PostcardsFromM

Aspiring vet with a passion for travel & conservation medicine.

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Iceland Travel Diary

  • Our 9 Day Iceland Road Trip – Full Itinerary

    Our 9 Day Iceland Road Trip – Full Itinerary

    For years, Iceland had been high on my list – and in 2022, it finally happened. We packed our bags, rented a camper van and set off to circle the Ring Road in just 9 days. It wasn’t always smooth. It rained, it blew, and some days we were completely soaked. But it was one of the most breathtaking trips I’ve ever done. This post is for anyone who’s thinking about doing the same – with honest tips, highlights and lessons learned.

    Overview

    • Length of the stay: 9 days
    • Type of travel: Road trip with a camper van
    • Route: Ring Road with small detours
    • Kilometres: 2 001
    • Style of travel: nature bound, spontaneous with some planned things

    Our Route

    Our goal was to complete the entire Ring Road in 9 days. Unlike many travel blogs I read beforehand, we didn’t cover the south first, but went straight up to the northern part of Iceland.

    Day 1

    On the first day, we explored the western part of the Ring Road. We got picked up from the airport by our car rental shop. After collecting our van, we drove past Reykjavík and continued our way to Hofsós. On the way there we stopped in Borgarnes to do some grocery shopping. I would recommend to do it early into your trip, as the bigger supermarkets like Bonús and Krónan are mostly in bigger towns and in between it could be tricky to find something immediately between them. Overall this part is perfect to just get to know Iceland and driving here. There is not a lot to do, but enough to have as low start to the itinerary. And not to forget Glanni was my first waterfall I saw in Iceland, which was something very special. It might not be the biggest of its kind, but it’s still got a special place in my heart.

    Stops on Day 1:

    • Glanni
    • Gábrók Volcano
    • Kolugjúfur Canyon

    Day 2

    On Day 2 we drove from Hófsós to Husavik. There are two options to get there. You can either take the Ring Road or you can take a coastal road between Hófsós and Akureyri. We took the coastal option. And it is definitely worth it. However, you might need to plan more time for this one since the road is not as good as the Ring Road and it is pretty curvy. Another recommendation is to book the Whale Watching Tour through North Sailing, a lovely eco-conscious company that runs amazing tours departing from Husavik or Hjalteyri (I looked it up and since I went they changed the departure point from Hjalteyri to Árskógssandur, but it is also in Eyjafjörður.). This day was definitely my favourite part of the whole trip. We saw whales and then had a relaxing evening at the Geothermal Sea Bath. What more could you want?

    Stops on Day 2:

    • Whale Watching Tour
    • Akureyri
    • Geosea Geothermal Sea Bath

    Day 3

    We wrapped up the north part of the Ring Road by heading to Egilsstaðir. This day was packed with a lot of different activities, from waterfall watching to short hikes and visiting the cutest little town. In hindsight, I think it would be better to split up this day into two. Not only would it be more relaxed, but there are some more places I really wanted to see and things to do. For example to go horseback riding at one of the stables there, since it is a beautiful landscape and not as touristy as in the south. But overall all the things we did are doable in one day.

    Stops on Day 3:

    • Goðafoss
    • Hverfjall
    • Námaskarð
    • Hengifoss
    • Litlanesfoss
    • Seyðisfjörður

    Day 4

    Next up was the east part of Iceland. We drove from Egilsstaðir to Skaftafell. It was another long day in the car and it also got more touristy by the time you reach Stokksnes. We took the coastal road again, which led to beautiful little beaches and scenic drives along the fjords. I would recommend to do the same, since it is a nice way to reset. At Diamond Beach you might see some seals swimming, please keep in mind to give them there space and don’t chase them just the get a picture more up close. I saw tourists do that and it broke my heart. Besides that for me it was a lovely drive along the east coast, but I would have loved to stop at one of the hot pots along the way to have another warm soak. But we kind of forgot and realized when we have already the ones we looked up.

