Iceland Diaries- The Land of Fire & Ice — Part 2
I recently went for an 11-day Ring Road trip to cover Iceland and it was the most beautiful and mesmerizing trip of my life to date! Below I share my experience of the entire journey in a 2-part blog.
This is the second and final part. Part 1 is here and I recommend that you read this first and then dive into this one!
I hope you like it enough and make it a point to add Iceland to your bucket list and travel soon!
Day 7
Highlights- Godafoss Waterfall, Dimmbrugir Lava Formations
We had planned for a snowmobile tour in the morning but could not do it as the owner did not pick up and thankfully we had not paid (duh!)
We started with Godafoss Waterfall, the most spectacular and beautiful waterfall I have seen to date! It looked ethereal, especially in the snow-covered backdrop. We spent some time there looking at the force of water and admiring the views.
Next up we departed for Dimmbrugir Lava Formations, a lovely spot again. It consists of huge lava rock formations and felt like you have stepped into another world of fairy tales! The formations were due to the eruptions some 2,300 years back when lava tubes were formed and eventually cracked the surface to make some ugly some beautiful lava formations. There are 4–5 hikes depending on the difficulty level that you can do around the area. We did a couple of them, visited a few caves, and clicked some stunning pics in the background!
The interesting part was that Icelandic Yule Lads stay in the area and are referred to as Santa Clauses here due to their build and clothes. You had to shout ‘Jolasveinn’ near certain areas and with luck, you could see them. We did shout as advised on the hiking trail but sadly we could see no one! Overall both the places were excellent and a must-do!
We then visited Myvtan nature baths. This was a below-average experience and can be skipped completely. We had done Sky Lagoon earlier which was probably among the best ones and this was nowhere even close to it. The bad part was that the water smelled like rotten eggs as it was geothermal water but loaded with minerals and good for your skin apparently.
The area was also small and not connected properly which meant that you had to step out in extreme 2C temperature before dipping into the hot pool quickly again. We had planned for 2–3 hours to spend there but departed in 30 mins!
From there we departed for Akureyri where we planned to stay. I was looking forward to the stay in Berjaya which is a renowned chain in Iceland. On the way, we skipped the toll route road and took the longer one which was a good decision with terrific views as you came downhill!
As we were descending, the calm ocean with snowy mountains in the backdrop and the town on the right created a mesmerizing view. We remarked that this is probably how Heaven might look! One of the best views we could get. In the entire trip, it is tough to pick the best scenery/ nature view as all of them are simply jaw-droppingly amazing!
We reached the town and had heard of an Indian restaurant there. We quickly departed for that which was Indian Curry House. Run by a South Indian couple we gorged on Veg Korma, Tadka Dal, Sambar, Paratha, Naan, Onion Pakoda. Whatever cuisine you try ultimately Indian food is the best! And having eaten it after 5–6 days of our trip we were absolutely satiated.
With our tummy full we explored the town. Most of the shops and places were closed as it was past 9 pm. But the cottages, and town layout against the ocean backdrop looked lovely. The snow all around added charm to the scenery. With beautiful views and an excellent day spent, we retired for the night.
Day 8
Highlights- Nothing Really
We departed for a long 6-hour drive ahead for Snaefellasnes. The stay at Berjaya was above average and I was a bit disappointed as it was a 4-star property. Our previous stays in 2 or 3 stars had been better, especially in Hotel Laxa and Evyindara.
As we departed the conditions were snowy to drive and there was mild snowfall already happening. We bid goodbye to Akureyri and prayed that the weather remained good to drive!
Thankfully it was good except for some minor stretches. We went to Berserkjahraun lava field which can be skipped. We then saw Kirkjufell mountain which was all snowy and glorious. In summer it completely changes to a green landscape with grass and brown landscape!
We skipped Bjarnafoss waterfall as the winds were very strong and chilly and we could not stand even for 5 mins! We next went to Budir which is a small beautiful black church on the northmost tip in Olafsvik.
Clicked some pics amidst the unrelenting winds. Skipped Ytri Tunga as it was a beach and we did not want to go there in such strong winds and were also super hungry.
Checked in to our property which was a cosy Airbnb. Did a good dinner and retired for the night!
Day 9
Highlights- Vatnshellir Cave Tour
We woke up at leisure as we were in Olafsvik for the whole day.
