Meandering Abroad in Iceland

Iceland Easter 2017

Roger and Tony spent 7 days in Iceland.

In this section we hope that anyone planning a visit can learn something from our experiences.

Iceland is an amazing place because it is on the mid Atlantic ridge where two of the Earth's Tectonic plates are moving apart.

To be inspired watch this:

To begin have a look at the official Icelandic web site.
https://www.inspiredbyiceland.com/plan-your-trip

DAY 1 - Arrival and night in Reykjavik

We landed at Keflavik airport and looked out onto a misty and cold landscape. After picking up the rental car, a white Panda 4x4 which had a big dent in the side and which we came to refer to simply as "Panda", we set off to find our hotel. It took me some time to get used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road, but I was helped by Roger reminding me to keep to the right, watching out at junctions and warning me when I was getting a bit too close to the curb. To help with my nerves, a helpful van driver decided to let the mattress he was transporting fall into the road in front of me, but we eventually arrived at our first hotel Fosshotel, Reykjavik. This hotel is a new build and set the high standard for accommodation and food (and prices) that we came to expect in Iceland. It was late afternoon when we arrived and we went for a beer before heading out to explore the town. We had dinner booked for 8pm so we limited ourselves to a wander along Laugavegur soaking in the atmosphere.

The view from out hotel bedroom

A sign above a bar on Laugavegur

Sign for a restaurant on Laugavegur

Dinner at the hotel was excellent and we ended the night with a glass or two of the whisky that Roger had wisely bought at duty free. 

The following day we had breakfast (again excellent quality and a huge choice) and set off for our next destination in Vik. Our plan was to do the Ring Road in seven days so we were on quite a tight schedule and really did not do Reykjavik justice.

DAY 2 - Waterfalls, abandoned aircraft and black sand beaches.

We had been told that by following the Ring Road we would get to visit most of the famous sights in Iceland. "If you see cars parked at the side of the road just stop and there will be something amazing to see," we were told and this proved to be the case.

The day did not start out too promising; most of the countryside was obscured by low cloud but things soon improved and we eventually came to the first of many spectacular waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss.

Seljalandsfoss
(look carefully to see the people walking behind the falls)

Our first Iceland selfie

Just a short walk from Seljalandsfoss was Gljufrabui a 40 metre waterfall which falls into a deep chasm and is partially obscured by a wall of rock.

Gljufrabui hiding behind a wall of rock

We continued along the Ring Road and came across a small museum dedicated to the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull. I can't say anything about the museum because we didn't go in (Roger was in full "Steve-mode" at the time and balked at paying the entrance fee or the kr. 200 for his badly needed toilet visit). A little further on from the museum we came to a parking area from where you can see the famous volcano itself or you could if it wasn't obscured by cloud as it was on our visit.

Behind this farm lies Eyjafjallajökull

A little further on we saw another car park and pulled over. We had arrived at Skogafoss. This waterfall is seriously impressive and one of those must-see places. There is a view point above the waterfall which is accessed via a walkway which climbs steeply up the hillside. We climbed up but weren't sure whether it was worth the effort.

Me in front of Skogafoss

The view from the platform above the waterfall

Sometimes you need a figure in a photo to give a sense of scale.

We continued on towards Vik and the landscape became increasing bleak. To the right a plain of black volcanic sand extended to the ocean, to the left and ahead were distant mountains and volcanoes. Then we spotted a car park off to the right which was quite full. We wondered why so many people had chosen to park here because there were no obvious natural marvels to see nor were there any information boards. Our interest piqued, we pulled over and got out of the car. There was a track leading off towards the distant ocean marked out by the yellow poles that you see along all the roads in Iceland. All along the track as far as the eye could see were people; some heading away others returning.

People walking along the track.

We decided to see where the track went and so we set off. We had no idea how far we would have to walk or what we would find when we got there. We could have asked someone but that would have spoilt the fun. After walking for about two miles Roger spotted our goal; an abandoned plane wreck. In 1973 a US Navy DC-3 plane was forced to land on the sands at Solheimsandur. All on board survived and the plane has now become a tourist attraction. Over the years it has been stripped of its fittings and is now no more that an empty fuselage but its location on a huge black volcanic beach has made it a dramatic location for film makers, pop video makers and others. On our return journey we asked some of the people heading towards the wreck if they knew what they would find. They all did.

Plane wreck at Sólheimasandur.

Mount Petursey dominated the view to the east. According to legend, good elves live on one side of the mountain and bad elves on the other.

Geese over Mount Petursey.

