Southern Iceland
Land of the summer midnight sun; rolling hills and breath-taking green landscapes dripping in purple, Lupine flowers; unique Icelandic horses and wild sheep; fresh fish and to-go sandwiches; road-tripping and sight-seeing; waterfalls; thermal pools and woolen sweaters; sleep deprivation and sporadic weather changes; Kaleo and Of Monsters and Men filtering from iTunes.
For those of you that need pictorial motivation to embark on such a trip, here's a slideshow to inspire you:
Day 1
Blue Lagoon & Reykjavik
Accommodation: AirBnb in Reykjavik
The Blue Lagoon is en route to Reykjavik, the capital city in which you will spend your first night in Iceland, from the airport (KEF).
Here are some obvious (and some not) things to consider before you embark on your whirlwind adventure.
DOs and DO NOTs on arrival in the chilly, mythical city that is Reykjavik
DO hire a car at the airport.
It is the cheapest most effective way to explore the country. You have the freedom to stop where you need to, travel back the the capital a few times because it’s that fantastic and swerve to a stop on the highway to prance through the lavish fields of purple Lupines.
DO NOT use tour buses.
They’re well-equipped I’m sure but where’s the freedom man?
DO stay in the city.
It’s quirky, dynamic and can be explored on foot.
DO NOT book far away from the city in airport hostels.
You will likely be told by locals it’s safe to hitch hike into town. It might be but easy it is not, esp not in the rain, standing like a kook for an hour drenched while car lights are blinding you.
DO check out the local grocer (if you’re interested in what the locals are buying/eating that is, I always am).
Try the Icelandic Yoghurt, called Skyr, it’s nothing short of fantastic and gives the Greek a run for its money.
DO NOT get cheese and cracker happy and thickly apply said spread to crackers as a snack. It’s not herbed cheese spread. You have now consumed thick smatterings of butter. wait no, me, I did that.
DO research all the popular things in the city and check them out, they’re popular for a reason, right. Have a climb on the Sea Voyager Viking Ship at the View Point en route to parking downtown. Breathe in the salty sea air, you are in fact a badass viking, the legends are true.
Souvenir options: Wool; Puffin-related goods, Viking shirts and quirks.
DO walk around the city.
Park your car down a quaint and colorful side street in the city, explore, and take lots of pictures. Walk along the water channels, try all the local foods, buy the souvenirs (you’ll find viking related goods, puffins and lots of wool). Seriously, two of the best things I could have bought were the woolen sweater and socks I wore on day 2 into my trip.
DO eat all the seafood you can get your hands on.
It’s a harbor city, frrrreshhhh. We had amazing fish and Chips at ‘Icelandic Fish and Chips’ and back again the next night at ‘Fish and Chips Vaggin’. Both fantastic!
DO check out the Blue Lagoon (it’s half way between the airport and the city so if you want to go straight there from the airport you can).
Is it touristy? Yes. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? Hells YEAH. Who in their right mind would want to miss out on warming themselves in a geothermal pool in Iceland, which happens to be one of the 25 wonders of the world? Not me.
The Blue Lagoon
There’s accommodation on site, restaurants and cafes, a spa, a store to purchase skincare products and price variations to enter the lagoon depending on the package you want. There’s a bar in the lagoon so you can wade and drink, not to mention waterproof phone cases for sale so you can totes get that IG selfie And it’s huge so you can find a quiet space away from the people.
*Pro-tip: If you decide on standard package, pack your own towel or hire one there.
For more information, here’s the official site.
Day 2
Snorkeling the Tectonic Plate Rift, Silfra & Thingvellir National Park
Accommodation: An Airbnb booked home in the heart of Reykjavik is your best bet.
Welcome to Geography 101, sign up forms are… hah, just kidding. We’ve found ourselves in Iceland, at the Thingvallavatn Lake in the Thingvellir National Park. I won’t be informing you about the scientific and geographic details of tectonic plates, Google knows all and is a tab away (worth a look though, their movements will likely render you speechless). But, seeing as you’re here, maybe I will, briefly.
