I’d like to begin this post by emphatically stating that I am not a cold weather enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I find that I feel most at home in the desert. Now that I’ve let the record state the truth about my weak cold-weather constitution, I would like to proclaim that my trip to Iceland in February of 2018 with my husband was one of my all-time favorite adventures. Yes, I just strung together February, Iceland, and all-time favorite in one sentence. Between its natural phenomenon such as Geysirs, geothermal lagoons, and The Northern Lights, and its natural wonders such as waterfalls, glaciers, ice caves, and black sand beaches, Iceland is a rugged and desolate land filled with infinite mysticism and wonder.
In all honesty, I had been somewhat dreading this vacation. My husband had been dying to visit Iceland well before it became an Instagram sensation, and knowing that I wanted to check a destination off my own bucket list over my Spring Break, I figured I’d put one in the marriage bank and indulge him in his bucket list destination first. I’ve also traveled with my husband enough times by now to know that when he is enthusiastic about a destination, he goes all out to plan an hour by hour itinerary that has never disappointed.
We traveled over Valentine’s Day Weekend, which also happens to typically fall on President’s Day Weekend, which also happens to be our dating anniversary. This year marked 10 years together. We celebrated Valentine’s Day and our love over a bottle of wine gate-side of our terminal.
Egg salad sandwich a la Keyflavik airport at 6:20 A.M.= breakfast of a Viking?
Our itinerary to Iceland was as follows: February 14th-19th, 4 nights/5 days
Days 1-2
- 7:35 PM flight on Iceland Air out of Dulles (5 hours 45 minutes nonstop flight), arriving into Keflavik airport at 6:20 AM, get bus to rental car company
- Pick up rental car from SADCars (yes… we know… more to come on this, but as a preface DO NOT EVER RENT FROM SADCars, EVER!)
- Stop at Blue Lagoon on the way into Reykjavik
- Reykjavik overnight, Room With A View Apartment Hotel, right on Laugavegur Street (main shopping street in Reykjavik)
Day 3
- Golden Circle:
- Thingvellir National Park
- Bruarfoss Waterfall (more off-the-beaten-path waterfall, read on for instructions on getting there)
- Fridheimar Farm & Greenhouses (for lunch)
- Strokkur Geysir
- Gullfoss Waterfall*
- The Secret Lagoon Hot Spring*
- Icelandic Country Suite AirBnB at Midtun Air B and B overnight in Hvolsvöllur (Check out the listing here, one of the funkiest little Air B and B’s we’ve stayed in!)
*Sadly, we didn’t ever make it to Gullfoss or The Secret Lagoon, as a result of the SADCars story I’ll divulge later on
Day 4
- Exploring the South Coast
- Gluggafoss/Merkjarfoss Waterfall
- Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui Waterfalls
- Skogafoss Waterfall
- Skogasafn Museum
- Hali Country Hotel overnight in Vik
Day 5
- Blue Ice Cave Adventure with Glacier Adventures (click the link to learn more about the tour offerings, this company was fantastic), 6 hour private tour
- Diamond Beach
- Cottage at Reynisfjara Beach Air B and B, overnight at Reynisfjara Beach (as we wanted to stay halfway between Hali and Reykjavik on our final night to decrease the drive we had the morning of our departure)
Day 6
- Drive to Reykjavik for 4:55 PM departing flight through Iceland Air, nonstop, 6 hours and 30 minutes
And for a more detailed overview of all events, moments, and memories…
Blue Lagoon & Reykjavik
Iceland’s geology and terrain is fascinating. It is a combination of lava fields, sand, mountains, glaciers, and glacier rivers. Driving through Iceland felt as close as I will ever get to encountering another planet. Though tourists have begun pouring in by the droves, typically traveling the Golden Circle by large tour bus, the population in Iceland is sparse, especially in the South Coast and smaller towns dotting the road from Reykjavik to Hali. Though Iceland appears desolate and unearthly, I assure you that it is pregnant with mystical wonder and natural amusements that will leave you marveling. Iceland is an island that sits on the divide between the North American and Eurasian plates, as well as a “hotspot” called the Icelandic plume. Us tourists can thank Iceland’s volcanic activity and location above this hotspot, because it gives us the geothermal spas, natural geothermal lagoons, and geysirs we get to enjoy when visiting the island. One of these geothermal spas, probably the most reputable one, is The Blue Lagoon, a swanky health spa and resort located between the Keyflavik airport and Reykjavik. The lagoon is man-made with a concrete bottom and siding. It is filled with water from the geothermal power plant located nearby. Supposedly the silica and sulfur, among other minerals, is highly beneficial to the skin and especially for those suffering from any skin related diseases.