View looking west

Our next stop was Vik, the most southerly village in Iceland. We stayed at the Icelandair hotel and arrived well before the start of Happy Hour. Happy Hour became a very important part of our daily schedule since we could get half price beer and wine (for which read only slightly above normal price in the UK). This hotel is another relatively new build but there is an older part to it which offers budget accommodation. Since we had time before HH we decided to explore the area. Following directions from the friendly hotel receptionist, we set off to find Reynisfjara Beach. Reynisfjara is a black sand beach pounded by roaring Atlantic waves. There are signs warning visitors to be careful near the ocean because of the powerful and unpredictable waves and the danger of being swept out to sea. Basalt cliffs dominate the beach and two rocky sea stacks loom just offshore. These are the Reynisdrangar which, according to legend, are the remains of two trolls who were caught out by the dawn and turned into stone.

Basalt columns at the eastern end of the beach

The Reynisdrangar

Looking west along the beach

We got back to the hotel for the last part of Happy Hour and another excellent meal. Then back to the room for a nightcap of duty free whisky before enjoying a good night's sleep.

Day 3 - Lava and ice.

Day 3 dawned bright and sunny. After another delicious (and filling) breakfast we went for a wander around Vik. This did not take very long and we ended up on the black sand beach taking in a different view of the Reynisdrangar. Also here is a piece of modern sculpture. "Voyage" and its counterpart in Hull in the UK symbolise the link created by centuries of trade between the UK and Iceland. The sculpture was commissioned after the end of the final Cod War.

Voyager

Reynisdrangar from Vik

Church above Vik

After filling up the car (all the petrol stations we used were "pay at pump"), we headed for Glacier Lagoon. As we travelled up the coast the landscape became increasingly volcanic and we were soon crossing vast lava fields. The lava is now covered in moss to a depth of up to 50 cm in places and which is easily damaged. There are places to stop where paths are marked out giving an opportunity to explore the landscape without damaging it.

Moss covered lava

Information panel

Continuing on our way from Vik we came across Foss á Síðu. Although visible from the Ring Road, this waterfall seemed to be less well-know. It is a long and slender falls and is located on private land, so you cannot get too close.

The upper part of Foss á Síðu

 Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Iceland and one of the biggest in Europe, has about 30 outlet glaciers and we pulled over to take a few photos of some of these along the way to our destination for the day Glacier Lagoon. But first we stopped off at Haoldukvist.

The road to Skeidararjökull

The road to Svinasfellsjökul

We were booked into the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon for the night and we arrived at the hotel in the early afternoon. It was too early to check in, so we decided to carry on to Glacier Lagoon itself. This turned out to be a wise decision because the weather the following day would prove to be quite bad with poor visibility and we would have missed the highlight of the trip so far.

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon

Although there were many sights that I wanted to see and did see on our trip around Iceland, Glacier Lagoon and the nearby beaches were my highlight. I have been interested in photography for many years and have followed a lot of online photography courses and Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach feature prominently in photography blogs. Finally, I was getting the chance to take my own photographs in this spectacular area. It did not disappoint. We parked Panda in the parking area on the east side of the bridge which crosses the very short river between the lagoon and the sea and went for a stroll along the shore.

When we had found Roger's lost glasses (this was not the first or the last time they went missing) we crossed to the black sand beach where the icebergs washed up after floating out into the ocean.

Back at the lagoon it looked like rain. We decided to head back to the hotel, check in and enjoy happy hour.

This was also a newly built hotel and matched the standards of our previous hotels in terms of room, restaurant food and breakfast. From a distance it reminded me of a Bond villain's secret lair. 

That night we finished the last of the duty-free whisky.

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The final dram.

Day 4 - Blizzards, Steam and Mud

We woke up to a white landscape. Snow had fallen overnight and I anxiously checked the road status website; the Ring Road was still open but with tricky conditions in places. Today was due to be our longest day of driving, from Glacier Lagoon to Myvatn a total of 290 miles. After an excellent breakfast we set off. The weather soon deteriorated, snow began to fall and visibility was reduced. We passed the parking area for Glacier Lagoon, now deserted and shrouded in fog. I was very pleased that we had visited the lagoon the previous day. The snow continued to fall and the road surface became more and more indistinguishable from the surrounding countryside. I was beginning to consider the wisdom of continuing "Vik was a really nice place, Roger. Maybe we should turn round and go back there" or "Maybe we should try going up the west coast? Yes, I know it's hundreds of miles more but......." were some of my suggestions but all fell on deaf ears (quite literally in Roger's case). Slowly things started to improve, the road reappeared and it seemed that Roger had been right. I started to relax. Foolishly as it turned out.