The tectonic rift
What you should know, is that Silfra is a tectonic rift, a gap, caused by the moment of two plates, land masses or solid rock masses if you will, apart/away from each other. They’re the N. Atlantic and Eurasian plates.
It’s a canyon SUBMERGED under the icy Atlantic—Google or not, being informed draws out the oooh, ahhh moments when you’re actually there, submerged in that ONE DEGREE C water, face burning, mind-numbing, body encased in an awkward second skin aka dry suit and it’s FANTASTIC and freezing, but worthwhile nonetheless.
Achieving the Impossible
Book to read to really cement that water temp shock factor: ‘Achieving the Impossible: A Fearless Leader. A Fragile Earth.’
This biography of Lewis Pugh made snorkeling in the Northern Atlantic, in unbearable temperatures, real for me. Why is he significant? Well, Lewis was the first person to swim at the North Pole to raise awareness for climate change, IN A SPEEDO.
Yes, that’s right—made me toughen up just a tad (well, enough to climb into spine-chilling water).
Wearing a dry suit
Okay, enough about the water temperature that I survived and more on the dry suit that kept my blood pulsing to the extremities. Have you ever worn a wet suit? Yes? Well, this is not the same thing.
You wear a full outfit underneath the dry suit, that looks like a wetsuit, but keeps you bone dry. What you wear underneath matters, it keeps you warm. I’d recommend a long sleeved top and a hoodie, tights/thermal underwear and sweatpants, Icelandic woolen socks (if you are in favor of keeping all ten digits) and you’re good to go.
Aside: Your hands will get wet even with their neoprene gloves, your head will get wet.
In the water
I was afraid of the water. Wait, no... I was afraid of the freezing temperatures. Once I was in, with my face submerged, I was in awe of what lay there. There was rubble and neon seaweed and we all drifted through a 'channel' exploring the rift. I was as if we were moseying down a river without guidance with ample opportunity to explore however we liked.
Every now and then, I had to lift my face because I thought it would fall off. Chris thinks that's a dramatic statement but it was freezing (not freezing enough to prevent me from doing it again though, if that helps). I can't give too much away, you must go!
Removing the dry suit
I may or may not have panicked when I refused help getting out of the suit and attempted to take it off solo. It was like watching a toddler getting her head stuck in a sock (and the wrists/ankles— all tight). Do not refuse help! I absolutely embarrassed myself.
If you want to have an enjoyable, memorable experience snorkeling through Silfra, here's the company I used.
Hot chocolate and cookies later, we were warm, dry and explored the surrounds of Thingvellir National Park.
Day 3
Driving the Golden Circle—Gullfoss, Geysir & Thermal Pools
Accommodation: AirBnb in Fludir area
The Golden Circle is a 300km ring road with incredible natural wonders. I selected the most popular section of the ring road to visit. You’ll get to see the powerful Gullfoss Waterfall, Geyser (a hole which literally explodes, shooting a river of water into the air in front of your face) as well as Glaciers.
Thingvellir National Park
East of Reykjavik along the Golden Circle Route you will come across one of Iceland’s National Parks, Þingvellir (or Thingvellir in English), translated as Parliament Plains.
This large expanse, made up of grasslands and rosy outcrop is situated in a rift valley (the same Silfra we snorkeled in yesterday caused by the movement of two tectonic plates). A church, old ruins and beautiful waterfalls can also be found on site. We explored it yesterday, after snorkeling Silfra, but it’s vast and could be re-visited.
Gullfoss
Situated along the Hvita river falls Gulfoss, meaning Golden Waterfall after the sediment it carries. This power house has two tiers, boasts glorious rainbows and showers those who approach too close. It is is the largest volume falls in Europe - pretty neat!
Geysir
Further along the route you will find Geysir, an active and exploding hot springs area.