    Stops on Day 4:

    • Meleyri Beach
    • Stokksnes
    • Viking Village
    • Diamond Beach
    • Jökulsárlón Glacier

    Day 5

    The last bit of the east coast and mostly the South was the plan for Day 5. We drove from Skaftafell to Hvolsvöllur, which was our main exit point for the next two days. We were now fully in the touristy part of Iceland. But we saw a beautiful canyon, some puffins at Dyrahóley and more waterfalls. Since the weather took a turn and it was raining quite a bit, we got soaked several times during this part. I highly suggest packing some good rain pants and a waterproof jacket. I forgot my rain pants at home and I regretted it a lot. The weather in general can switch quite fast from sunny and warm to heavy rain and fog. So be prepared for that while driving as well.

    Stops and things we did on Day 5:

    • Eldhraun
    • Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
    • Reynisfjara
    • Dyrahóley
    • Skogafoss
    • Seljalandsfoss
    • Gljúfrabúi

    Day 6

    We were ahead of our original plan and decided to visit the Westman Island for the day. It is a perfect day trip to discover a completely different part and you get the chance of a lovely ferry ride. On Heimaey we hiked up a volcano and had a nice walk to Stórhöfði, which is a perfect place to watch puffins and other sea birds. We were really happy that we did this little detour, since it is just a lovely little island and its also a good escape from the touristy South. You don’t need to take your car with you on the ferry, since the island is small and very walkable. So if you have a spare day, I would definitely  recommend paying Heimaey a visit.

    Stops on Day 6:

    Day 7

    After staying in Hvolsvöllur again we drove to Hella where my boyfriend dropped me off and we separated for the day. He went on his own adventure with hiking and reading books, while I spent the day at the 2022 Landsmót. The biggest Icelandic horse tournament in Iceland. But it is way more than that. To be honest it is more like a festival. There was a big tent with music, food and drinks and another where you could buy everything, you could need for horses. And in between you watch the best horses with the best riders of Iceland. It is just an amazing thing to be part of and watch. So if you are a horse person, I can recommend to check it out for one day. I went on my own, but I didn’t feel lonely since the crowd was really lovely.

    Stops on Day 7:

    • Landsmót

    Day 8

    After spending the night in Hella, we continued our way back to Reykjavík. But we decided to visit the Geysers on the way there as well as seeing one last waterfall called Brúarfoss. For us the geysers were underwhelming, but the café right next to the site is really nice and a good stop for a quick coffee break. We also tried to visit Reykjadalur Hot Spring River, which didn’t happen because the parking lot was completely full. It would have been a nice experience, but we were drained anyway. So instead we headed to Reykjavík, where we stayed a little outside of the city. We spent our last night walking into the city center along the sea and seeing the Hallgrimskirkja. We were quite tired from all the driving and the impressions over the last couple of days. So it was nice to have a slower day with a little bit more time to rest. I would recommend having days like these along the route more often.

    Stops on Day 8:

    • Geyser
    • Brúarfoss
    • Reykjavík

    Day 9

    Our drop off time for the car was at 4 pm, until then we spent our day in Reykjavík. We grabbed some breakfast at Hygge Coffee & Micro Bakery, which is a lovely small bakery with amazing pastries. We then spent a lot of time sitting at the City Pond and watching the swans. It was my favourite part of Reykjavík. Besides that we did some window-shopping along the Rainbow Street and had a final look at the Hallgrimskirkja before heading to the airport. It was a hard time saying good bye to this amazing country, which showed me a lot about myself as well. And I know that I’ll definitely will be back more often. There is just to much to still do and see.

    Stops on Day 9:

    • Reykjavík
    • Keflavik Airport

    My Top 3 Things

    There were so many great moments along this trip, that I’m forever keeping in my heart. So it is not that easy to just choose three moments. I count myself pretty lucky to have experienced all of that.

    One of them was the Whale Watching Tour. Not only did I get to see whales and dolphins for the first time in the wild, but thanks to the amazing team of North Sailing, I got to learn a lot about these animals. And not gonna lie, the cinnamon buns we got on the boat, where extremely delicious too.

    Another one of my favourite experiences was seeing the amazing landscape. It is constantly changing and shows how diverse Iceland is. From beautiful waterfalls every 5 meters to moss covered areas to black beaches. I felt like I have seen every possible type of landscape in these 9 days.

