Iceland
July 17 – 24
We landed in Iceland late in the afternoon. We had a gorgeous view of the sunset from our hotel room. Since we were there in the summer, we got to experience the sun that stays up for 20 hours a day. It definitely throws you off, because it feels like you should still be awake when it’s light outside. There were several times where it was 10:30pm or later and I realized that’s why I was yawning and tired, even though it felt like it should be 7 pm.
This was our second time in Iceland. Our first trip was only a few days long, and we packed it with as much sightseeing as we could. From the little bit that we saw, we knew we had to go back. We spent our first two nights in Reykjavik. Honestly, I would only spend a couple hours there. Once you’ve seen the church and the touristy downtown area, there’s not much else to see there.
We also noticed that there were a lot of rude people there. I’m guessing they get sick and tired of tourists. We did drive around that area a little bit on our second morning, and we got our first look at Icelandic horses. They’re slightly shorter and stockier than most horses I’ve seen, and their hair was very thick. We also saw an active volcano off in the distance. Glad it wasn’t close by. These lovely purple flowers grow wild all over the island.
After our brief stay in Reykjavik, we headed southeast towards the town of Vik, which would be our home base for three days. It’s a three hour drive to the furthest southern point on the Island, which is right next to Vik. Selfoss is a great place to stop for lunch along the way. Right in the middle of town is a place called The Old Dairy Food Hall. This one stop offers nearly a dozen different food options, so everyone in your group can get something they like. They have seating indoors and outdoors.
After lunch in Selfoss, we stopped at our first waterfall. Iceland is known as the land of waterfalls for good reason. You see them all over, some are tiny but many are gigantic. Seljalandsfoss fell into the gigantic category. This is a very popular waterfall because it’s enormous and your can hike up behind it. If you do plan to walk behind it, make sure you come prepared. You need to make sure you’re wearing shoes with some grip and good traction as the rocks can be very slippery. Waterproof clothing is also a really good idea. You will get completely soaked from just the spray alone. It was an awesome experience.
Just a ten minute walk from Seljalandsfoss and you’ll come upon another waterfall. This one is called Glijufrabui Falls. It’s a little tricky to get to. You have to walk through a short slot canyon. The walk way is an actual stream, so to keep your feet dry, you have to pick and choose what rocks to step on. Inside is just stunning. The way the cave opens up on top to reveal the sky is so beautiful. You will get very, very wet if you get at all close to this waterfall. Vic couldn’t resist climbing the big boulder that sits right in front of the falls. This brings up something we noticed in Iceland. Most places are completely open and you’re free to climb and explore as much as you like. You can be as smart or as stupid as you like. For instance, the waterfalls and hiking trails were rarely roped off, so people pretty much do whatever they want. Just know that you do things at your own risk.
After hitting up these two waterfalls, we continued on to Vik and got checked into our hotel. Something very important to note about Iceland is that there aren’t a ton of options when it comes to hotels, especially when you get out to the really small towns. Book your accommodations well in advance to make sure you get a place you actually like. You should also keep in mind that many places are very rustic, except for Reykjavik, you won’t find many luxury hotels. The small town of Vik is very charming and laid back. Just a five minute walk from our hotel and we were on the beach, enjoying a walk on the jetty, where we saw seals and puffins frolicking in the water.
The following morning we got up and headed to the Sólheimajökulll Glacier. This was a nice twenty minute hike from the parking lot. The glacier itself was fascinating. I’d never seen a glacier with so much coloring from lava. It was stunning. You can hike on the actual glacier, but you do it at your own peril. Seeing the sign that warns of all the dangers, including quick sand, made me a little nervous. Thankfully, we enjoyed all the climbing we wanted without incident.
This is probably a good time to talk about the weather in Iceland. As its name might suggest, it doesn’t get hot in Iceland. Even in July and August, the highest temps you can hope for are in the low 60’s. We did have some beautiful days where it got quite warm because it was full sun and we were hiking. Always be prepared with lots of layers. I broke out my gloves and hat on many occasions due to the cold winds and dropping temperatures. If you want to experience the Northern Lights, your best bet is to visit between October-March.
After our adventure on the glacier, we took a short drive to Skógafoss. This is a giant waterfall that leads to what can be an all day hike to 25 other waterfalls. It blew my mind to see how many people only climbed the 527 stairs to the top of Skógafoss, turned around and went back down. Only a small handful knew what was just beyond the first falls. We had a glorious afternoon continuing the hike to see so many more beautiful waterfalls. The moss and grass around the waterfalls is almost neon green/yellow.
