ICELAND

Reykjavik \ Golden Circle \ Glacier Lagoon \\ November 2015

DO THIS:

Rent a car!! Upon arriving in Iceland (at 6am mind you) we rented a car and quickly made our way through the dark to the city of Reykjavik. Renting a car gives you a lot of flexibility and I would highly suggest making it a priority in your budget if you are spending more than a day or two in Iceland. 

Depending on what you plan to do, you can get a car for relatively cheap. If you are planning on circumnavigating the island than I would make sure you get a car with snow tires, a car that can go off-roading, and one with a large gas tank. If you plan to drive around Reykjavik and the Golden Circle - then a smaller car will definitely get you there. 

STAY HERE:

There are so many airbnb's in the city. We chose to stay in one within walking distance of everything for a few nights. Then we stayed in Kex Hostel for a night at the end of our trip. I love hostels and have been to quite a few all over the world... and this one is at the top of my list! It was clean, large, had a great gathering area & bar. Kex is in the middle of the city and a close walk to everything in Reykjavik.

MUST SEE:

Hallgrimskirja: Not easy to miss in Reykjavik. This church is the largest in Iceland. You can take an elevator and stairs to the top - where the view is unparalleled. This tower can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. 

DRINK HERE:

Kaldi Bar & Microbrewery: Best find in Reykjavik! Small little spot with a wide, Icelandic beer selection. Unreal spot to get off your feet in their cozy lounge atmosphere and enjoy a micro-brew local to Iceland. They even have a little patio outside if you are there when the weather is nice!

Dillion's Whiskey: Do not miss this place. Its small, but it is awesome. Small tables in this homey bar with good whiskey and beer? What more can you ask for. The bartenders and people in the bar were welcoming & this wasn't just a tourist spot - many locals too!

Lebowski Bar: This place is hard to miss. Its loud and obnoxious but its fun. They have a wheel you can spin in the front of the bar for a drink & they are known for having a great burger.

Bjarni Fel Bar: Good spot to stop for a Gull or two! Great sports bar with TV's everywhere. They  are connected to Hressingarskalinn - where they had some live music, which caused us to linger for long than we intended. Laid back vibe for around 7/8 o'clock at night on a Saturday.

MUST SEE: 

Harpa: Right on the harbor is the Reykjavik's concert hall and conference center. With almost the entire building covered in glass & windows, it is a sight to see! Being here during sunset was a great coincidence. It is known as the cultural center of the country. You can walk inside and look back at the city through the windows - highly recommend!

EAT HERE:

We stumbled upon a few great places while in Reykjavik. 

The Laundromat: if you are looking for a great cafe with good food, great coffee, and wifi - this is the place. This cafe is also a full functioning laundromat in the basement (the nicest one I have ever been to). We had a great lunch here on our first day. The perfect spot to pop into for a good reasonably priced meal in the center of the city. 

Sjavargrillio: Great great dinner had here! (Pictured above) For one night we decided to spend a bit and have dinner out at a nicer restaurant. Our meal ranged between stuffed seagull, Icelandic cheeses, scallop and shrimp pasta. The restaurant was decorated in lights and garland, which made it even more welcoming. 

MUST SEE:

Your first stop along the route is the in Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir as many people pronounce it).  It is about 45 minutes from Reykjavic.

Here is where you can see the tectonic plates - this national park is situated directly between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This is the only country where the Mid Atlantic Ridge can be seen above sea level, and nowhere is it more visible than in Þingvellir. 

Here you can actually cross a bridge between the North American and Eurasian plates! 

The Golden Circle is a an easy one day adventure & not far from Reykjavik. This route in southern Iceland covers about 300 kilometers looping from Reykjavík into the southern uplands of Iceland and back. 

MUST SEE:

The second stop along the circle is the Geysir! About 50 minutes from Þingvellir you'll see the stop on the road (little shop and cafe). After you park your car in the lot you can walk to both geysir's - the Litli Geysir & the Srokkur Geysir. 

The Srokkur Geysir, known has "The Church", erupts every ten minutes or so. We, along with others, waited around for 30 minutes or so to watch it erupt a few times. No matter how long you wait for it, the geysir will surprise you every time! 

MUST SEE:

And lastly on this course of the Golden Circle you have Gullfoss, also known as the "Golden Falls". 

