Iceland Day 3-4
After a restful night sleep, we got up pretty early to beat the crowds. We learned through our vacations over the years that waking up early to get to a spot is always better. Sure, you lose a little sleep, but it’s worth it for a little less chaos. Our first stop of the day was Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.
Even though the black sand is amazing in itself, the main reason people come here is for the huge basalt column walls that is on the beach. It gives it a unique look. You can get right up next to it, but please be careful. Black Sand Beach is notorious for its rogue waves that take out unsuspecting tourist. There is a sign that gives an idea of how the tides are and the safe distance to stay. Always be watching the water while in this area. While here, Dana and I also got treated to a whale playing in the surf right next to the beach! It was amazing to see as it would raise its fin as it was either playing or eating.
The next stop on our list was Skogafoss Waterfall. One of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, it is 60m high and 25m wide. This waterfall is one of the first waterfalls that I could definitely feel the power of it. I was glad I wore a rain jacket. There is a hike to the top to see it from another angle, but after our major hikes yesterday, we did not feel like doing one today.
We then went to Seljalandsfoss waterfall. With the water coming from the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, the waterfall stands also at 60m. The unique thing about the waterfall is that you can go behind it. It is definitely a different view of a waterfall. You do have to be careful as the rocks are very slippery and there are some rocks you have to climb up or down. You can even walk to the base of the waterfall from behind. One thing we did not know about but found out later is that you can actually hike to another waterfall, Gljúfrabúi.
After a quick coffee and snack, we were off to the first stop for us on the famous Golden Circle, Gullfoss waterfall. Translated to Golden Falls, the waterfall has two stages and is around 32m in height. It also lies between two canyons which tower above it at 70m. One positive thing about Gulfoss is parking is free, which so far has been a rarity in Iceland. Later, I found out from a local that Iceland is similar to Faroes where most areas are private owned land, so almost every attraction is privately owned and more than likely requires a parking fee. There are two different viewpoints you can take, an upper and a lower viewpoint. Dana and I decided to do the lower viewpoint, where you get a good view of waterfall up close. The impressive thing about this waterfall is how wide it is and how much water goes through it.
The last stop of the day before heading to our campsite was Geysir hot spring area. The Geysir had a nice center with a gift shop, cafe, and restaurant. You then walk across the street to start looking at the thermal hot spring area. The most famous of the Geysirs is probably the Strokkur geyser, which can shoot water to up to 100 feet! Active for over 1000 years, the Geysir definitely goes off like clockwork every 5-10 minute or so. Some are the nice large one that every wants to see, but sometimes you get these little misfires. Either way, you stay there long enough and you will see one. There are other smaller geysirs around that are dormant, but are still cool to see.
We finally had to call it a day and started to head to our campsite in Hveragerði. The reason we had to head here was because I was meeting with my local contact, Jokull, who generously offered us a home cooked meal with his family. He even helped us get a reservation at the campsite, which was fully booked. Once we restocked on some groceries and settled in our spot, we headed over to his house. It was a nice house with amazing backyard with an adorable sheepdog puppy. Jokull and his wife cooked some awesome steak and potatoes. It was a great evening filled with good conversation and food.
The following day, we had to get up really early to do our one paid excursion, The Silfra snorkeling at Þingvellir. Silfra is a rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Located in the Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, Silfra’s water is crystal clear water from the Langjökull glacier. The water if filtered through the lava rock for thirty to a hundred years, making it super clean and absolutely delicious! I was really glad to do the first tour of the morning because the parking lot is tiny. Later I would see how crowded it was, and I’m not sure how easy it would be to get a spot if I went to any later one. Another great thing was our group was very small. We had two Canadians with us and a Japanese couple. That was it. We chose Troll Expedition as our tour since it came with GoPro pictures. Our tour guide was very funny and attentive. Once you get in the water, you are very glad to be very a drysuit because boy it was cold! But, the water was amazingly clear and the surroundings were so beautiful. The unique thing about the water is that since it’s been filtered in the Lava rocks for so long, you can actually drink it! Our tour guide even told us that at the end of the day he brings home a bottle of the water to drink. I took a couple of big gulps and it was so refreshing. However, you have to be careful because you are in a drysuit, so you don’t want to drink too much and need to pee.
After about 30 minutes, you get to the end, but by that time you are pretty cold so I felt like it was a good time to end it. The tour gives you some hot chocolate and a Harum chocolate bar afterwards. Once we get dressed we decided to walk Þingvellir a little bit. We hiked to the top of the fissure where you get a nice look at the area, including where democracy was first founded. It started to rain a bit, so we decided to head to a hot spring to warm up a bit.
Once out of the park, we made our way to Krauma Hot Springs. First, we ate a quick lunch there which was burgers and fries. After, we went to our changing rooms, took the shower you need to take, and went into the hot springs. Krauma had 4 different temperature hot springs to choose, a cold tub, steam shower, and sauna you could enjoy. My favorite was the hottest hot spring. We spent a little over an hour in the springs. Dana could have probably spent more time, but I get bored sitting around pretty quickly.
Leaving the Golden Circle area, we were making our way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. After a long drive, we finally got to Mt. Kirkjufellsfoss and the nearby waterfall, which is another very popular pictured waterfall in Iceland with a mountain in the background. Mt. Kirkjufellsfoss is 463m tall and an amazing landmark.The walk down to the base of the waterfall was extremely slippery when wet, so definitely be careful. Also, be a good tourist and stay between the lines. So many people ignored the rope and were crossing them to get close to the waterfall. Iceland’s landscape is so unique and fragile, that trampling around the landscape leaves lasting damage.
We then made our way to Saxholl Crater. Created around 3000 to 4000 years ago during a volcanic explosion, the hike is very easy with a nice long staircase. It was a super quick hike and had a good view of the peninsula. We then headed out to Djúpalónssandur beach. Translated to the Black Lava Pearl Beach, The hike down to the beach was super scenic. There is also two freshwater lagoons, which supposedly has been blessed by bishops and supposedly have healing properties. It honestly felt like Lord of the Rings with the rocks jutting out of the green landscapes. There is a unique set of rocks down the bottom where back in the day, fisherman had to lift each one to test there strength and qualify. They had to lift a certain rock to a platform that was usually waste high. The rocks start at 50lbs and moves to 120lb, then 220lbs, and finally a massive 340lbs. I would qualify to be an oarsman by being able to life the 120lb one, but could barely get the 220lb off the ground.
The beach is pretty course sand and all around the beach, there are remaining pieces of wreckage from British trawler, the Epine GY7. On the way out of the beach, we stopped by a little restroom. While waiting, we got a nice little surprise of an Arctic Fox! It had its summer coat and was just sniffing around the parking lot looking for food. It hung around for quite a bit and when Dana got out of the restroom, it took one look at her and ran away. Of course, I had to throw a joke about that out there, which got a good laugh from the crowd and Dana. We finally made camp at Hellisandur, and turned out ran into Dan, TheRoadChoseMe on IG and Youtube. We were actually randomly talking on Facebook about meeting up while in Iceland and just happened to be at the same campsite. We met his wife Kate and his daughter and just talked about life and our plans. I also met a nice local from Reykjavik who was out camping for the weekend. After we all went our ways for the night, Dana and I had a quick dinner and called it a night.
