Boarding the early morning flight, we sunk into our seats still tired from a short night’s rest. I looked at Michael expectedly, waiting for a clue as to where we were headed; he had masterfully managed to get this far without me knowing our final destination.
“It sounds like Ireland” he said, smiling as he mentioned his home country. I mumbled a few half-hearted guesses and then paused. Suddenly, it came to me . . . “ Iceland!” I couldn’t believe it. After years of being on my bucket list we were finally going to this magical country – also known, due to its many volcanoes and glaciers, as the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’.
Two and a half hours later, the plane circled as it steadily descended through thick white clouds and a rugged and wild coastline came into view, fierce white waves cresting on the ocean.
Once landed, we picked up our rental car keys and ran through a heavy shower of rain to the car. Driving through the barren landscape very few other cars passed us as we headed for Reykavjik, the world’s northernmost capital city, which was to be our home for the next couple of nights. During the next three days we were to visit some incredible places, all located in the south west of the island and within no more than a two hour drive from the city.
Arrival day: Reykjavik
Our first afternoon was spent exploring Reykjavik which is home to over 60% of the country. The colourful city has a historic area of lanes home to shops, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs, many of which are along one main street, called Laugavegur.
Old timber buildings stand alongside brand-new hotels, offices and apartments, and interesting street art can be found all around the city.
Interesting fact: The Vikings first arrived in Iceland around the 9th century, with towns first founded in the 18th century. Present-day Iceland now boasts an excellent and high-tech infrastructure.
Included in the sights to see is the harbour, home to Iceland’s biggest concert hall and conference centre, and many impressive museums and galleries such as the Culture House, Settlement Exhibition (containing the remains of a large Viking-age longhouse), the National Museum and the National Gallery.
The Hallgrimskirkja church is the largest church in Iceland and resembles a volcanic formation. It took 40 years to build and is visible from all around the city.
Take the lift to the top of the 74m high church for some stunning panoramic views across the city and take in the many colourful and vibrant rooftops!
The Sun Voyager is a magical sculpture of a Viking ship by the ocean.
The weather changed from rain to sleet in the evening as we took a drive out past the harbour to Gróttalighthouse and watched the violent and choppy ocean waves hurling themselves against the coastal rocks. After dinner in one of the restaurants on Laugavegur we emerged to big steady snowflakes falling gently around us, reminding me of a Christmas scene as we walked back home along the now quiet streets.
Interesting fact: The city is heated geothermally, including many of the pavements so they never freeze over. There is also a local beach which is heated with geothermal water for more comfortable bathing!
Day Two: Vik to DC-3 Plane Crash to Skógafoss Waterfall to Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
The wet roads out of the city glistened in the morning sunlight, blinding silver as water streamed off the edges. We were driving to the southernmost seaside village of Vik, where we would then turn around and stop off to see places on the return journey.
The landscape changed along the way from shades of dark grey to bright white and silver, and mountains loomed up in the distance covered in thick snow. From time to time patches of brown on the mountainside showed where steam slowly rose from the earth, melting the snow around it. Speckled grey rocks sat scattered across the scenery and glacial waters of turquoise and green sparkled in streams as we drove by.
The sun broke through heavy clouds high above us which changed from a huge brown mass to small fluffy white clouds around the bend. We stopped to see the Eyjafjallajokul volcano, which caused huge disruption across Europe when it erupted in 2010 after ash grounded flights, and admired the many fields of thick shaggy Icelandic horses in every colour. We also passed dozens of noisy waterfalls which cascaded down the cliffs.
Interesting fact: Horses here are direct descendants from the horses the Vikings first brought over from mainland Europe so are unique and the people of Iceland are keen to prevent degeneration of stock. Therefore, importing horses to the country has been forbidden since as far back as 982AD, and horses that leave the country aren’t allowed to return. Because of this, competition riders won’t take their best horse abroad with them, as they’ll need to sell it following the competition. Elsewhere on the island there is an abundance of wildlife to be seen, including puffins and reindeer.
ViK – 2 hours 20 from Reykjavik
After enjoying lunch in a little café overlooking the ocean, Michael and I walked along near some offshore black stacks known as the Troll Rocks and onto the black sand beach. The cold Atlantic sea fiercely spat balls of white foam across the sand as the tide came in under a strong wind from the west, the icy air hurting my nose as I breathed in.
The dramatic black sand sparkled with gold and red grains on the beach. VIK is also great for hiking trails, bird watching and paragliding.