    The 3rd thing I loved was the Landsmót. I know it is not for everyone but it was just an experience, I didn’t even think would impact me that much. I mean it was kind of devastating to compare your own riding abilities to these amazing riders, but overall the experience was just really impressing. Especially the childrens classes were extremely interesting to watch. And besides the tournament, it was great to talk to some people there and see all the vendors.

    What I would do differently next time

    If I could go back, I’d definiteley spend more time in the north. And yes we did have better weather there, but I also preferred the landscape and the calmer side of it. You are more likely to be alone on the roads and visiting attractions. There aren’t that many other people around and you therefore have more time to take the picture you really want without feeling in the way of others. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I just felt more at peace in the north. And it might seem that there is not that much to do. But just driving through the landscape is something I enjoyed a lot.

    I would also in general try to stretch the whole itinerary out over more days, if I would have had enough time. This would allow not only for more time in the north but also for rest days in between. Even if you are “only” sitting in a car for quite a while, it can get a little monotone and tiring. At the same time I would have loved to add the Westfjords into this trip, but I did see a little bit of them on a separate trip this February and kind of loved to see it on its own.

    Honestly besides that, I really loved our itinerary. One thing that would have been great, would have been to have a little bit of a bigger camper van. It was sometimes not the nicest to cook outside or having to leave the car again to go to the campsite kitchen was a bit of a pain. But that is just a minor issue.

    Thank you so much for reading my 9-Day-Iceland-Itinerary blog posts. If you want to get a more detailed look on how it’s like to get drenched at Skógafoss or see puffins on a volcano island, then take a look at my full Iceland Travel Diary Series. There I wrote about every day in more detail. And if you’ve done a trip like this yourself or are planning one, I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

    See you soon,

    M.

  • Iceland Day 8 & 9 – A Slow Goodbye

    Iceland Day 8 & 9 – A Slow Goodbye

    After spending time at Landsmót, it was time to continue our journey back to the capital city. The last days of our time in Iceland had begun and I was really sad about it. However, we made the most of the two remaining days. Spending some time in Reykjavík and seeing a little bit of the Golden Circle. It was a slow goodbye, that’s why Days 8 and 9 are combined here.

    Day 8: Geyser experience

    The weather was better today. It was still cloudy but it stopped raining. But rain wouldn’t have stopped us anyways to go to the probably most famous part of Iceland, the Golden Circle. Which is so well-known, because it is not too far from Reykjavík and therefore easy to see within a day trip. So we packed up and left Hella and the Landsmót behind us. It was an hour drive before arriving at the first stop of the day.

    One of the things I was really looking forward to seeing in Iceland was the original geyser, the one that every other geyser in the world is named after. So the plan was to go see it. There was a big parking lot with a café and to our surprise, there weren’t too many people around. We got out of the car and crossed the street to follow a path to the geysers. It was quite a muddy path, which led us through a very nice landscape. We finally got to the geyser. So we waited in a little bit of distance, to not get wet again. It took some time for it to erupt and spray water into the air, but it eventually happened. And well, my boyfriend and I looked at each other in kind of a disbelief and started to laugh. We were so hyped up for this spot. But when we actually saw it, it was just more than underwhelming. We both thought that the water fountain would be a lot higher and just more impressive. But to be honest, it just seemed like a bit of a joke to me. We then thought maybe it was the wrong geyser, because there were two in the same area and looked at the second one. And… it was the same underwhelming experience. Now we have seen it and I’m not sure if I would come back for it. The walk there was more of an adventure than the eruption itself.

    A little bit disappointed we headed back to the car. But we decided to grab some coffee and something to eat in the café. There’s also a souvenir shop, that had some nice things. So we browsed through there as well. And I have to say, the coffee and food was nice. Therefore, this stop wasn’t a complete fail.

    Day 8: A Final Waterfall Stop

    After this interesting experience, we thought the next stop should be better again. We headed to our last waterfall on our must-see list. It’s called Brúarfoss and is also on the Golden Circle. When looking it up, it was always called “Iceland’s Bluest Waterfall” and that it is very photogenic. So another must stop, for me. There are two options to get to the waterfall. Either you take a 7-kilometer hiking trail or you go to the parking lot, which is right next to it. We chose the second option, but only because we didn’t know about the hiking trail. So we stopped at the parking lot and headed out. There weren’t too many people around. After a five-minute walk, we spotted the waterfall. The water was a vibrant turquoise colour and looked crystal clear in contrast to the volcanic riverbed. It isn’t as a big of a waterfall as we have seen in Iceland before, but it is nice to see and definitely worth a visit. We weren’t blown away by it, but it was rather peaceful.