We started with Svordufoss waterfall which was mostly snowed and looked pretty good! Although I think the best waterfall that we saw on our trip remained Godafoss. The icy winds meant we had to take pics quickly and then head to our car!
Next up we planned to spend most of our day in Snaefellsjokul National Park. Set up in 2001, the park offers beautiful and diverse landscapes with spectacular cliff formations at Arnarstapi, black and golden beaches, moss-covered lava fields, and various beautifully shaped volcanic craters and lava tube caves!
We went to Skardsvik beach. We could not go down due to snow and strong waves. Next, we went to Saxholl Crater recommended by the guide in the tourist info center which was a great addition. It is a 100m high crater with a pretty easy-to-climb hike. From the top the view of the entire park is stunning! We get to see incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean and dried lava fields of Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
We were hoping the winds would relent as we went to the top remembering our Glacier Walk experience but they remained equally strong and furious!
As we were clicking pics, we had to hold our camera and ourselves to not topple or sway left or right! We then checked out Djupalonssandur beach but again from a distance.
The highlight of the day was the Vatnshellir guided cave tour that we had booked for 1 hour. Vatnshellir cave is an 8,000-year-old lava tube created during a volcanic eruption in a crater. The cave is right next to the volcanic crater, which is just 500 meters away
On the tour, they take you underground to a lava tunnel formation and a large cave formed. It was 350m below ground level and 300m above sea level. So, it was literally a ‘Journey to the Center’ of the earth. The tour was really fascinating and again showed the Marvel of God’s creations.
The initial part of the cave had rocks of different formations. Historically people feared to enter the cave due to stone trolls and monsters that they felt resided in the caves. As you imagined some of the rocks you could sympathise with them! I saw a dragon head GoT style, a dinosaur lying with mouth open, and a troll head among other things!
Rocks also had different minerals like iron, magnesium, and white bacteria. There was also a fox skeleton we found as a fox had fallen into the cave 60 years back and could not come out :/ As we went to the deep end of the cave, our guide told us to switch off all torch lights and experience the darkness. We remained like that for 5 minutes, and it was a surreal experience where you could not see anything at all! You could just hear the water droplets or experience the vibe of the place by listening!
The beauty of the entire cave also lay in its geography and how beautifully the formations had been formed, how lave would have oozed out and made various formations. Some of the rocks had also cracked which made them resilient to handle the vibrations in the 1k+ earthquakes seen each year! Another beautiful thing was that the water in the tunnel is the purest and clearest you will find on earth. You could see the torch's reflection in the water clearly. The water got filtered from the lava rocks. All in all a wonderful experience and not to be missed!
We then went to Raudfeldsgja Gorge but its road was closed so had to skip it. Post that had dinner and relaxed at the property. Went for a Northern lights hunt late in the night but were unsuccessful :/
Day 10
Highlights- City Lake & Sunset
We woke up at leisure and then departed back to Reykjavik- the place where it all began. We had booked Fly Over Iceland at 3 pm.
Given we had time before that, we stopped over to see the flea market in Reykjavik. While the name was ‘flea’ but it was still mid to expensive priced. Such is Iceland!
We then went to FlyOver Iceland. It’s a new tour started in 2021 where you have 2 pre-flight shows of 10–15 mins followed by a 10-minute flight experience. The first two shows are good and briefly explain the formation of Iceland and its history. It sets up nicely for the final act of the flight experience which is a great one!
In the experience, you ‘Fly Over’ Iceland and over its most scenic places. We counted how many places we had been to. The experience also has air, mist, and water sprays as you flew over canyons, waterfalls, volcanoes etc., and is a delightful and fun way to end your entire trip!
Post the tour we grabbed a few more lava rocks from the lava show, and then had a satisfying Indian Meal!
We then explored downtown Reykjavik and saw the popular shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. We also explored a few public parks. In the current weather, they were mostly brown and grim but I guess they bloom in full force in the summers.
We visited the city lake with beautiful swans & ducks. It was a super peaceful and serene place with happiness all around as you saw little cute kids squealing with joy and feeding the various birds!
We then visited a few nightclubs and made plans for the night! It looked as if the town was ready to party as most of the Icelanders were out in their fancy dresses ready to have a good Sat night. Post the exploration we went for the northern light hunt and the active volcano exploration!
We planned to go close to the Grindavik area to be able to see some parts of the eruption. But as we went 15–20 km outside the city it went eerily dark and quiet. Given that Grindavik town had been evacuated and the roads were open only for essential travel, we had cold feet and decided to turn back! We tried to hunt for the lights again but alas due to cloudy conditions we were not able to spot it again (why o why!)
