Iceland

On our first day, we set off to see the famed Golden Circle. We started with a hike to Öxarárfoss waterfall in Þingvellir National Park, walking over the Atlantic ridge where two continental shelves meet. We then drove up to see the magnificent Gullfoss Falls, the “Waterfall of Gold.” Finally, we stopped by Geysir Hot Spring Area, with boiling mud pits and exploding geysers, and got very close to Strokkur geyser, which spouts water 30 metres (100 ft) into the air every few minutes.

The next morning, we went on a thrilling whitewater rafting excursion down the Hvítá River, followed by our first taste of local Icelandic beers and food at the raft base. We then took a long soak at Secret Lagoon, a hot spring resort. We finished the day by driving west to camp near the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, which would be our next target.

On Day 3, we started with a scenic coastal hike between Hellnar and Arnarstapi, about 3.7 miles. After lunch, we stopped at Djupalonssandur Beach, or Black Lava Pearl Beach, to see the volcanic coastline.  A great thing about having 5 vehicles was that the group could split up, depending on their choice of activities. Some of us hiked up to Saxholar Crater, while the rest went on ahead to Stykkishólmur. Next was a short hike to a waterfall overlooking Kirkufellsfoss, the famous “arrowhead mountain” from Game of Thrones. We reconvened and finished the day by soaking in geothermal hot pools and riding down waterslides in the Stykkishólmur swimming pool complex.

On Day 4, some of us visited the Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum, where we learned about the history and importance of the Greenland Shark in Iceland, and then got to sample some of the fermented shark meat, a delicacy known as Hákarl. We then all met and loaded up our campervans onto the Baldur ferry and took off across Breidafjörður Bay to the Westfjords. Once there, we took a treacherous gravel road high over a foggy mountain pass to visit the spectacular Dynjandi (meaning thunderous) waterfall. We finished the day soaking in the undeveloped, natural hot spring pool known as Hellulaug, near our campsite alongside the ocean.

Day 5 was terribly rainy. Nevertheless, we travelled on long, bumpy gravel roads all the way to Látrabjarg Cliffs, the very western tip of Iceland and westernmost part of Europe. The goal had been to see the famous puffins that nest along the cliffs, but the howling wind was so fierce that there were unfortunately no birds to be found. We took in the ocean views from the towering cliffs and then retreated to a local cultural museum to get out of the wind and rain. We then drove back east to camp for the night.

On Day 6, we left the Westfjords and traveled east to do a circular hike in Hrútey Nature Preserve, an island park in the Blanda River. We drove from there to Kolugljufur Canyon and hiked down right next to the roaring Kolufoss Waterfall.  We then went to an amazing campsite for the evening, alongside the ocean, which had 2 geothermal pools known as Jarlslaug and Grettislaug (https://icelandtravelguide.is/locations/grettislaug-hot-spring/). We made our dinners in Icelandic turf houses. A few of us, brave enough (myself included), dove into the Arctic Ocean and then hurried back to the hot pools.

The next morning, we drove south to Varmahlíð to dare a second whitewater rafting trip.  We crushed the enormous rapids of the raging, class IV+ East Glacial River. About 3/4 through the trip, we pulled off in a canyon and the rafting company used a pulley system to bring down pancakes and hot chocolate from the rim, for a well-earned break and snack. After conquering the river, some of us went to soak in a local natural geothermal pool while the rest of us continued on to Akureyri, Iceland’s second largest city, and hiked around the botanical garden. We visited Akureyrarkirkja Lutheran church to see its amazing architecture and colossal pipe organ. Finally, the group met back up for dinner at a local backpacker’s favorite spot and then drove north to camp in hauganes.