Al and I knew The Blue Lagoon would be bordering on tourist trap, but we felt it was something one has to do when visiting Iceland. Plus, it’s on the way into Reykjavik, and we were arriving before sunrise, so we had some time to kill before we could check into our hotel in Reykjavik. Bathing in a geothermal lagoon as a waking-up-in-Iceland welcome sounded like a fitting and luxurious way to kick-start our trip.
The Blue Lagoon is pretty strict on hygiene, as the waters are replenished every two days and people who visit are often seeking medicinal healing. This being said, all guests must take a shower before entering the lagoon. Though the resort and spa is chic and modern, the locker room wasn’t congruent with my image of luxury I had anticipated. The floor is a dark concrete, super cold to the touch, and coming in from the frigid snowstorm left me feeling far from eager to shimmy off all four of my layers and into my swimsuit. To make my temperature matters worse, the water in the shower came out with a Geysir-like gush, pouring over my hair, that I did not want to get wet, and cloaking my skin in goosebumps. Nonetheless, I kept telling myself that warmth would be underway once I endured this process. Sure enough, after showering off I eventually found Alex at the somewhat confusing entrance to the lagoon. This was actually a miraculous feat seeing as we didn’t have our phones, hadn’t established a meeting place, and visibility is slim to none due to the ever-present mist that forms when the geothermal water meets the cold air.
At any rate, relieved to be united, we quickly tip toed the lagoon deck, practically naked to the winter temps, before easing ourselves soothingly into the 100 degree waters of the lagoon. Though the process of entering wasn’t as luxurious as I’d hoped, gliding through the aquamarine waters surely was. It was actually kind of a trippy experience for lack of a better word, as we couldn’t see anything unless it was one to two feet in front of us. At times the division between the water and the dense, white mist failed to appear, creating the illusion of swimming through a watery, foggy oblivion. As one who doesn’t quite enjoy sensory deprivation experiences, this made me a tad panicky, but the heat of the pool and my jet lag creeping in forced me to surrender to relaxation. In the middle of the lagoon there is a swim-up bar looking hut where attendants slather on gobs of mineral rich goop free of charge. Al and I of course tried it, and then took some entertaining Go Pro footage with our ghostly faces.
We spent about an hour and a half in the lagoon before feeling pruney and ready to explore Reykjavik. Putting back on multiple layers on a semi damp body in a crowded locker room was just as uncomfortable an experience as the entrance routine. All in all, The Blue Lagoon is cool, but I don’t think I need to return to it. If spa life is what suits you, then staying at The Blue Lagoon Resort for an overnight might be totally in your wheelhouse. The spa just isn’t my thing and I prefer less touristy experiences.
We drove into the heart of Reykjavik by way of Laugavegur, the bustling shopping street lined with cafes, restaurants, bars, trendy coffee shops, upscale boutiques, and overpriced Viking souvenir shops. I began to fall in love with the city on this ride in- the warm twinkling bistro lights strung within the cafes beckoning us in off the snow banked street, the carefully curated window displays advertising Icelandic home and fashion trends, and vibrant street murals that danced against the soot and stark white. We highly recommend splurging for a room at Room With A View Apartment Hotel.
We got a large lunch at a place of which I forgot the name of, but it was right off of Laugavegur street, directly attached to Barber Bar and a swanky hotel. The food was excellent, albeit, incredibly overpriced. We strolled Laugavegur all the way down to the crowning architectural structure of the city: Hallgrimskirkja. In true European fashion, the pinnacle of the city’s architectural aesthetic was a church of course. The sun haloed behind the peak of the church tower, causing it to take on the appearance of Reykjavik’s immovable guardian angel. The interior of the church kept with the minimalist aesthetic common to Icelandic spaces, save the intimidating organ that clung to the center back wall like cannon barreled icicles. We took the elevator ride up to the top of the church to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city, and to watch the enormous clock strike the hour, and toll the bell.
