendly horses and two more lovely waterfalls, with nary a car in sight, prompted our next stop. 

Exiting the park, we drove into the small town of Hellissandur.  Once a major fishing center, the town’s economy is now based more on tourism and is considered the Icelandic capital of street art with over 30 large murals decorating the town.  Approaching the neighboring town of Rif, we saw thousands of seabirds darting along the shoreline and nesting in the oceanside cliffs.  This is Iceland’s largest arctic tern area. 

Looping back into the park, we were driving alongside and beneath Snæfellsjökull but cloudy skies blocked it from our view. Road construction and gravel road warnings had stopped most travelers from taking this road but it provided a good shortcut back to the main road for heading back into Reykjavik, and by this point, we had learned about the tunnel under the Hvalfjordur.  Arriving back at our apartment 11 hours later, we decided to do something a little less demanding the next day. 

Iceland-Snaefellsnes Peninsula pics

Golden Circle- Iceland

Arriving in Reykjavík in August, we weren’t expecting tropical weather but a rainy, 43 degrees with 30 mph winds was a surprise.  Luckily during our visit, the cool, rainy weather didn’t interfere.  Booking an Airbnb apartment on the outskirts of Reykjavík and a rental car, we had easy access to routes we selected.  In a country with a population of only 360,000, one of the things that quickly became obvious was the number of sheep in the countryside far outnumber the people, and horses are plentiful.  There are said to be around 800,000 sheep and 80,000 horses.  Icelandic horses are a special breed; they are smaller in stature and have a gentle nature.  Horse riding rentals was a common sight in our travels. 

One of the most popular trips for visitors with limited time in the country is the Golden Circle and was our first outing.  The trip is only about 147 miles, or a 3 1/2 hour drive if driven straight through.  For us, it was an 8-hour trip, and we missed several possible stops.  Thingvellir National Park is important from a national history perspective, in addition to being the location of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.  We walked between the two plates which continue to shift slowly apart at the rate of roughly 3/4 inch a year.  In 930 AD, this was the site of Iceland’s first Parliament, which continued to meet here until 1798.  

Moving on, our next stop was the Geysir Hot Spring area.  This geothermal field covers an area about one square mile with boiling mud pots and the Strokkur geyser which erupts every 8-10 minutes, spouting water as high as 100 feet.  The namesake for the park, Geysir, rarely erupts these days. 

Located along the Hvita river, Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall) cascades in two stages and is said to be one of the most popular attractions in Iceland.  Though during our visit we didn’t see the golden hue the falls are famous for, we did witness hundreds of other tourists trekking to the top of the falls to catch the beautiful views.  

Hot springs and swimming pools are an important part of Icelandic social culture.  Secret Lagoon Hot Springs had been on our agenda, but stripping down to a bathing suit in the 40-degree weather was just something we couldn’t get excited about, maybe next time.   

Golden Circle pics