    Day 8: Hot Pot Stop and Reykjavík Campsite

    After the first two stops, we wanted to go to the Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River. It just sounded too intriguing and I also wanted to visit another Hot Pot before leaving. So we set off. However, as soon as we arrived at the parking lot, we noticed that all the tourists seemed to be here at this day. It was absolutely packed and even though I really wanted to see it, I wasn’t too keen on waiting for an open spot. So we decided against a little soak.

    We than had to choose between going straight to Reykjavík and visiting Thingvellir. But since we were pretty drained from driving so much in the last couple of days, we decided to go straight to Reykjavík. We also had to find a Campsite and we thought, that it could take us some time to find one, if we arrive later. But to our surprise, the first one already had a free spot. We parked up and had a bite to eat. We had a little nap afterwards, before it was time to have a little look around the city. We didn’t want to do too much exploring, since we had a full day in Reykjavík left. But equally we wanted to see some parts. So we decided against taking the bus and walked the 40 minutes instead. The weather was really good, so it didn’t feel that long and it was also a way to get to know the area. And most of the way was right next to the ocean, which was also quite nice. We saw the Sun Voyager, which was nice but also not that impressive. One thing I really wanted to see straight away was the Hallgrimskirkja. Even though it doesn’t really get dark in Iceland at this time of year, it did get a bit darker. And I wanted to see the church lit up against a darker sky. My boyfriend wasn’t too keen about the building, but I really enjoyed the view of it and also the big Leif Eriksson Monument in front of it. So happy with that final evening in Iceland, we returned to our camper.

    Day 9: Last Day In Iceland

    I woke up feeling happy but also sad, because I already missed Iceland and I wanted to see more. It was a sign for me, though, that I am definitely coming back at some point. But we had one last day left. Since we packed most of our stuff already the night before, there wasn’t too much left to do. So we decided to have some breakfast in the city centre. This time we took the car, so we didn’t have to come back again before heading to the airport.

    When we arrived in the city centre, we headed to Hygge Coffee & Micro Bakery. A friend recommended it. It’s a small, cute and very good coffee shop. They have a great coffee and pastry variety. They also had some savoury bits as well, but we fancied something sweet. And it was really delicious. I’d recommend checking it out, if you are ever in town.

    After that, we headed towards the city centre and stumbled upon the City Pond Tjörnin. There were loads of swans and ducks around, so we decided to take a stroll along it for a little bit. There’s also a really nice park area right next to it, where you can sit and just look at the water, which is what we also did. I would say that this place was one of my favourite places in Reykjavík already. We spent almost an hour here, just sitting and watching the birds in the water. But we had to do some more sightseeing before it was time to go to the airport.

    Next up was the Rainbow Street and exploring some of the Shops and streets around it. It was livelier here, since it was also a very well-known photo spot and it’s just busier in the city. But there are some really cute little souvenir shops, besides the big tourist traps, where we found some magnets for our fridge. I was really happy about that. Besides that we did some window shopping and just enjoyed the walk in the city. Reykjavík is not huge, but perfect to spend some time wandering through the streets and admiring the colourful houses. There’s also a fair amount of street art, which also looks really cool. Even though, we had been at the Hallgrimskirkja the evening before, I wanted to come back for one last look.

    After that, we couldn’t delay our trip back any longer. So we headed to our camper van one last time and drove to the car rental to drop it off. There we said goodbye and the lovely staff dropped us off at the airport at 4:30 pm. This meant we had another 90 minutes left before our gate closed. So plenty of time to check in our luggage, have another look around the duty free and find our gate. But then a notification popped up, saying that our flight was one hour delayed. As it wasn’t too long, it didn’t bother us. We moved on with our plan. While we were paying for an Icelandic Gin to bring home with us, I got another notification from the airline, saying that our flight is going to be delayed by two more hours. Well, we couldn’t do anything about it, so we looked for a place to grab something to eat and then sat down at the gate and read for a while. And finally at 11 pm it was time to board our flight back home.