DC-3 Plane Crash – 15 minute drive from Vik
Our next stop was the DC-3 plane crash on Sólheimasandur black beach, which we found on Google maps in the absence of any actual signs. In 1973, this US Navy aeroplane was forced to land on the beach after experiencing severe icing. Luckily everyone in the crew survived, but the fuselage was abandoned.
Arriving at the car park it looked to be a short walk along the sandy path to the sea but proved to be nearer 4km, and pushing through the billowing wind took us about 45 minutes each way. During the last five minutes of the walk the plane finally became visible, sitting out in the middle of the beach. It was well worth the walk and looked just like a movie set!
Haunting and eerie, make sure you’re prepared for the weather conditions and look out for a large car park to mark the start of the walk.
Skógafoss – 10 minute drive from the DC-3 Plane Crash
As we walked towards this beautiful 60m waterfall across large loose rocks, huge rainbows appeared in front of it shining in the spray. There is an option to view the waterfall from the top as well should you wish to but we enjoyed the view from the bottom, feeling so small as the huge waterfall thundered down above us. After a while out in the cold we decided to enjoy the view of the waterfall in the warmth with a hot chocolate in the nearby café.
Seljalandsfoss – 25 minutes from Skógafoss: This waterfall is different because you can walk right behind it, and it was an amazing experience to be standing behind the waterfall as the water came down in waves whilst you looked up to see the sun piercing through and rainbows forming in the light. It was so magical and exciting! There are some big rocks to climb up the other side so take good shoes and waterproof gear if you don’t want to get too wet.
As we drove home happy and tired the sun was still high in the sky and passing the snowy area from this morning the surrounding scenery took on a golden hue. We made a last stop to look at a couple of natural geysers visible from the roadside and then continued home for a hot bath and hearty dinner.
Interesting fact: Iceland is located at the edge of the Arctic Circle on an active volcanic ridge. In the country there are more than 125 (active and dormant) volcanic mountains whilst another large section of the country is covered in glaciers.
Day Three: The Secret Lagoon to Gullfoss to the National Park to the Blue Lagoon
The Secret Lagoon – 1 hour 15 minutes from Reykjavik
The morning was sunny and bright so we spent some of it exploring Reykjavik before heading off to the Secret Lagoon natural springs, just over an hour’s drive away and located in a small village called Fludir. The water stays at 38-39 Celsius all year around and the lagoon was Iceland’s oldest swimming pool before being used privately for years by the present-day owner, where it remained a secret for years. It’s a good idea to book ahead as there’s only capacity for a small number of people.
Gullfoss – 30 minutes from the Secret Lagoon
I was taken here as a surprise and as we drove closer I could hear the mighty roar of this waterfall before I was allowed to see it! The water thunders down over two tiers, one 36ft high and another 69ft high into a canyon below, making Gullfoss a truly breathtaking sight, and the most famous waterfall in all of Iceland. The sheer power and force of the waterfall is overwhelming and makes you feel suddenly more energized and alive as you stand before it. It will also forever hold a special place in my heart as it was here that Michael all of a sudden got down on one knee and proposed!
Interesting fact: The meaning of Gullfoss in Icelandic is “Golden Waterfall” down to the golden-brown colour of its water on a sunny day, caused by the sediments from the earth being carried along in the glacial waters.
Þingvellir National Park – 1 to 1.5 hours from Gullfoss
We stopped off here on our drive back to Reykjavik at different points to admire the surrounding landscape – it was incredible! The park is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of only two places in the world where the earth’s tectonic plates (North American plate and Eurasian plate) can be seen to meet above the earth’s surface. It is said the plates move apart around 2cm per year. Looking across the landscape I felt like we’d gone back to prehistoric times and there were many ravines filled with moss-covered rocks that looked completely untouched by human foot.
Blue Lagoon – 40 minutes from Reykjavik
This man-made geothermal spa has 37-39 °C waters rich in silica and sulfur minerals and was a highlight of our trip, but it’s advisable to book ahead due to its extreme popularity.
Michael had purchased us a package as a surprise that included the use of white fluffy robes and towels as well as face masks and a drink at the pool bar. Dusk was near as we entered the pool and applied Silica mud masks at a nearby mud bar, followed by a second mask of choice. We then wondered through the water to the pool bar and ordered a sparkling wine each, where we toasted our magical day and relaxed in the warm milky blue waters, as the sky grew dark and wisps of steam rose up around us escaping into the night. It was a wonderful end to an unforgettable trip. 