Though we have always been told not to cave to jet lag, we both took a 2-3 hour nap upon arrival to our room before dressing in our finest layers we brought. We hadn’t had much snow at all this past winter in Northern Virginia, so the downy flakes were an endearing element that made our walk down Laugavegur feel like a stroll through winter wonderland. Per our friend’s recommendation, we got dinner and drinks at Prikid, where the prices were right (for Iceland) and the portions were generous. Now would be a good time for me to mention Iceland’s costs… it’s kind of absurd. Food and alcohol in Iceland are NOT budget-friendly. A plate of lunch with one drink often came out to $25-$35 per person. Al and I purchased two bottles of wine, duty free, at the airport upon arrival, so we didn’t need to purchase all too many drinks out at night. We also ended up stopping at gas stations that often times had mini marts with some produce even, along our route, because most of the places we stayed in had kitchens, so we saved a good amount of money on the food end this way. After Prikid, we headed to a bar with live music that I sadly cannot remember the name of, but they had a pretty sweet David Bowie cover band. My favorite stop was the final bar we went to after the live music and this one I do remember the name of: Kaffibarinn. Craft cocktails, candlelit, and clearly a locals hotspot, Kaffibarinn was filled with the cacophony of the Reykjavik social scene.
The Golden Circle
The following morning we rose early, knowing we had a big day ahead of us. We got a lovely breakfast at what to us appeared to be a boutique coffee shop called Te & Kaffi, before hitting the road for the Golden Circle, first stop: Thingvellir National Park.
Here is how the Thingvellir National Park committee has described their park:
We kept hiking down the path that led us to a perfectly restored small, wooden church and a row of cabins. One of the homes belonged to a king who used to summer in the park before it became a national park. Not as riveted by the history of the more modern spectacles within the park, we kept going in search of the Oxararfoss Waterfall. To our dismay, our first waterfall sighting was rather anticlimactic, as the cascade was nearly entirely frozen, like a dense wall of earth to clifftop icicles. A delicate stream of aquamarine colored water flowed behind the wall, creating a soothing soundscape, but little to feast upon with the eyes.
Our next stop was off-the-beaten-path: Bruarfoss Waterfall, and it easily is up there with my top five favorite things we did and saw in Iceland. We learned of this waterfall from an Icelandic blogger who so generously bestows her readers with tips on locating less frequented spots in Iceland. Even though her directions on locating the waterfall were crystal clear, we still managed to get lost as we lost service completely and at this point, the snow was raining down with feathery fury. To get to the waterfall we had to drive into a private community of summer homes where Iceland’s upper half must vacation. The snow drifts were piled so high we couldn’t make out any signage, so we parked in what we thought was the location designated by the blogger as safe for non-residents. We then hiked to a barely visible trail in the snow that took us through snow filled fields, over an enchanting little bridge spanning a creek, over a barbed wire fence, and then ultimately to Bruarfoss. Though it’s an off-the-beaten-path destination, it was clear it wasn’t entirely a secret, as we saw a fairly well tread path of boot prints leading to the fall, which also served as our best indication we were on the right track. Even though we weren’t the only ones who knew about this place, it was one of the most peaceful, quiet, remote, and undisturbed destinations we explored on the trip.
After Bruarfoss we drove a short distance for one of the most unique lunch experiences I’ve ever enjoyed at the cozy Fridheimar Farm & Greenhouses. Fridheimar is a fairytale farm setting. We got to pet the beautiful Icelandic horses out to pasture on our walk up to the greenhouse.
At Fridheimar, guests are served lunch inside their vine covered greenhouse where rows and rows of tomato vines stretch floor to ceiling, perfuming the air with that earthy, sweet smell I love so much. The menu is tomato based only: a variety of Bloody Mary’s, fresh tomato soup, tomato jam, tomato spread. The only non tomato item on the menu is the delicious freshly baked bread and homemade butter. We feasted on Bloody Mary’s and tomato soup with our fair share of fluffy fresh bread. They also had a cute idea I wish restaurants would adopt in the states where each table had its own healthy basil plant and a pair of herb cutters so guests can add as little or as much fresh basil as they’d like. As we sipped our fresh-off-the-vine Bloody’s, savored our soup, and discussed our thoughts and feelings on our trip so far in the warm lighting of this glass house full of life amidst the barren fields of snow, I had THAT feeling. You know, the feeling of telling yourself to pause, acknowledge a moment that so fleetingly will become a golden memory, and to be present with a grateful heart.