    Today’s Route & Facts

    • Hella to Reykjavík to Keflavík Airport
    • Main attractions: Geyser, Brúarfoss, Reykjavík
    • Highlight of the day: Tjörnin
    • Hours spent in the car: 4h 5min
    • Kilometres made: 264 km
    • Days left: 0
    • Almost cried: 3 times, in the morning, sitting at Tjörnin and at the airport

    Goodbye Iceland

    After nine incredible days in Iceland, I can definitely say, that I’m even more in love with this country than before. And now I’m sure I’ll have a better idea of what to bring next time. This country has given me some stunning waterfalls, amazing landscape, the nicest people and a sense of calm I haven’t experienced before. And even though my bank account didn’t look to good after this holiday, I left it with the best memories. Thank you Iceland, for showing me how to slow down and appreciate every little moment!

    Lots of love and takk fyrir,

    M.

    Thank you for reading my Travel Diary about Iceland! If you have enjoyed it, stay tuned for more and let me know if you want to hear about something specific from me.

  • Iceland Day 7 – A Day At The Landsmót

    Iceland Day 7 – A Day At The Landsmót

    After exploring a completely different part of Iceland and drifting of the coast on Day 6, it was time for another different experience. But one, I was very excited about. A birthday present from my parents and the reason, why we had to come in the beginning of July. It was time for Landsmót 2022 in Hella.

    Another Dream Come True

    As I mentioned on Day 1, one of the few sports I actively pursue is horseback riding. And to be more precise Icelandic horseback riding. So it was always a dream for me to see these amazing horses competing in the most important tournament in this sport. The best horses of Iceland with the best riders competing against each other and making a great festival out of it. So when I found out it was on in July, it was a no-brainer for me to want to see it in person. However, my boyfriend is not exactly a horse person, so he didn’t want to spend money on that. I totally get that. I was very lucky, because my parents gifted me the ticket for my birthday. So we drove to the venue in Hella, where my boyfriend let me out and he went off for his own adventure with more waterfalls, hiking and a lot of reading. Meanwhile I just followed the crowds to the entrance and at 9:45 I was on the venue grounds. Excited and ready for the day

    The Venue

    The main area, where all of the competitions were held, was a huge oval track with a track for the pace races right next to it. On one of the longer sides of the oval track there was a slight hill, where all of the visitors could sit. And now I realised that I didn’t really have first of all the right attire and second of all I’m not prepared for this event. All of the other visitors were definitely not new to this competition and knew to wear a warm overall and bring something to sit on with them. Well, I was actually quite warm, but I only had my rain jacket to sit on, so not ideal but it held up… for now. The weather was cloudy but other than that not too cold. I’d say it was perfect conditions. But back to the venue. Behind the seating area for the visitors were some big tents. One was a food and drink area with different stalls and there was also some music in them and the other one was filled with seller booths. So besides watching the competition there was a lot to see and do. I quickly realized that I was one of the only people there, who went on their own, but it didn’t really bother me. Yes it would have been fun to share this with another person, who was also as excited as me, but it didn’t feel lonely. The crowd felt very welcoming and like a big group. In general everyone was very lovely and just cheerful.

    Landsmót 2022

    As it was the second to last day, most of the competitions were finals, but in different areas. It was the perfect day for me to go, since I got to see the whole variety of Icelandic horseback riding. There were pace races, four gait classes, five-gaited classes and even some breeding competitions. Everyone from children to adults showed off their horses abilities. So I found myself a spot to sit and watched the amazing competitors ride. I was absolutely fascinated and I know that these are some of the best in the world, but I was kind of embarrassed for my own riding skills. I thought the children’s class competition was really impressive. These kids were on another level and it was just great to see them competing with ease. All in all, it’s just a completely different experience compared to Icelandic horse competitions in the rest of Europe. The rules are a little different and it all seemed way more chilled, but equally everyone was performing at a really high level. If you’re into horses, it’s definitely worth a visit.