We started Day 8 with a whale-watching excursion and were pleased to encounter a couple of the gentle giants out in the scenic Eyjafjörður fjord. The boat trip finished with a half hour of fishing, but we mostly only caught seaweed. Next, we traveled back south and then east to the stunning Godafoss, The Waterfall of the Gods, where legend has it a local lawspeaker threw his idols of Norse Gods into the waterfall and declared Christianity Iceland’s religion around 1000AD.  We then hiked around Dimmuborgir, or the Black Fortress, a dramatic expanse of lava next to Lake Myvatn, and visited Grjótagjá lavacave and hot spring, made famous from Game of Thrones. We drove over Namaskard Pass and walked around the Námafjall-Hverir geothermal and mud pool area, marveling at the smelly volcanic steam vents. We drove up to the Krafla Viti Crater for a half-mile hike to see the explosion crater and its azure lake. Finally, we stood in awe and got soaked in the mist of Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, in Vatnajökull National Park.

On Day 9 we drove to Stuðlagil Canyon and did a 5 mile round trip hike to the iconic basalt column canyon, marveling at its tall, dark hexagonal rocks.  The caravan split again, with some of us hiking way up a hillside next to Lake Lagarfljót to see Lítanesfoss and Hengifoss waterfalls, while the others went to Egilsstadir to enjoy flights of beer at a local tavern. Those that went for the hike were rewarded with our first taste of sheep’s milk ice cream from a local vendor near the trailhead. We then went for one final short hike in Hallormsstadur Forestry Reserve, Iceland’s largest forest. After a stunning sunset drive through the Eastfjords, the clouds finally parted long enough for us to see the mesmerizing Northern Lights from our campground, streaking green across the sky.

On Day 10, we went for a hike on stony Hvalnes Nature Reserve Beach, marveling at views from the Ring Road of the fjords and mountains as we drove, and explored the quaint fishing village of Hofn, where we shared a tasty lunch of lamb. Our next stop was the breathtaking Jökulsárlón Lagoon, where we all put on a thick, waterproof outer layer that our outfitter provided and took a Zodiac Boat tour, zooming around icebergs large and small, some with seals resting on top. After that, we drove over to nearby Diamond Beach, where we walked the black sand beach around chunks of icebergs washed up on the shore as they glistened with the setting sun.

Day 11 started with a 45 minute hike to see the beautiful Fjadrargljufur ice age canyon. From there we went to stroll upon black sand Reynisfjara Beach, admiring the tall hexagonal basalt columns and 2 nearby rock islands that, as legend has it, are trolls that turned to stone when they were caught in the sun. We then went for a short hike to Sólheimajökull Glacier, walking right up to and underneath the gargantuan wall of ice. The next two stops were incredible waterfalls – Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss. We saw Skogafoss just in time to catch the rainbow it reliably casts at a certain time of day, and then we walked the misty trail to go behind Seljalandsfoss.

We started Day 12 in Selfoss, where we got our first taste of the famous, delicious Icelandic hot dogs at popular Pylsuvagninn. We spent the day doing a long, steep hike to Reykjadalur Valley (Steam Valley), where we soaked in a serene hot spring river. That night, we drove back to camp near Reykjavík, which we would explore the following day.

On Day 13, the caravan split up and explored Iceland’s capital city. Some of us went to Kolaportið Flea Market, toured the Phallological Museum, walked along Rainbow Street and took the elevator to the top of Hallgrimskirkja, the second tallest building in the country, for a panoramic overlook of the city. We then all reconvened and partied at the Lebowski Bar, built as a thorough homage to the cult classic film, for dinner and drinks.

Late that night, we hiked about 2 hours each way to one of the most incredible natural wonders I have ever seen, the Fagradalsfjall Volcano. A few of us climbed down from the rim down into the caldera, close enough to the scorching hot magma that we had to hide behind big rocks. I thought my jacket might start to melt! We watched molten rock pour down from lavafalls and gush from giant vents. We were just in time, too, as post-tropical cyclone (formerly Hurricane) Larry blew in just a few hours after we finished hiking back to camp, bringing high winds and sideways rain.

On our final day, despite the stinging rain, we all went to the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s only 5 star resort, to soak in its hot silica-filled azure waters. Feeling refreshed and relaxed after our time in the resort, we headed back to camp near Reykjavik, where we packed up our belongings. The next morning, we returned our 5 campervans and took a shuttle I arranged to Keflavik Airport, to fly back to our far flung homes in America.