This view....WOW. We were in Iceland in the dead of their winter in November. So we saw waterfalls that were all snowy and half frozen. The walk down to the falls is slippery and only has a small roped fence. Make sure you are wearing the right footwear for this! 

DO THIS:

Make the drive on Route 1 towards Vik. We headed south-west on this route and found out quickly why it is so well known. The amount of waterfalls, the wild horses/ponies, the vacant side streets, and the mountainous range in sight did not disappointment!

We drove through Hverageroi - where we saw greenhouses that are powered by geothermal energy. These greenhouses are key to Iceland because it is where most of the produce grows. 

As we drove we stopped at an Icelandic Horse farm, Fakasel. We were able to get out of the car and go right up and pet the horses. 

MUST SEE: 

Seljalandfoss & Skogafoss: These two waterfalls are right along Route 1 - had to miss! Seljalandfoss is smaller, but very tall, while Skogafoss is pretty large. 

Best part about Skogafoss - no big visitor centers and man made buildings. Just the beautiful sight that is this waterfall. Skogafoss also has a staircase in the mountain that you can climb/walk - to get up to the top of the waterfall it is about 450. The view from the top is amazing but be prepared to get wet from the wind and waterfall right next to you! 

MUST SEE:

Reyniskirkja Church: very picturesque church in VIk. Cute red roof that overlooks the black sand beach. 

Black Sand Beach: Near the church, is the black sand beach.  Reynisfjara world-famous for it's black-sand beach just beside the small fishing village of Vík í Mýrdal. There is a lot of folk lore about these beaches and the "trolls" on them. You can see rocky sea stacks sitting off the shoreline, known as Reynisdrangar. 

According to local Icelandic folklore, these large basalt columns were once trolls engaged in trying to pull ships from the ocean. However, as bad luck would have it, the dawn quickly arose, turning the trolls into solid stone.

STAY HERE:

The town of Vik had a small population of 300. We found a cute house to stay for the night and each were able to have our own bed, hot showers, and a nice kitchen to make dinner! The small town had a liquor and grocery - so made sure we got some provisions before it closed.

This, right here, was my favorite part of Iceland.

No words can describe Jökulsárlón. My only thoughts - you must make time to get here during your trip. You must find a way to get here, get out of your car & experience the magnificent scene in Iceland. 

This lagoon is full of small icebergs from the surrounding Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, part of larger Vatnajökull Glacier. The Glacier Lagoon flows through a short waterway into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving chunks of ice on a black sand beach. 

After a few days of non-stop car travel throughout Iceland - it was nice to get to the ION to relax. We arrived and immediately got our bathing suits on to hop into the geothermal hot spring pool. The hotel is known for their Northern Lights bar - seen in the photo above. The room/bar is all windows and at night they turn off the lights so you can just enjoy the night sky and the hopefully the northern lights. 

We also had a great meal here in their restuarant and some nice quiet time to reflect on our trip.

DO THIS:

Between the Glacier Lagoon and Vik we took the day to travel father into the glaciers. We went into Skaftafell park to the base of the glacier and took a guided tour by Glacier Guides.

The tour was about 4 hours and fairly easy. We were all given a pair of crampons for the icy part of the hike and we were guided by a fantastic guy named Fannar. Once we had our crampons, ice picks, and helmets we took off into the glacier. 

Öræfajökull is an ice-covered volcano in south-east Iceland and sits in Vatnajokull national park ( you could fit 7 New York cities inside this volcano).

MUST SEE:

Have you ever wanted to see a plane crash site? Well here is your chance! This US Navy D3 Plane crashed in 1973 on the black sand beach of Solheimasandur in Iceland. The plane ran out of gas and the pilot was able to crash land without anyone on board dying. A local rumor is that the tail of the plane is missing because a local farmer came and swiped it as his own. 

DO THIS:

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa: This is the place you see in instagrams and hear about from all those who come to Iceland. It is very cool but keep in mind it is a tourist spot. You need to pre-book your visit - my advice, book the first slot open on the day you choose & get there a littler earlier than the time you selected. This will give you time in the lagoon without it being overly packed. The lagoon is closer to the airport than it is the city of Reykjavik - my suggestion is to visit the lagoon right when you land, make it your first stop - or the reverse, and visit a few hours before your flight home. They have showers and everything for you post lagoon swim too!