Strokkur, the largest, had the crowd, erupting every few minutes, 100ft into the air. There were squeals and videos. What a riot! Be sure to check out the trendy restaurant, gift shop and Geyser Centre on site–popular and such fun to peruse!
You can also hike up the hill to view the Strukkur from further away. The short hike is sandy and steep but lines with gorgeous, purple lupines.
Food stop
By this stage, we were starving and tempted to stock up on snacks, but after some online research, read of this fabulous Ethiopian Restaurant worth a try (our stomaches, the all consuming hoovers that they are, lead the way).
We tracked down Minilik Restaurant. It was authentic and such a fun experience eating with our hands. Definitely worth a try! (Google maps knows it, too)
The Secret Lagoon
Before heading to our booked AirBnb for the night, we discovered a nearby thermal pool to enjoy, a natural spring. It was incredible!
The place is called Gamla Laugin, The Secret Lagoon and is located in the village of Fludir (where we stayed overnight). It’s natural and such a treat when the air is crisp.
*Keep in mind that if you don’t pack your own towel on a trip to Iceland, you’re going to be repeat renting.
Day 4
Glacier Hiking at Skaftafell Nature Reserve, Jokulsalon Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach & Hofn
Accommodation: Forever recommending a high-end backpackers if you are a couple or an AirBnb booked home in Hofn.
Glacier hiking is a thing. I mean, I knew that, people have found ways of climbing anything and everything, right? Right.
Glacier hiking
Well, some Google searching pointed me in the direction of certain tour companies for various activities and Extreme Iceland was a good choice for those with no experience glacier hiking.
You’re provided with transport to the glacier, the correct equipment and a guide so that you don’t slip into a depressing abyss or crevasse/fissure - whichever sounds more dramatic. It could happen.
Skaftafell
We hustled on the bus to Skaftafell, ice picks in hand (oh the photo opportunities—seriously feeling like a badass), to learn about the region and Everest-version picked up a glacier (not really, but you don’t know that yet). Dream wildly.
The base of the glacier was mounted and gear donned. Keep your eyes peeled for glacier mice.
Clamp ons...?!
After strapping on a pair on crampons (clamp ons, dammit, I’ll get it right one day), clamp ons, you duck waddle like new born giraffe trying on a pair of legs uphill on ice. Not so easy, not so easy.
Fun though? Heck yes!
Jokulsalon Glacier lagoon
After the ice hiking, we drove to nearby Jokulsalon Glacier lagoon. It was windyyy. A duck down jacket and wine breaker were my best friends all through the trip (and this was in summer).
Fun ice fact: Ice untouched by the sun is blue, yes a radiant, gleaming BLUE. The sun exposure turns it white. Does not apply to freezer ice (nice try though).
We saw a huge chunk of an iceberg crack in half, before our eyes, and flip over. It was indeed bright blue beneath.
Icy, Black Sand Beach
We drove out and towards Diamond Beach to see the black sand.
We parked in front of the bridge crossing the river and watch the ice float to sea and saw seals circling the river mouth catching fish. What a sight to behold!
We drove, rather than walked, to the parking lot at the beach because the wind was howling and sand was flying.
It was glorious—ebony sand scattered with chunks of glistening ice from the ocean caused by drainage from the glacier pools into a river, which flows into the sea.
We were thoroughly entertained and when we decided we couldn’t brave the cold any longer and were ready for dinner, jumped in the car and belted it to Hofn.
Hofn
Hofn is a quaint (picturesque at sunset) harbor town and we walked the length of it locating but a few restaurants. The seafood was fresh and delicious. We couldn’t resist sharing a lobster bruschetta starter and a salted cod (catch of the day) with roasted potatoes and salad.
Day 5
Skalafell Glacier Pool Kayaking, Road-tripping, Skaftafell Waterfall Glacier Viewpoint Hikes & Vik
Accommodation: An Airbnb booked home in the heart of the town (check location on G. Maps before booking)
*we didn't follow up on our booking location and ended up in a safe yet creepy-feeling house a little too far away from the center of Vik—just being paranoid, but honest.