"Roger!!! I can't see the yellow posts!!!" I said calmly (although Roger said that I was shouting in a panicky voice) as I stared through the windscreen at a white abyss wondering if we were about to die in the burning wreckage of a Panda 4x4 in a ravine at the bottom of a mountain pass in northern Iceland.

Things had seemed to be getting better; the road had reappeared, the snow had stopped falling and the wind had died down. We continued on the Ring Road without a care in the world, admiring what we could see of the scenery. The first hint of a possible problem was a "No Winter Service" sign just after the turn-off near Breiðdalsvik, then the Ring Road became a cinder road, then it started to climb. The road once again turned white and merged with the surrounding countryside with only yellow poles to show where the road ended and the rough ground and, later, precipitous drops began. "Just keep in second gear and keep going, " said Roger "and we'll be fine". We passed a car coming downhill which we took as a positive sign. A little further uphill on a tight bend we came across a large RV which seemed to be stuck. There was just enough space for Panda to squeeze past. We felt a bit guilty about not stopping to help, but there was nothing we could have done and if we had stopped on the steep, snow-covered road we may not have got started again. Then came the hairpin bends. It was at this point that I lost sight of the yellow poles and had to ask Roger where they were. "Over there", he said, pointing back over his shoulder to the right. I swung the car round in the direction he was pointing and we continued to climb. Finally, Roger pointed out a weather station. We had reached the high point of the pass and started to descend. The driving got easier (but definitely not easy) and we finally arrived in Egilstaðir. Roger bought me a hot dog and a strong coffee to calm my nerves. Just 114 miles to go!

The rest of the journey passed without incident. We followed a black strip of tarmac through miles of white countryside and finally arrived at a turnoff for Dettifoss, We did not go to the waterfall itself (we needed to leave something for next time) but took the opportunity to stop in a layby for a rest and to take a few photos. Panda was coated in ice with thick icicles hanging down from the wheel arches and bumpers.

Panda iced up

View from the layby

Before getting to Myvatn we pulled into the car park at Hverir to see the mud pools and fumaroles. In fact, we could smell it well before we arrived. This was such a contrast to the freezing and snowy landscape we had just travelled through. We were surrounded by pools of boiling mud and vents emitting jets of hot steam.

Roger by a fumerole

An eerie landscape 

Mud Pools

We left the mud pools behind and crested a hill to be greeted with a magnificent view of the valley and Lake Myvatn.

 

 View of the valley

Panda and the valley

We had reservations at the Hotel Laxa and arrived in good time for Happy Hour. This is another new build hotel and once again the food, including breakfast were delicious and the surroundings spectacular. One quirk of this hotel was that our room did not have a wardrobe.

Roger enjoying a beer in the lounge

The view from the restaurant

Myvatn sunset

Myvatn sunset

The phone rang at 2am and I was roused from deep slumber by a message from reception that there was a chance of seeing the Northern Lights. We quickly got dressed and rushed outside, but there was not much to see. Someone pointed at what I had taken to be some wispy clouds but were apparently faint aurora. It was the closest we got to seeing the Lights on this trip.

Day 5 - Nature Baths, Lava Formations, Pseudo Craters and More Waterfalls.

Day 5 involved the least time spent driving. We planned to spend the night in Akureyri a distance of only 54 miles if we had driven straight there. But first, we explored the area around Lake Myvatn, After another delicious breakfast we set off along snow-covered roads with the intention of visiting Krafla. However, the road leading up to the crater looked extremely icy, so we abandoned this plan and went instead to the Dimmuborgir lava formations, which were formed when lava spilled over into a water filled area or marshland (see image below which explains the process). The area is also home to the Icelandic Yule Lads the sons of vicious trolls and who visit children during the Christmas period. After spending an hour or two admiring the fantastic formations we went to the Myvatn Nature Baths. We'll spare you the pictures of us enjoying the beautiful, warm, blue waters.

The formation of Dimmuborgir

Hot Water

The "Eternal Shower"

Therman Power

Hverfjall from Dimmuborgir

Dimmuborgir

The Yule Lads' Cave

Dimmuborgir

After the Nature Baths we went to see the pseudocraters at Skútustaðir. As the name suggests these are not real craters but are another formation created when hot lava covers water which then boils and explodes upwards forming what looks like a volcanic crater. It was bitterly cold and, after having a bit of a wander around and taking a few photos we retreated to a café on the other side of the road for a coffee and a bowl of meat stew.

View across the lake from the pseudocraters

Pseudocraters

Pseudocraters

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