Journey Through Iceland: A Travel Lover’s Guide to Unforgettable Landscapes
If there's one place in all of my travels that l long to return to, it's Iceland. We visited Iceland in early May, and the weather was perfect - that is, for a trip to Iceland. The temperature ranged between 45 and 55°F the entire stay and mainly was drizzly - precisely what we planned. After spending a half day in Reykjavík, we drove to our first destination, the Ion Adventure Hotel, in Nesjavellir, around 45 minutes from Iceland's capital. The Ion hotel is a beautiful property situated in the middle of nowhere and adjacent to a geothermal plant.
Our experience at the Ion was memorable: cozy rooms, a geothermal-heated outdoor hot tub, and exceptional food. During our brief stay, we visited Thingvillar National Park, one of our favorite experiences in Iceland. Thingvillar, is a hotbed of geological activity and one of the few places where one can see the edges of both the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates above sea level.
The park is best known for its lovely waterfalls and underwater ravines. The most famous of these ravines is Silfra, where hearty adventurers can snorkel through crystal-clear, frigid waters. Suffice it to say Cecilia and I weren't feeling especially hearty that day and toured more waterfalls.
Following our time at Thingvellir, we joined friends at a secluded fishing lodge in Laxá í Kjós, a quiet spot with breathtaking landscapes. Since there were only ten of us, we had the run of the place. Though the accommodations were spartan, the scenery was fantastic.
In fact, many of my favorite images of Iceland were taken within 5 miles of the lodge, including Meðalfellsvatn Lake and Hvalfjörður. I'm not sure these sites would rise to the top of many people's Top Ten Iceland list; however, these relatively secluded landscapes epitomize Iceland's natural beauty. If you want a visual reminder of Iceland’s beauty, check out our Icelandic Moonlight Landscape Wall Art and Vintage Icelandic Horse Wall Art for a touch of vintage travel art that brings Iceland’s charm right to your walls.
Of course, we spent a day touring Iceland's golden circle, the second most touristy part of the country. But, as they say, it is touristy for a reason. Our favorite stops along the circle were Gulfoss Waterfall and Kerið Crater.
The day after our Golden Circle excursion, Cecilia and I got up early to begin our trek to Vik, a seafront village in the South of Iceland. Vik is best known for Reynisfjara, a black sand beach with incredible vistas of rocky outcroppings and its ice caves. This trek takes three hours in good weather, but between relentless rain and frequent stops along our route to spy more waterfalls, our trip was closer to ten hours round trip. Despite the conditions, our Vik excursion was well worth it, however. The Reynisdrangar sea stacks, oddly geometrically basalt pillars beaten down by the wind, driving rain and sea, tower over the black sands of the beach is one of the most unique sites we have witnessed in all of our travels.
In the middle of our trip, we traveled to Rejkvik to charter a boat to try our hand at fishing the Icelandic waters of Faxa Bay. We chartered the vessel "Saga" through Happy Tours and had a fantastic experience with our captain Snorri and his son, Sturla. It didn't hurt that between our eight friends, we caught over sixty fish. Of course, Ceci and I were significant contributors to our haul, catching a whopping three fish between the two of us. In addition to demonstrating our prowess at fishing, we also spied some puffins on Engy island, which is also home to a 90-year-old lighthouse.
But by far, the best part of the trip was when we returned to port, and Snorri cooked several of the day's catch. We were treated to a simple Icelandic meal comprised of Cod and potatoes. It ranks as one of the best meals we have ever had to this day.
But, perhaps, our favorite part of the trip was our excursion to Snæfellsnes. Snæfellsnes is a peninsula in the West of Iceland, 160 kilometers from Reykjavik. The most famous tourist attraction is the Snæfellsjökull glacier, but there are countless things to do and see in this region.
We started our journey with a quick hike to the Rauðfeldsgjá gorge in Botnsfjall Mountain. Rauðfeldsgjá is a narrow ravine you can hike into but only during the late spring and summer. Next, we were captivated by the moss-covered lava fields and green, red, and orange hue basalt formations dominating the south of the peninsula. For our next stop, we visited Arnarstapi, a tiny but picturesque fishing village at the foot of Mt. Stapafell that gives one the impression you have walked back in time over 100 years. Next, we visited the Lóndrangar basalt cliffs. The chief feature of the cliffs is two massive pillars set upon a cliff that once was a volcanic crater. I regret that we didn't have time to visit Kirkjufell, a 463-meter mountain above the small fishing town of Grundarfjörður. Kirkjufell is recognized as the most photographed mountain in Iceland, one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. More recently, it is known for its role in Game of Thrones.
And finally, our last visit before we ended our trip was to the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa in Iceland. It's one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. People visit the Blue Lagoon because it's a beautiful natural wonder, it's fun and inviting, and they can enjoy it with their friends. Because it is considered to be incredibly touristy, we had very low expectations for our visit, but, we were surprised at how much fun soaking in the volcano fueled baths. It's definitely something you want to do at least once in your life, given the opportunity.
Our next Icelandic adventure will include our favorite spots like Snæfellsnes, Vik, and Thingvellir, but we also plan to travel Iceland’s Ring Road, exploring the North and East. Until then, we’re keeping Iceland’s spirit alive with Icelandic Moonlight Landscape Wall Art and Vintage Icelandic Horse Wall Art — pieces that capture Iceland’s essence and bring it home as wall decor.