After Fridheimer we headed to Strokkur Geysir. Strokkur was super touristy, but an incredible natural wonder to witness. I had never seen a Geysir erupt and this one erupts every 15 minutes or so with full force. Sadly I wasn’t able to capture a decent picture of the Geysir erupting, because I am a spazz queen and flinched so badly each time it erupted that all my photos are blurry, stop-motion looking snaps. At any rate, if you’ve never seen a Geysir, and you’re not totally turned off by the smell of sulfur, definitely check it out!
Sadly, my strongest memory of this stop is not an all too positive one. Remember I stated earlier how a sad story involving SADCars would be divulged? Well, here is where this story began. After watching the Geysir erupt several times and walking back toward the lovely, well appointed gift shop, it was around 6:45 PM, maybe later. The sky was darkening a bit, it was snowing off and on, and the parking lot was a slushy mess of gravel and potholes. We got into the car, ready to continue on our Golden Circle self-guided tour, eager to see the next waterfall on our itinerary (Gullfoss Waterfall), but when Al put the key into the ignition all we got was, “put, put, put, put.” After trying several times, the false hope of the “put, put” stopped and we were left with ominous silence. Luckily, the gift shop hadn’t closed yet, but they were closing in 5 minutes. If you’ve heard the Icelandic people are generally friendly, we certainly found that to be accurate. We asked to use the phone in the gift shop because we weren’t getting good service and we needed the clerk’s help to speak to whoever we got a hold of on the other line from SADCars. I can’t even type SADCars without wincing at the fortuitous title we so foolishly rented from. We called the emergency line provided on a pamphlet in the glove compartment and had the clerk explain where we were to the person from SADCars on the other end. They said they’d have to send someone from Reykjavik so it would be a 45 minute wait. 45 minutes was not ideal, and we would likely miss our final two Golden Circle stops, but it wasn’t tantrum worthy. The only unfortunate factor was that the gift shop was closing and our car wouldn’t turn on, let alone emit a single sound, so we had no heat… in the middle of Iceland… in February… during a snowstorm… at 7 PM.
Blissfully unaware of the impending car doom we were about to endure…
We got back into our cold SUV where Alex tried relentlessly to start the car. The snow started picking up and at this point it was a full on blizzard outside. Alex then spiraled into a shameful, guilt-ridden panic, agonizing over whether or not he truly pumped our car with Diesel or regular fuel, as our car required Diesel and pumping it with regular would damage the car. He turned it over and over in his head, and I assured him he did it correctly, I saw him. Though, it is very confusing in Iceland with gasoline because their colors are reverse for Diesel and regular: green is regular and black is Diesel in Iceland- pro tip! 45 minutes went by. After an hour and a half was when I started to get panicky. There were zero hotels nearby, every soul within the gift shop had departed, and taxi cabs, Ubers, or Lyfts was a laughable concept to suggest. Two pees in the snow, four frozen feet, and three calls to the rental company later, to total a wait time of two hours, a jolly Icelandic tow truck driver arrived. The Viking of a man hopped into our driver’s seat and turned the ignition, and by a Northern Lights miracle, the car started right up, revving and raring to go. Bewildered, Alex asked the man how he did it. After all, we had tried countless times and certainly didn’t want to spend two hours of our vacation freezing in our rental car with no food or water. “Pump the accelerator and then hold it down, but not too long. Let go and turn the key,” the Viking said as if it was automobile operation 101, and gave Al a pat on the shoulder as he walked back to his truck to return on his hour long route he had to take to assist us. Before we let him go, we had him check the gas tank to ensure we hadn’t messed up with regular over Diesel. He took a whiff and assured us it smelled like Diesel, and later on, we got confirmation from the company that it was not our fault. Needless to say, we got back into the now functioning car feeling a bevy of emotions: relief, embarrassment, confusion, and anger.
As we embarked on our pitch black, snowy drive to our remote Air B and B, we got a call from the negligent rental company man now telling us, and I quote, “You did something wrong. There is nothing wrong with the car. You’ll be charged 45,000 Kronin (over $500) because this is the rule. You did something wrong. You also will pay for the tow truck driver’s time.” At this point I was too exhausted from the fear and panic and too relieved to be angry at this laughable claim. To make a long story short, Al ended up calling our credit card company as soon as we arrived to our Air B and B to dispute this and to have this narrative on file as soon as it happened. Unfortunately, Al had to deal with this dispute for close to two months after we returned from our trip, and our credit card company said our issue was not the first they had encountered with this company. Silver lining: our Air B and B we finally arrived to at around 10:30/11 PM was one of the coolest, most funky places we’ve ever stayed in, and we stayed up extra late playing pool and laughing over our brush-with-Icelandic-survival. …Sadly, the saga of the sad car does not end here.