    Shopping and Seeking Shelter

    The weather was pretty good for most of the day, but then it started raining. Luckily, it was just in time for a break anyway. So I headed straight for the sellers’ tent to have a look around. I don’t have a horse, but if I would have this would’ve been dangerous. There were so many amazing products from bridles to feed to clothes. And honestly I contemplated on buying myself an overall or one of these little chairs to sit on. But my bank account wouldn’t allow this sort of investment. Everything was quite pricey, but there was also a seller from 66° North, which seemed to be cheaper than in the stores and they also had more variety. I then went to the food tent to see what was happening there. And it was a proper party. There was loads of singing and dancing and just liveliness. I treated myself to some soup to warm up a bit and then it was time to go back and watch some more competitions. The weather, though, stayed rainy. And at some point it got even worse, so I abandoned my spot and the current competition and fled into the sellers tent. I found my favourite spot there. A little coffee cart which also sold some hot chocolate at a very reasonable price. For the rest of the day I returned regularly to this place to warm up. The weather stayed mostly rainy and therefore my lack of preparation for this event really showed. My pants were just completely soaked and it started to get colder, but I was determined to stay for as long as possible. When I realised I probably should leave and call my boyfriend to pick me up, my phone decided to just run out of power even though it was full before. And, of course, I didn’t have a power bank with me. Luckily, I found my charger in my backpack and searched for a place to charge my phone. I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the girls from UNDRA. They literally saved the day when they offered to charge my phone at their booth. I then could call my boyfriend and at half past 8, I was finally back in our warm camper with dry clothes on.

    Today’s Route & Facts

    • Hvolslvöllur to Hella
    • Main attractions: Landsmót
    • Highlight of the day: watching the children class compete
    • Hours spent in the car: 0h 30min
    • Kilometers made: 36 km
    • Days left: 3
    • Hot chocolates had: lost count after the third one

    Tomorrow’s Plan

    After this day at the Landsmót my boyfriend and me reunited and continued our way back to Reykjavik. But there were some stops along the way, which contained geysers and less rain.

    See you there,

    M.

    Have you ever been to a Landsmót, or are you planning on going to one? Are you into horseback riding too? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

  • Iceland Day 6 – Ferry Rides, Volcano Hike and More Puffins

    Iceland Day 6 – Ferry Rides, Volcano Hike and More Puffins

    After a day full of black beaches, more waterfalls and getting soaked one time too many, we were ready for a change of scenery. Day 6 started without an actual plan. Just a ferry schedule, a rough idea and the hope for slightly better weather.

    Ferry Ride

    As I said before we were one day ahead of our schedule. I wouldn’t have an issue with that, but I need to be in Hella on Day 7. We didn’t really want to go past it, just to come back again and drive the same route again afterwards. And my boyfriend wasn’t too keen on my idea on driving back to Seyðisfjörður just for one day. I’m not sure why. But we came up with a compromise. We saw that there was a ferry not far from where we were staying. We looked up the departure times on the evening of Day 5 and decided to visit the Westman Iceland or Vestmannaeyjar in Icelandic. But to be more precise, we were heading to Heimaey, which is the only island out of the 15, that is inhabited all year. Our ferry left at 10:45, which meant that we had a slow morning. So we made our way to the port and saw our ferry already waiting. On board it felt quite modern and honestly kind of luxurious. I’m more used to the little Croatian ferries or something like that, which are nice but nothing special. All in all the experience was really relaxing. We had a little table for two right next to the window, which allowed us to look at the ocean behind the glass. I should mention, that we left our car at the port. We had the option to take it on the ferry, but we figured since the island isn’t too big and seemed walkable, it probably wasn’t necessary.

    Eldfell

    After arriving in Heimaey, our way led us straight towards Eldfell. A volcano formed during the big 1973 eruption, which destroyed a large part of this small town. Now there’s a hiking trail right to the top. And the best part is, that you can have a little look around the town on the way to the official start of the hike. The town isn’t too big, but perfect for a short stay. So we made our way up to the starting point and thankfully the weather seemed to stay cloudy and it didn’t start raining. There was a light breeze, but actually perfect for a little hike. As you get closer to the volcano, you can see it shining in red and sulphur-yellow. Which looked even bright on a cloudy day. It was fairly easy to walk up there and it took us about 45 minutes to get to the top. But the little breeze decided to become stronger and stronger the higher we got. At the top it was actually pretty hard for me to keep my balance while standing up. So the last bit was a little bit of a struggle. And there were several times, where I felt like I had to sit down so that the wind doesn’t have such a large surface area. But we made it and even though it was misty, the view was still clear and amazing. We could see most of the island from here. It’s wild to think that all of this was not that long ago the reason for a mass evacuation and six months of not knowing what is would happen to this island. It’d definitely recommend this hike, not just for the views, but also because of its historical significance. There’s also a little museum on the bottom, but we didn’t go in as it wasn’t open. You can also hike up Helgafell, the actual main volcano, but we decided against it since we wanted to walk to Stórhöfði, the south part.

