I finally had the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I spent 5 days on the Southern Coast, camping next to some iconic locations and was able to see some friendly faces along the way.
Day I - Gljúfrabúi, Seljalandsfoss, and Skógafoss
I arrived early in the morning at Keflavik Airport, and after spending strenuous time going through customs, and car rental I left for my first destination on the south coast, Seljalandsfoss. The drive was a couple hours from Keflavik, and upon arriving I was breath taken by the view upon arriving the waterfall cliffsides and the Icelandic horses and sheep grazing the green pastures. It truly does look like something out of Lord of The Rings. I spent sometime between Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi taking in the countryside before the mighty Skógafoss.
Skógafoss is one of the more iconic waterfalls and it was incredible to see up close. The waterfall is massive and easy to walk to if you feel like getting a power shower by nature. After visiting the Jetlag was setting in and I ended up resting for a few hours before sunset and getting a shot of Seljalandsfoss at sunset.
At the end of the day, I made my way towards the Black Sand Beach and set up camp next to Dyrhólaey Lighthouse
Day II - Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara, Sólheimasandur, and Diamond Beach
The next day was a long one. I spent the previous night waiting for Aurora activity but sadly there was none with the clear sky. I got up early before sunrise and was able to see the epic Dyrhólaey Arch and, Reynisfjara beyond it. It was a beautiful morning, although it was getting chilly. I made my way towards Reynisfjara.
Reynisfjara Beach is one with more stone-to-sand compared to other beaches. When arriving at the beach you are greeted with rough waves, a cave, and the famous basalt columns. Going further past the basalt columns you can start to see the pillars sticking out from the sea. I had arrived early enough that there were few people and was able to do some drone coverage of the area and managed to get some beautiful shots.
Pressing on, I made my way out to see the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreckage 23 kilometers away, I also arrived early to get ahead of the 4 hour round trip walk involved. Within 20 minutes of the walk the rain started to pour and wind had picked up, the combination was most unpleasant for any walk. I eventually made it to the DC-3 US Navy plane and managed to be the only one there. The story goes in 1973 the plane had run out of fuel and crashed on the beach, with everyone onboard surviving. The area made me feel like I was on mars or an alien planet, quoting Arnold from Total Recall in my head "Get Your Ass To Mars."
I stopped in Vik for lunch then headed out east to check into my hotel room. I had realized I was approaching sunset and decided to make the extra 30 kilometers to visit Diamond Beach, and I was very glad that I did. Diamond Beach ended up being my favorite place out of the whole trip. It was unreal to see Icebergs breaking apart and washing up on the black beaches. It was a challenge to photograph the ice on the beach with the aggressive waves shifting the scene. It was hectic but a fun photography experience to say the least.
Day III - Vestrahorn, Vik, Svartifoss,and Reykjavík
I woke up early to catch the sunrise at the mighty Vestrahorn, a majestic mountain range along the eastern coast of Iceland. I made good time but unfortunately was greeted with dense fog blocking the view of the mountains. I decided to wait for a few hours for the fog to clear but the weather was not letting up, so I decided to head to my next destination on the trip, Svartifoss.
The weather turned worse as I headed closer to Svartifoss. Heavy rain and wind were consistent, but I decided to press on and enter Skaftafell National Park where the waterfall was located. I geared up and started the 1.5 kilometer hike to the waterfall. The hike was mostly uphill and then towards the end down the side of a cliff to the basalt column waterfall. I managed to get a couple of shots of the waterfall but the rain was too much to have my gear out long.
After the hike, I headed west towards Vik to see if there was better weather for any more hikes, which wasn’t looking promising. Vik Cleared up slightly and I went to the top of a hill taking some shots of the photogenic church overlooking the village.
I took some time to rest and was still waiting for better weather, but ended up giving up hiking for the remainder of the day. I remembered my friend Leila was on her trip in Iceland with her friend Emily as well. I reached out and confirmed she would be in Reykjavik. We made plans to meet for dinner so I hopped in the van and headed over to Reykjavik. We ate at a nice place called Mat Bar and later had some evening drinks at the Lebowski Bar, a themed bar from the movie The Big Lebowski.
Day IV - Fagradalsfjall, Blue Lagoon, Valahnúkamöl
I woke up with exciting news that the recently erupted Fagradalsfjall was actively erupting lava. Leila, Emily and I made plans to go to the volcano together. I was impatient and drove over early and decided to scope out the volcano with my drone. This was the point I underestimated how Iceland weather is no joke. During my drone flight over the volcano, I started to receive high wind warnings and attempted to fly my drone back to it’s home location. The winds were so strong I couldn’t fly more than 50 meters back and the battery was draining at an alarming rate. I made the decision to fly the drone to a nearby peak with a radio tower with the hope maybe someone eventually will pick it up. By this time, Leila and Emily arrived and started hiking towards the front of the crater. I caught up and decided to hike knowing that my drone was probably a lost cause. We hiked up a brutal, steep peak and spotted the volcano erupting, it was an epic site to see. It turned out that the hike had led us to the radio tower where the drone landed and Leila spotted the drone! We ended up going back down and met up at Blue Lagoon to relax in the geothermal pools.
After Blue Lagoon we parted ways and I set my sights to Valahnúkamöl, a beach not far that features dramatic rock pillars and rough waves. The area features a lighthouse nearby and large cliffs that provide views of the entire beach. This area reminded me of the Oregon Coast and was worth seeing.
Day V - Kirkjufell & Reykjavik
I drove to Kirkjufell the evening prior to get some rest before sunrise. I managed to get lost around the mountain due to the size of it, but ended up finding the correct parking and camping out. Upon checking the weather, I noticed that there was potential for clear enough skies for the Aurora to show. I spent the rest of the time resting until someone had knocked on the van door and they let me know the northern lights were showing. I frantically got my gear ready and headed towards the famous waterfall spot. Once I had my gear set I looked up and let my eyes adjust and noticed a faint aurora dancing in the sky. It wasn’t much, but it was there and I was happy to see it. Throughout the night I met various photographers who also showed up and were happy to be there as well.
When sunrise hit, I couldn’t ask for better weather. It was dramatic with orange clouds hovering around the wizard hat peak and was a beautiful sight to see. I remember that feeling of bliss, no stress, and just being with nature easing my mind. I wanted to stay there the whole day but knew I had to get going. I decided to take the scenic route back to Reykjavik through the eastern peninsula and I came across a pair of charming waterfalls, unsure of the names. I spent some time hiking the falls and make the trek around the rest of the peninsula seeing some beautiful countryside on my way back to Reykjavik.
My last stop in Reykjavik was a tourist day, staying close to the downtown area and seeing the shops. I chose to stay in a “Pod” at a Hostel called Galaxy Pod Hostel. The place was interesting, a hostel with a private sci-fi pod equipped with their own screens, ventilation, and light systems. I enjoyed my stay there and would do it again. I made my way downtown and visited various shops and bars, my favorite was the “Magic Ice Reykjavik - Ice Bar” where the cups, tables, and walls were covered in ice and ice sculptures.