The Southern Coast
The next morning we started the car with bated breath, luckily, it started. We were eager to chase more waterfalls, first stop: Gluggafoss/Merkjarfoss Waterfall. This was also one of my top five favorites of the trip. It was peaceful, barely anyone else was there except for one other couple, and if you climb the hill parallel to the fall, you can get up close and personal with the cascade, its pool, and the stalactite looking icicles that decorate the mossy rock walls, thrusting themselves violently toward the snowy floor. I enjoyed crouching under a cave-like overhang of rock with icicles for an entrance curtain. The sun was rising in the sky, casting a brilliance of shimmer across the unending white of the horizon and sparkle as it reflected off the icicles.
After Gluggafoss we headed to Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui Waterfalls, probably two of the tallest waterfalls I’ve ever seen. These falls are crawling with tourists. There are small souvenir shops and food stalls that serve piping hot coffee and hot chocolate as well as hot sandwiches and baked goods. Prior to the main parking lot for the falls, there is an exhibit with signage that explains the falls, and there is also a life-size puffin statue. Naturally, we had to stop for a photo with the puffin… big mistake. When we pulled the car off into the parking lot by the puffin statue, it abruptly shut off entirely before Al even turned it off. I had to take deep breaths before calling SADCars, yet again, to forcefully but diplomatically inform them that this car’s malfunction was NOT user-error.
Luckily, again by a Northern Lights miracle, I spoke with a kind and competent soul from SADCars who apologized and assured us we would be getting the best car they had on their lot, possibly even the owner’s personal car, and they’d tow it out to us, but that it would be around a two hour wait. Though it was another interruption to our vacation, this was actually an ideal location for our second, and am happy to say our last, breakdown. Additionally, knowing we were getting a different vehicle towed to us lifted our spirits immensely.
We set a timer for two hours and then walked the quarter of a mile walk toward the base of the falls where the little food stalls and souvenir shops were located. We got coffees and hot sandwiches and ran into a charming Iceland transplant, originally from Uganda, who was showing her friends from Norway around her island. We had actually casually met her at the Geysir the evening before. We chatted for a bit and then explored the enormous falls. The main fall is swarming with tourists, some crazy enough to go behind the falls for a photo. The main fall emits a powerful spray, so if you’re trying to get up close and personal with this one, I highly recommend bringing waterproof gear. People who didn’t have ponchos were soaking, sopping wet, and mind you, it was February in Iceland. Al and I weren’t about that life, so we walked to the left of the main falls, where there was another less powerful fall, but less crowded and therefore more appealing to us. Our new friend had told us there was a “secret” waterfall just beyond this second fall, but that it was super slick so we needed to be careful. The “secret” waterfall was another one of my top five favorite things we saw on our trip! It is a tad treacherous to reach, especially in winter when everything is icy, but it’s so worth it! Other thrill seekers were inside the cave waterfall, but not enough to feel overwhelming, and few enough to get a photo without any interruptions. I loved looking up through the opening in the rock cave to see birds soaring above and the spray of the waterfall sparkling in the light.
After exploring the secret waterfall and walking back toward the main waterfall, we realized we only had 10 minutes before two hours had elapsed. We trudged back to the puffin lot where our dead car awaited us, just as our timer went off AND the tow truck pulled in, towing a gleaning 2017 Land Rover fully equipped with a moon roof. We got the same jolly Viking man tow truck driver who, when he attempted to start it this time, did not have the same impact as the evening before, and he finally conceded that there was something wrong with the vehicle. Though the company lives up to its name, we were finally in a happy car.
Our next stop was Skogafoss Waterfall, where you climb 370 steps to reach the top of the waterfall. This was awesome, albeit, a tad perilous on the climb up and down when traveling during winter. The stairs are metal with grates, and incredibly icy. We purchased crampons for this trip but stupidly left them in the car and decided to brave the climb without them, even though the site had multiple signs advising use of crampons and strongly cautioning visitors to turn around if without them. Dumb Americans. Regardless, after clenching on to the railing for dear life and hoisting ourselves awkwardly amidst countless other tourists, we made it to the top, and it was well worth it. The view is dazzling, especially in sun setting light. There is a path that continues upward once you reach the top and with the perfectly untouched slopes of snow as far as the eye could see, I again felt like I was on a different planet. The falls at the top come from a powerful river which is beautiful to gaze down upon from the cliff-like overlooks along the path at the top of the falls.
