Iceland – September 2018
My first thought in Iceland, as we drove out of the airport a little, was that I had landed on the moon! The black lava rocks and green moss, covering the landscape was certainly different than anything I had seen before. Iceland is a unique place. Along the coast, there are mountains, some covered in snow, glaciers, lava fields, hot springs, fields of sheep and horses, waterfalls and then the rocky shores of the ocean. It is a truly dramatic landscape.
Epic Things to do in Iceland
See the Northern Lights
Drive through the country to experience the different landscapes
Explore Reykjavik
Take a dip in the hot springs
Eat Fish
Northern Lights – The Northern Lights can be seen September through April. But of course, it depends on the cloud cover and solar flares and is certainly beyond our ability to predict or control so be flexible and be persistent. There are many tours that you can book to help you to experience them. There are also aps and websites that can help predict when your chances will be highest. We were lucky enough to see them our first night. They were only out for a couple hours and then we never saw them again during our visit. But I was thrilled. We saw them from town, then drove outside of town to get a better view in a darker area. It was suggested to go to the Grotta Lighthouse area if you were in Reykjavik and that did seem to be the perfect place.
Drive – We rented a car, so whether you are traveling by car, or tour bus, you need to get out in the country side to really experience the diversity and beauty that is Iceland. There are so many choices! We chose to spend our driving day seeing the sights along the southern coast. We started out in Reykjavik and drove to Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall, Reynisfjara Beach, and Vik. The round trip took us about 7 hours. Gas is also very expensive at almost $7 a gallon but the drive was so worth it! Take waterproof shoes and a raincoat if you are going to the waterfalls – you will get wet.
Seljalandsfoss – stunning series of falls just coming right off the mountain. You can walk behind this waterfall if you like. There are 5 falls at this location, so you can park (and pay) and then walk the trail to see them all.
Skogafoss – A large waterfall that you can get really close to and there are also steps to climb to the top of the waterfall
Reynisfjara Beach – world-famous, black sand beach on the south coast. There are beautiful basalt rocks jetting out of the water and several caves along the beach in the cliffs. This is not a swimming beach as there are many signs about the dangers of the waves (they called them “sneaky waves”). Plus, I think it would just be too cold!
Vik – a small, coastal fishing village. Take the road up past the church on the hill to the cemetery and you will get a stunning view of the beach, water, towering cliffs and town.
Along our trip, we also saw plenty of other waterfalls, hot springs, glaciers, fields of lava rocks, sheep and the Icelandic horses, cliffs, mountains, ocean views – really there is so much to see, and it is all beautiful and diverse. By the way – the Icelandic horses are a special bread and are the only horses allowed in the country. There are smaller in size but are hardy and cute.
There are many more areas and places to explore that we did not have time for this trip but that only means we will have something to look forward to on our next visit.
Explore Reykjavik – Reykjavik means smoky or steamy bay and is the capital of Iceland. The country of Iceland has many volcanoes, which means there is lots geothermal energy. Iceland has used this energy for heating and making electricity. Geothermal water is used to heat most of the homes in Iceland as well as some of the pavement, sidewalks, swimming pools and hot springs.
Reykjavik’s points of interest include:
Hallgrimskirkja church, which rises 74.5 meters (244 feet) from the street, making it the tallest building in the city. The organ inside is amazing and worth a look. You can also go to the top for a view of the city. There is a monument to Icelandic explorer, Leif Ericsson outside the church as well.
The Sun Voyager “Solfar” sculpture along the harbor front, representing a Viking ship
Harpen Concert Hall – with its colored glass façade inspired by the basalt landscape
Columns of spraying hot water in Faxafloi Square
Reykjavik Harbor with the many boats, shops and restaurants nearby
Laugavegur is one of the most famous shopping streets
Eat fish – We had an amazing dinner at the Hofnin, right on the harbor. The fish is so fresh! We also had to try the traditional Icelandic fish and chips for lunch one day at Reykjavik Fish Restaurant – again we thought the fish was wonderful and so fresh!
There were also many coffee shops around the area. We went to Stofan Café. I also discovered Swiss Mocha – a delicious and wonderful combination of coffee and hot chocolate that warms you inside and out!
Take a dip in the hot springs – There are many options, but since this was my first trip, we decided to go with the iconic Blue Lagoon. The lagoons blue, milky colored geothermal water is a mix of fresh water and ocean water that is rich in minerals such as silica. The lagoon is surrounded by 800-year-old lava fields and is one of the country’s top tourist attractions. That being said – you must book a reservation, online, in advance of your visit!
It is really a giant hot tub with a bar, a mud bar (get some silica mud for your face), waterfalls, saunas and steam rooms. There are additional amenities available for sale. Since we had an 8 pm reservation, I was hoping to see the Northern Lights again, but it was too cloudy. If you were here in the summer – don’t forget you can enjoy the midnight sun in the evening.
Overall – There is a lot to like and explore in Iceland. It is certainly a unique place! Everyone spoke English, so it was easy to get around and communicate. However, tourism is now the #1 industry in Iceland and fishing is #2. So, be prepared because it is full of tourists and lots of tour groups will also be visiting the sights you are at. Prepare yourself to block out the groups and focus on the moment.
The food is expensive ($4 for a bottle of water, a sandwich is around $10) but good. Really everything is expensive – except for airfares. But that is the cost of having the opportunity to be here.
It was very cold and wet during our trip in late September. You want to dress for the weather here. I grew up in the Midwest, so I get that you can experience all four seasons in a day – but in Iceland you can experience all four seasons in an hour! Seriously, one day it rained several times throughout the day, it hailed twice, we had periods of sun and the wind was gusting at 50 mph! Packing warm and waterproof clothing and shoes will go a long way to making your trip more enjoyable and epic! Prepare to be amazed at the wondrous island of Iceland!