    • Helgafell

    Stórhöfði

    So after returning to the bottom, we set off towards the south. This almost 2 hour walk, led us past the airport of Heimaey, many pastures with horses and amazing views. It was definitely the right decision to leave the car behind. It’s a really good walkable route, even though you are sometimes just walking on the road. But there aren’t that many cars driving past, so it is not that bad. It does get steeper towards the Lighthouse, though. Which can be exhausting, if you are as unfit as I am. But there is a good excuse to take some breaks in between. If you’re not walking up the road, but take the path off of it, which leads through the grass and closer to the cliffs, then you’ll get the chance to see puffins flying around. And, of course, we had to stop a couple of times for me to try to get some shots with my camera. We actually spent quite some time just sitting in the grass, watching the birds and admiring the view. But at some point we also made it to the lighthouse on top. Once again the wind got stronger and it was time for another round of “Am I going to fall over or can I keep my balance” began. We couldn’t stay there for that long anyway, because our ferry back to the main land was at 5 pm. So we made our way back and spent the last little bit of time we had to see more of the town itself. Wandering through the streets, felt relaxing and at home. I grew up in a small village, so I mostly prefer the calmness of the countryside, which I could really feel here. I was actually a bit sad to go back on the ferry and leave, but I knew that at some point I will come back to this beautiful place on earth.

    Today’s Route & Facts

    • Westman Island
    • Main attractions: ferry ride, Eldfell, Stórhöfði
    • Highlight of the day: hiking up a volcanoe
    • Hours spent in the car: 0h 40min
    • Kilometers made: 78 km
    • Days more to go: 4
    • Almost gotten blown away by the wind: one time too many

    Tomorrow’s Plan

    After this successful completely unplanned surprise trip to the Westman Islands, it was time to go to the reason, why we came at this time of the years. Well, mainly I’m going there. Because on day 7 my boyfriend and I split up for the day. But more on that another time.

    See you there,

    M.

  • Iceland Day 5 – Lava Fields, Canyon and Finally Puffins

    Iceland Day 5 – Lava Fields, Canyon and Finally Puffins

    After the calm east coastline and reflective Day 4 in Iceland, today felt different. We carried on down south towards Vík, stopping at some more black beaches and waterfalls on the way. The weather stayed unpredictable, but again the landscape made up for it – dramatic cliffs, roaring waves and little birds fighting against the wind. So, let’s see what today’s journey looks like.

    Lava Fields and Canyons

    Still thinking about yesterday’s event, we set off to today’s first stop. Eldhraun, a lava field. You can see it right away because of its weird looking appearance. So we looked somewhere to park and followed the marked path through the field. Please be careful not to step on it, as the moss is delicate and takes years to grow back. So don’t act like Justin Bieber. You might be wondering why. He filmed one of his music videos here and the dancing on the moss ended up damaging an area. So we made sure not to step off the path. It felt a bit other-wordly, but it was really nice to wander around for a bit. But we had a few more places on our list, so we hit the road again.

    And the next place we went, was actually also where Justin Bieber’s music video was filmed. Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. I should mention that I’m not a Justin Bieber fan, but when looking up these places, it was one of the first things that came up as a fun fact. So why not let you know here as well, right? On top of that, this production has also led to an increase in the number of tourists visiting this place to see it in person. We followed the path from the parking lot and it took us about 20 minutes to get to the end, where the viewing platform is. When we got there, there was already a bit of a queue to get to the tip of the platform. We decided to walk a little bit further back and take some pictures somewhere else and try a little bit later. Which was also successful, but you are definitely never completely alone here. Just to keep that in mind. It’s a nice little walk and the canyon is absolutely worth a visit though. You can easily spend a few hours here taking pictures or just enjoying the views. But for us one hour was more than enough to see everything, and we did kind of miss the silence of our car.