There was a lookout grated bridge at the very top of the falls, and I was far too scared of the height to snap a photo. I like this one of my cutie on the path at the top with the sun setting light.
We then drove to Vik, an adorable, small, beach town that is nestled along the coast of a black sand beach. Al and I pulled into Vik right at sunset and were able to run out onto the rock jetty to capture some gorgeous sunset shots of Reynisfjara, the black sand beach. We then got dinner at a fantastic, cozy dinner spot called Sudur Vik, we highly recommend giving it a try in Vik. Alex had a love affair with his roasted Lamb.
We then had a two hour drive ahead of us to get to Hali Country Hotel, in the tiny town of Hali further east and a bit north of Vik. Vik is one of the most southern towns on the island. Our ice cave tour with Glacier Adventures was run out of Hali Country Hotel, and we didn’t want to have to take the drive in the morning, as our tour began at 8:30 AM. I am eternally grateful for our decision to make this drive the night before, because without this drive, I am not sure we would have been so fortunate to feast our eyes on the Northern Lights. All I can say is: most.magical.other-worldly.phenomenon.ever.
The probability of viewing the Northern Lights was our entire impetus for traveling to Iceland in February, so every night we were hopeful, and finally, on this night, we were majestically rewarded. We were making our drive from Vik to Hali, and I was thoroughly enjoying star gazing through our moon roof of our upgraded, luxury SUV, when I told Al to pull over so he could enjoy the stars too. I had downloaded an App called MyAurora, which I highly recommend if you’re traveling to Iceland, Canada, even upstate New York, and seeking a sighting of the Northern Lights. At any rate, we pulled over to stargaze and I checked the MyAurora map to discover that the Nothern Lights seemed to be moving directly in our direction. I’m not going to lie, it was almost frightening to see this green, amorphous shape on the GPS hovering closer and closer to our location. We kept our eyes to the onyx sky, littered with a matchless celestial display, until finally, we saw a foggy cloud-like arch start to form from horizon to horizon overhead. It was not as green at first as pictures depict it to be, so at first we were unsure of what it was, I actually wondered if maybe it was the Milky Way. However, my theory was quickly debunked, as the cloud-like arch soon started to get brighter and brighter, and then started to move at first like a caterpillar inching across the sky, then like a side-winding twister funneling toward the horizon and then back up into the sky! The color became greener, and the movement began to rapidly mutate as we continued to watch. We were both speechless in the still and quiet of the night, our faces only illuminated by the glow of the stars or the rare passing of a car. The cloud-like shape danced, then funneled, then thinned out before us like a translucent curtain, then swirled into an enormous greenish eddy in the sky. At some moments I likened it to how the sky appears over Maleficent’s haunted castle in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty… fellow Disney fanatics will know what I’m talking about. It looked like it was alive. Besides animals and other biotic organisms, I have never seen an element of nature that was this animated. This was my number one top five favorite thing we saw in Iceland.
Hali & The Ice Caves
We spent two hours in our mesmerized stupor, staring up at the Northern Lights, before we finally realized it was getting quite late and we had to be up early for our ice cave adventure.
Hali Country Hotel was a modest and clean hotel with spacious rooms and a lovely view of both mountains and water. We rose early and enjoyed coffee and snacks we had purchased from a gas station in our room before locating our tour group in the restaurant. The restaurant let us use ingredients from their buffet to make sandwiches and gave us aluminum foil to wrap them in, as our tour guide suggested we would want to bring a lunch to enjoy atop the glacier. We then all boarded the van that looked like those shuttle buses at Dulles airport that take you from terminal to terminal… or at least they used to have them at Dulles, not sure if they do anymore.
Our view from just outside our hotel room at Hali Country Hotel
Anyway, our tour guides were amazing- knowledgeable, humorous, friendly. They were my favorite kind of tour guides: they explained things in the fashion of a narrative, while also asking their audience questions to get us to make inferences and keep us engaged. Sorry, the teacher in me recognizes and appreciates these things. We took a bumpy drive through a lava field and learned about the elf culture the Icelandic strongly believe in, and then arrived to the hiking point just before the lake of the glacier where we “suited up” for the 1.5 mile glacial hike- crampons, held our spikes and learned how to put them on, harnesses for super moderate “rappelling” the glacier at the top, and helmets. The hike was yet another other-worldly experience. Hiking a glacier felt like trudging through an all-white planet. The “rappelling” was nothing, we just had to hook our Carabiner onto a rope that helped us to get down to the location of the ice caves without slipping… because if you slip, there is absolutely nothing for you to hold onto and, as our tour guide put so delicately, “You would fall into the belly of the glacier and be swallowed up.”