Yesterday, when we arrived for our Extreme Iceland Ice Hiking at Skaftafell, we noticed kayaks and hustled over, across the lot to enquire.
Then and there we booked a session of Glacier lagoon kayaking at Skalafell for the next day, which happens to be today. The names are confusing, careful not to mix them up. Right, back to the kayaking - Go us!
Glacier lagoon kayaking at Skalafell
It was just the guide and us (with the wetsuits and boots and clamp ons—got it right).
We were stuffed, equipment and all, in a van to go to the nearby glacier lagoon. Meh you don’t care about the details, right?
What you're probably wondering
Did we get wet? Did we fall in? Did anything creepy surface from the muddy waters? Best you go find out right?
What did happen: peaceful kayaking, more ice climbing onto icebergs (so cool) and cheesy picture taking. We enjoyed thoroughly it. The guides for the past two days were super cool, too, which makes a big impact on your experience.
Alrighttyyy then, we’re on the road, stopping at anything cool we can find.
First, it was an adjacent farm. We may or may not have climbed under a fence because I saw a reachable waterfall and some wild looking sheep.
Then, it happened to be a trendy coffee shop offering hot chocolate and biscuits to our grubby, frozen, outstretched paws.
And then, we backtracked to the Skaftafell Park (from the day prior) because we were told about a short hike (hour, hour and a half return) to waterfall views and a glacier viewpoint. Sounds like a yes.
More gorgeous waterfalls were passed before reaching our final destination for the day, Vik.
Vik
My favorite destination outside the city is Vik. It is quaint, interesting and not the kind of town you simply find anywhere. We drove to the highest point we could see in the tiny town, with a white, wooden church called Reyniskirkja, dating back a century, perched on top, surrounded by streaks of purple.
Another black sand beach
Next to view was Vikurfjara, the black sand beach, where you’ll find the black sand and ocean rock formations. I’d never seen anything like it in my life. Coming from beaches with white and golden sand back home, delicately pawing at the black sand made me feel like Santa sneaking through a sooty chimney. Does it come off? (laughs)
This tiny town has many interesting sights yet seemingly no people, until it came to dinner time. Be sure to reserve a dinner spot ahead of time if possible, as there are only a few restaurants and they get busy!
Day 6
Skogar & Glymur Waterfall Hike, staying in Reykjavik
Accommodation: So many Airbnb options and lovely city folk in Reykjavik.
Skogafoss
From Vik, we headed back, aiming for Reyjavik, to Skogafoss—waterfall from the Skoga river.
It took half an hour to reach and was one of the most impressive waterfalls I have seen, so unexpectedly. Cascading down from 60m and in the area of Skogar (an Icelandic Village with less than 30 people) south of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier.
A hike to the source of Glymur Waterfall
We had heard many a talk on the Glymur Waterfall hike and we needed a challenge. I’m not usually one for tours but don’t bring gear with me as I travel light so have to often compromise but this one, we could do on our own.
We passed fields of giant marshmallows (pink and white plastic wrapped hay bails - not as exciting, not as exciting) and raggedy sheep. Then we arrived at the carpark, shedding layers as Chris watered the pretty Lupine flowers after our road trip (gasp).
Our hiking story
The trail is sign posted enough that you won’t get lost. Relief. It’s uncrowded- score! It’s a walk across a river (two) and up a steep cliff face, that shelters a multi-streamed waterfall.
Absolutely intoxicatingly beautiful.
We made our way up, daring to peek over the cliff ledge at the waterfall, impatient for a viewing point. Gulls were nesting near the top and circling (luckily not vultures, then I’d be sweating). The sky was a thick, grey blanket teasing us with the prospect of rain. It was our motivation to move.
Nearing the top, we crept around corners for dangerous photographs and near collided with another couple, locals, suggesting we make our decent the opposite side of the falls for a shorter, forest climb down. Sounds perfect! Time and weather were in competition.