As we came back we were super tired and ditched our nightclub plans! (I know we would repent it later!)
Day 11
Highlights- Walking Tour, Perlan
It’s true that when you are having a great time, it flies! Our 10 days had gone in a blink and it was our last day in Iceland!
We started with a walking tour which ran for close to 2 hours. It was an excellent one and better than what I had expected. Our tour guide started with an intro to the history of Iceland and its two founding fathers. He also kept it interactive which meant we resolved our queries on main income sources in Iceland, and property prices (which looks comparable to Mumbai, and Delhi on a per sq m basis!).
Some interesting bits discussed were that there is almost zero violence or crime in Iceland. This means that Iceland does not have any military and even the police don’t carry any guns! Both the parliament and city hall where the 60 members sit have no guards. The only place with armed guards is the US embassy!
Our guide Axi also recommended good places to shop for authentic Iceland sweaters, restaurant options, grocery stores, and tourist traps to avoid which was very useful. At the end, he also gave his list of recos which was handy but a bit late for us. He also told interesting tales about a stone that did not move and how Icelanders thought there were elves behind that or common superstitions for the folks. All in all, a highly recommended tour!
We next visited Perlan which again was an excellent immersive museum experience. We started with the formation story, initial settlers in Iceland, and the topography that has shaped the nation. It also covered the various animals, flora, and water species found in Iceland.
Next up we saw a 25 min northern lights tour which was interesting. It talked about how northern lights are formed covering not just planet Earth but also on other planets. It was a 360-degree immersive experience.
We then visited an artificial ice cave with -15c temperature. It was a good small cave. But given we had done the actual ice cave and glacier hike this was nothing compared to it which was expected. At the end of the cave, there was again an interactive segment that talked about the history of glaciers, on the largest Vatnajokull in Iceland.
A super concerning thing highlighted was that due to global warming and climate change, Iceland's glaciers are melting at a rapid pace. The time-lapse section showed that by 2100 only 10% of Vatnajokull glacier would remain :/ All this would severely disrupt the natural forces of glacier formation, melting into rivers and oceans. More glaciers melting would increase the ocean and river levels. More levels would mean more heat trapped in the ocean. More heat would lead to greater instability meaning higher sand storms and volcanic eruptions which would not be good for Iceland! We are already seeing it play out with 4 eruptions in the last 2 months alone. The geothermal energy source would also be disrupted causing severe pain to Icelander's steady source of energy comfort.
Next, we visited the lava show which was a short 10 min video on the 2021 eruption. Seeing that you wanted to see the current live eruption but alas! We then visited the observation deck on the 4th floor which gave a 360 view of Reykjavik and surrounding areas. We searched for the eruption close by but could not see it. The wind was also merciless due to which we could not spend much time outside on the deck.
Overall Perlan was an excellent visit and will recommend it if you have 2–3 hours to spare in Reykjavik. A fun fact was that Perlan is built over 4 of the oldest geothermal vents in Iceland and is the second tallest building after the church.
We then departed and our next stop was the very famous Hallegriskma church. There was a church singing happening inside that we enjoyed for a few minutes.
We then had a good Thai lunch, and completed our last-minute shopping including visiting IKEA!
Post this we returned our car and reached the airport. With a heavy heart, we bid adieu to Iceland with a boatload of lovely memories to cherish for a lifetime!!
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To sum up, Iceland’s story is 64 million years old and one of continuous transformation and rebirth. It’s when you experience its harsh climatic conditions- the unrelenting winds, snowfall, volcanic eruptions, and geothermal activity that you understand the effort and resilience shown by native people to make this place their home.
It’s a story written in fossil records, geological formations, ancient myths, and modern histories and the evolution of Iceland’s ever-changing mix of plants and animals. You can experience the best of nature here — volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, earthquakes, which shows its incredible geological history. These interactions among land and people, flora and fauna, and mountains and oceans are what makes Iceland unique.
For me the biggest lesson learned is on adaptability, never backing down against adversities, and the resilience which has shaped and made this beautiful country. Akin to Harry Potter movies I left a Horcrux (part of my soul) there and I hope to go back someday to experience and get mesmerized and fall in love with nature again! I also pray that it continues to flourish and prosper in the times to come!