Mýrdalsjökull Glacier
The following day was a once in a lifetime experience. We traveled in a Super Jeep over some really rough terrain, in order to hike the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier and visit the Katla Volcano Ice Cave. This was seriously one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. The hike to the glacier looked like something from another planet. Once we reached the glacier, we put crampons over our shoes so we had extra grip to walk on the ice. We did a gradual climb before we came to the opening of the ice cave. The cave was jaw dropping gorgeous. The colors were spectacular and it looked like it was handmade with all its dimples and rivets. Crossing through the cave let us experience what it’s like to cross small bridges over fast flowing arctic rivers. They estimate that the ice at the top of the cave is 400 years old and the ice along the bottom is around 700 years old. It’s fascinating how a tiny drip of melted glacier water can cause the formation of something so mind-blowing.
As if the ice cave wasn’t excitement enough, we followed it up with a trip to the Dyrhólaey peninsula. This scenic area is lovely, albeit a bit windy. You can see all the way up and down the coast from this spot. From there, we headed down the mountain and noticed a spot where there were a ton of tour buses parked. We figured there must be something interesting to see, so we parked our car and walked towards the opposite cliffside. Thank goodness we went over there. This is where we had the most incredible time seeing puffins up close. There were tons of them and they’re very curious little things. They literally like to fly right over your head and then they’ll land and just stare at you. We were so excited to see them. They’re as cute as you might imagine. This is a place where puffins come to nest from late April until early September.
Puffins
Reynisfjara Beach
After our exciting puffin adventure we drove ten minutes to get to Reynisfjara Beach. This place is really special. The rock formations and caves are fascinating. There were so many spots that looked like they came right out of Game of Thrones. I could literally imagine the caves being a home to a dragon. The sections where natural columns have formed is so interesting. It is also a black sand beach, which is cool. The rock formations out in the water are the same ones we could see from the beach in Vik, just from the opposite direction. There is also a chance to see more puffins here. You just have to walk as far east as you can along the beach. Far from the crowds they nest all over the side of the cliff. We had them all to ourselves for nearly an hour. Definitely a great place to spend the afternoon.
The Blue Lagoon
After thoroughly enjoying our time in Vik, we headed westward and spent a couple of luxurious days at The Blue Lagoon. It is nearly a three hour drive from Vik to The Blue Lagoon. Visiting The Blue Lagoon is something I think we’ll do every time we visit Iceland. It’s just such a cool and different experience. You can get a morning or afternoon pass, or you can stay at one of the hotels on the premises, like we did. We stayed at the Silica Hotel, which had its own private lagoon. We did a package deal where we had a five hour spa experience at the main lagoon, which was awesome. During our spa experience we lounged in the mineral baths, did the four step Blue Lagoon Ritual, which included lava, silica, algae and mineral treatments, wet & dry saunas, a cold plunge, and after a tasty lunch in our bathrobes, we finished the experience with a 30 minute in water massage. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos from this as phones/cameras are not allowed within the spa. We had a wonderful time though, the in water massage was a completely new experience. You laid on a thin, floating mat with a thick cover on top of you. Throughout the massage, different parts of your body are submerged in the warm water. Very cool.
After a couple exquisite days at The Blue Lagoon, it was time to pack up and head home. We had one more free afternoon before with flew home, and we spent it checking out the Brimketill tide pools and The Bridge Between Continents. It was a rather chilly and rainy morning, so our stops were pretty quick. The bridge is where the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet.
Before closing, I must talk a little bit about the food we enjoyed during our time in Iceland. For a place that must import a lot of its resources, we had a pretty good selection. We ate a lot of fish, and tons of fresh produce. I’ve included a couple photos of the breakfast buffet we enjoyed each morning while at The Blue Lagoon. It was pretty similar to most the buffets we’ve had throughout Europe. You’re definitely more limited on types of food in Iceland, especially when visiting tiny towns out in the middle of nowhere.
Buffets in Europe are very different than your typical American Buffet. They eat a lot of fish, sliced meats and cheeses, and fruits and veggies.
Tasting menu at Moss Restaurant
For our last dinner in Iceland we went all out and enjoyed an incredible meal at Moss Restaurant. It was a 7 course tasting menu that featured many local favorites. The presentation was impressive and the flavors were unusual and delicious. I’ve shared the menu below.
Iceland is one of my favorite places on earth. It makes you feel like you’re on another planet. There are so many interesting landscapes and fascinating wildlife. If you love outdoor activities, it’s definitely the place for you. We’re already planning our third trip back. This is a good time to let you know that Iceland is big, and most roads are single lane. I say this to let you know that it takes a long time to get from one side of the island to another. I suggest you pick an area you want to see, find a home base and do day excursions from there. On this trip we focused on the southern coast, and it was perfect. Next time we’ll focus on the west coast. Just give yourself plenty of time to enjoy all that the island has to offer. Farewell for now, Iceland. We can’t wait to visit you again.