We reached the top and saw a group of youngsters (early 20s perhaps, younger than me anyway) with their dog on the opposite banks of a wider-than-expected river. We can do it too.
We spent the next 20 minutes listening to the most unusual bird call, sounding somewhat like exploding hiccups, and literally bouncing on the cushioned shrub. Any chance we could find a rock trail to skip over the river on? Not likely. We walked up and down trying out luck, not wanting to soak our shoes.
Trying to cross the river later on... near impossible
Eventually, realizing we were wasting what precious time we had left still dry, we decided to cross the river. The current was strong in parts and I had premonitions of it carrying me over the falls to my imminent death. Dramatic but possible.
We found a path further from the cascades and I boldly whipped off my shoes declaring I’d be first (what else is new?). I treaded towards to water carefully, praying I wouldn’t fall in (we still had a long trip to Reykjavik and my phone was wedged between tights and skin—not exactly water safe).
Freezing temps
I was in and I let out a GASP—what the??? FREEZING. The temperature was that of Silfra snorkeling, just a few degrees. I tried to hasten my pace falling almost three times and my feet were BURNING.
I cleared the river, my feet and nose pink from the cold, or shock, who’s to know. Then went Chris, less vocally.
Well, the locals were correct, the opposing banks were a shortcut home, through an interesting forest outcrop and we made it into the car (and to the heater) in one piece.
Raw, untouched beauty and my best day yet!
Sealed with our finish in Reykjavik and a dinner stop-over at the Fish and Chips Vaggin. The weather was less than ideal, sending us to the car for take-out dining.
Day 7
Icelandic Horse-riding at Laxnes, Exploring Reykjavik, Boating to view Puffin Colonies & the Harpa
My favourite experiences on the trip
It's a toss up between the Glymur Waterfall hike and horse riding in Iceland—both are easily my favorite trip activities.
Here's why
The hike was surreal. We loved it and felt safe. The landscape was breath-taking. Then there's Laxnes Horse Farm - organized, helpful and personal. The staff are trained and for the first time traveling, I was given a horse that behaved.
More on Laxnes Horse Farm
The staff greeted us, kitted us out in raincoats because the weather suggested rain and we went to socialize with the herd.
From children to golden oldies, we were all paired with a horse to suit our ability. Mine was gorgeous, white and (wait for it) the actual horse used in the second and third series of The Game of Thrones (coolest ever!). It was a stunning horse.
Why Icelandic horses are so special
Something you might not know is that Icelandic Horses are a rarity - they have been deemed spirited, are smaller than your average-sized horse and these horses perform two additional gaits to common breeds.
If you have zero knowledge but a little interest on horses, it basically means that aside from a walk, trot and gallop, they tölt and Skeið.
‘Inspired by Iceland’ sums up a tölt as ‘a four-beat lateral ambling gait known for its explosive acceleration and speed; it is also comfortable and ground-covering’.
'The skeið, or "flying pace”, is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 50 km/h (30 mph). It is not a gait for long-distance travel’.
The latter was definitely my favourite. We did it in shot bursts and as is written, it was smooth- no tears, no clinging on for dear life in the hopes that the horse won’t bump you off, just smooth and exhilarating.
There were flies, lots of flies (inescapable) when we stopped. The horses needed a short rest while the group was divided into beginners and those willing to try the usual aforementioned gaits. This was far easier to manage and everyone kept up.
I loved it and would highly recommend it for all ages! If you can sit and walk, you can ride.
Puffin Boat Tour
We had time to head back to Reykjavik, explore, go on a Puffin Boat Tour (we booked ours straight from one of the many harbor tour companies that afternoon), have lunch (while awaiting Puffin Tour) and view The Harpa before our flight home (most expensive G'nT of my life, but inside was a glorious brag of architecture).
Go and unleash your wild side—this is the most fun I've had on a road trip abroad! Tag me on your journey on IG @k_severino and I'll cheer you on.
Much love,