Our group was great and included a professional photographer who, bless his heart, had hauled his expensive photography equipment up with him. We all enjoyed our sack lunches by the edge of the glacial lagoon at the top of the glacier, where glaciers stick up out of the lagoon like Kryptonite in Superman’s cave. We all noticed this enormous halo around the sun, and our tour guide said that meant we would get a snow storm that evening.
It was then time to journey into the ice caves. This was a completely surreal experience. It was wild to know that these tunnels through thousands of years of Cerulean colored ice, were naturally made. In all honesty, I am struggling to put into words what this experience was like. I felt like I was in a frozen barrel of a wave made from thick sheets of those 80’s glass blocks, but without the block feature. The cool part about the ice caves is that none of them will ever remain exactly the same, so the two that we got to visit had a shape and color that may not ever be recreated again. The summer warmth causes the glacier to erode, and then when winter returns, the glacier will stabilize again and form new tunnels and caverns. So every time you visit an ice cave, it is one-of-a-kind!
After our nearly full day tour, we needed to set out on our drive for Reynisfjara Beach, which was halfway between Hali and Reykjavik, where we needed to be the following morning. For our final night, we wanted to stay in a cool, remote location that would break up the four hour drive from Hali to Reykjavik. This drive ended up being not so easy. Thank the lord we had our nice SUV, because that snow halo around the sun, certainly came to fruition. In fact, we passed a car that had slid into a ditch and tried fecklessly to help the passengers by pushing their car for several attempts. Luckily they had roadside assistance, but this added a bit of perilous adventure to our drive. The winds were squalling, sending a rattle through our car and our bones.
At long last, by nightfall, we arrived to our cottage atop a hill that overlooked the black sand beach. It was hard for us to decipher which cottage belonged to us, because there was a string of three, so Alex had to get out in the storm and walk up to the fourth cottage, which was more of a house, that we felt belonged to the owner. Sure enough, we were right, but this owner deserves description. I didn’t get a good look at him but Alex said he looked identical to Hagrid from Harry Potter and that he filled the entire doorway, and had to duck underneath it to come out and shake Alex’s hand. Alex is a pretty big guy and he said Ragnar’s, the owner’s, hand engulfed his like a baseball mitt made of bananas. We got the keys, and after fighting the ceaseless resistance of the whipping winds, were able to haul our luggage in from the hill, where our car was parked, into our adorable little cottage on stilts. Ragnar assured us the cottage would withstand the storm, as it had done countless storms before, nonetheless, the sound of the roof and every wooden plank on the cottage rattling every five minutes in the uproar of the wind, was slightly unnerving. Regardless, this was my favorite place we stayed on the trip and I would LOVE to come back to stay in it for a longer period of time. We made an at-home meal and popped a bottle of champagne, all things purchased from a gas station mart, and recollected all our favorite moments from our epic adventure in Iceland.
The moral of my Icelandic story is: never resist or dread an adventure. Keeping an open heart and open mind with all things travel will lead to unexpected joy, wonder, and memory making. My other moral is: get the right gear! I confidently can say that my research on gear paid off and that I wasn’t uncomfortable at any moment on this trip. My cold-weather essentials list is below with links. Disclaimer: I get zero “kick-back’s” or perks from these suppliers, I just want to help out any prospective travelers (who might be desert dwellers at heart like myself) to cold-weather climates! Enjoy and happy travels!
Here is a list of my cold-weather essentials:
Amazon or Sorel, typically sold for $150-$160
I actually found my size on Poshmark and got them for $75! These kept my feet toasty the entire trip. In fact, the majority of our tour group for the ice cave tour had to borrow better boots for our hike from the company, but the guides said mine had a sturdy enough heel and sole to endure the glacier!
2.) Eddie Bauer Sun Valley Down Parka
Amazon or Eddie Bauer, $208.99
Amazon, pack of 2 for $19.95
4.) Thermal socks
Amazon, pack of 3 for $24
5.) Lightweight down vest (packable)
Amazon, $15-$25
Madness & Magic 