Fly with us from the U.S. Midwest, over Canada, beyond Greenland, and into the land of Vikings, volcanoes, glaciers, and waterfalls. Where fire and ice meet sky and sea.
We landed in Keflavík, very near Iceland’s only city, Reykjavik, which is also the island’s capital. From Reykjavík, we traveled to the Golden Circle, where we visited Þingvellir National Park, the Haukadalur valley, where one can find the original “Geyser,” the famous Gullfoss (in Icelandic, foss means waterfall), Kerið, a volcanic crater lake.
Then, we traveled Route 1, commonly called the Ring Road, touring the south of Iceland, wonderful camping and black sand beaches at Vík í Mýrdal, we walked amongst the basalt columns and saw puffins swimming in the dangerous surf at Reynisfjara Beach. Later, we stopped at Skógar’s museum and recreated village and Kvernufoss (waterfall), and then we went to where mountains meet the sea at Stokksnes and a recreated Viking village (and real Viking ruins) lies safe, tucked into the mountains and a natural harbor.
We hiked up mountains, saw uncountable glacier-fed waterfalls, including the aptly named Svartifoss and hike to a shrinking glacier and its growing glacial lagoon at Vatnajökull National Park. We walked behind the falls at Seljalandsfoss and into a hidden grotto to find the nearby Gljúfrafoss. We saw massive Skógafoss from below and from above, when we trekked up the very vertical stairs up the bluff. While these waterfalls are widely photographed and visited places, we did not feel crushed by other tourists.
On the way back toward the west, we stopped to hike above the enchanting Fjaðrárgljúfur valley, which looks like something out of Lord of the Rings.
We stopped at Jökulsárlón to see brilliant blue and white icebergs floating from a chilly glacier lagoon out to see. The beach there is known as Diamond Beach, as it is littered with chunks of ice. We also saw seals, doing yoga posses on a sandbar and taking a dip in the brisk Atlantic Ocean.
On our trip, we went to several public swimming pools for the experience. They are amazing, with very strict hygiene rules. My partner and son went swimming in Seljavallalaug, the oldest hot spring-fed human-made swimming pool in Iceland, built so that young Icelanders could learn to swim without having to dive into the churning Atlantic.
We bypassed Reykjavik, saving the capital for our last days on the island, and we drove through the Hvalfjörður Tunnel that dives over 500 feet under a fjord. We camped in Akranes, a port town and fishing village, where we camped very near the beach and a pasture of Icelandic horses (they are called ponies, but Icelanders prefer the term horses). From there we headed to Snæfellsjökull National Park, home to Snæfellsjökull, an imposing glacier-topped volcano. We were able to visit all three national parks on the island.
Then, we went to Olafsvik and went whale watching. We encountered and were awed by about 9 humpbacks, swimming over the underwater valleys and mountains, looking for food.
We ended our trip with touring Reykjavik, seeing many of the iconic sights and having a lunch of the local lamb soup.
Camping in Iceland took a lot of packing experience and planning, but it was so worth it. We met people from around the world, watching them cook their meals in the enclosed areas, and we had the comforts of home with clean bathrooms and shower facilities. We did not have reservations but were able to find spots very easily. Our last campground was in the middle of the bustling capital city, and the efficiency of this and all of the other campgrounds made our stay memorable and much less expensive than hotels or rentals.
Our best resource, besides our trusty Rick Steve’s Iceland guide, was The Ultimate 5 Days in Iceland Road Trip Itinerary from the Follow Me Way, a great travel blog. We also used our smartphones and Google maps without many issues.
Wild Ginger 