    Vík and its Black Beach

    And since you can never visit too many black beaches, it was time to go to Vík for a quick grocery run and then check out it’s famous Reynisfjara Beach. The only issue was that the weather decided to suddenly change and Iceland showed us its very windy and rainy side. We can’t complain though, because so far the weather has been extremely nice, even though it was mostly cloudy. The wind has been mild, too. We are now well aware of the other side and I have to say, driving in these conditions can be pretty unpleasant. But we made it to Vík and treated ourselves to some more instant noodle soup to warm us up.

    Thankfully the wind had calmed down a bit and it was time to head to the beach. On the plus side of this sudden weather change, we were again alone at this place without any other tourists around. And even though the wind was really testing my balance, it had something quite mystical. The black sand and the waves hitting it with the foggy grey backdrop. To be honest, I really enjoyed it. The puffins on the other hand didn’t seem to enjoy it that much, though, because they were struggling with the wind. But it was nice to watch them from a distance in their nests. I have to admit that I’m not the biggest bird-enthusiast. I like them, but I don’t really know that much about them. Shout out to my vet school, for not teaching me anything about birds, except the odd bit about chickens. However, puffins and penguins are my favourites to watch and it makes me really happy to see them in the wild. Therefore the puffin colony here was also one of the reasons why I wanted to come to this beach and Dyrahólaey. And it didn’t disappoint.

    As I said afterwards, we drove to Dyrahólaey to see all of this from a different perspective and maybe spot some more puffins. There’s the option to hike up, but with the wind picking up and it starting to rain again, we decided it’d be best to take the car. But it was stunning as well. I’d definitely recommend going here even though the weather might not be the best. Just be aware that the wind can get quite intense, especially on the cliffs.

    Finally more waterfalls

    As we didn’t get to see any waterfalls yesterday, it was time to see some more. So we headed more towards the west. The weather didn’t really get any better. It stayed dark and moody. But it didn’t stop us from stopping at Skogafoss. A big and beautiful waterfall that is 60 meters high. So quite an impressive sight. Even if it hadn’t rained, we would have gotten wet anyways. Walking up to the waterfall, the spray coming from it, will definitely reach you. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I forgot my rain trousers. So I did get soaked. Make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did and bring yourself some good pair of rain pants, when coming to Iceland. But even though that meant, that I know could definitely feel the cold, I didn’t want to go back before not seeing more of the waterfall. It was just too intriguing to not see from the close. There would have been stairs and a path to go up to the top, but we decided against it, since I was at this point completely drenched. Back to the car it was and I got changed.

    On the way to Seljalandsfoss, we put the heater to max to warm us up, before we heading back out into the rain. It helped a bit, but when we got there, it seemed just more enjoyable to just stay in the warm car. After some minutes overcoming these thoughts, we made our way up to Seljalandsfoss. Way smaller than Skogafoss, but equally impressing to look at, we were happy that we stepped out of the car. The best thing about this waterfall was that you can walk behind it. So of course we did that too. And, well, we got soaked again. It didn’t matter since it was worth it and clothes dry, but memories stay. So, again in wet clothes, we continued our way to a more hidden waterfall called Gljúfrabúi. It somehow took us a little bit to actually find the entrance to it, but it was really nice to see as well.

    Completely drenched again, we got back to the car and decided to stay in this area. The reason for that you’ll find out in Day 6.

    Today’s Route & Facts

    • Skaftafell to Hvolsvöllur
    • Main attractions: Eldhraun, Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Reynisfjara, Dyrahólaey, Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi
    • Highlight of the day: Puffins in the wild
    • Hours spent in the car: 2h 40min
    • Kilometers made: 220 km
    • Days more to go: 5
    • Justin Bieber’s music video back drops seen: 4

    Tomorrow’s Plan

    We had a different plan for Day 6, but we were ahead of our schedule. So there was just a vague idea and a weather check. And over the night, we made a spontaneous decision that led us away from the main land. It involved a ferry, some puffins and a lot of wind.

    See you there,

    M.

    If you are a bird-enthusiast, please let me know a good book to get me started and your favorite bird!