Icelandic Honeymoon, Day Four

After a very soggy third day in Iceland, I was relieved to wake up on day four to gorgeous blue skies and mild, t-shirt-wearing temperatures. We were so excited about this that we basically jumped up, threw on clothes and hiking boots, grabbed our water bottles and a handful of granola bars, and immediately set off on a hike into the Skaftafell region of Vatnajökull National Park.

Vatnajökull covers 8% of Iceland's total land mass, and is home to the largest glacier in the world outside of the Arctics. Unfortunately, based on our time constraints to get around the Ring Road in five days, we could only plan the shortest possible hike. Under the glacier resides some of the most active volcanoes in the country, so next time (::wink::) I would love to explore deeper into the terrain here, and see the glacier tongues and ice caves up close and personal. Our main purpose for this trip was to reach Svartifoss, otherwise known as the Black Falls. Its dramatic black lava columns are what inspired the architecture of Hallgrímskirkja church, and also remind me a bit of the Iron Throne. We also got a nice treat of a tiny rainbow spectrum hanging low in the mist in front of the falls. Some visitors have noted the hike here as strenuous, but given my near-collapse on the stairs of Skógafoss the previous day, I don't think this climb was too long or difficult, though it does become steep at parts. While not my favorite waterfall in Iceland, I do think Svartifoss is a unique gem and the hike alone is worth it for the beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.

Since it was finally nice enough to use our grill, we fired up some hot dogs and refilled our water bottles before hitting the road to the most dazzling of all our itinerary locations. (Note: After a week of guzzling the crystal clear, ice cold water of Iceland I've barely been able to stomach the tap water back home. Savor it while you can!) I had seen enough photos of Jökulsárlón during my planning that I should have been prepared for this scene, but I pretty much dived out of the van before my husband had even fully parked. You think you have a grasp on what the color blue is, until you see this flawless glacier water littered with massive, sparkling chunks of ice everywhere you turn. Since the day was still perfectly sunny, the blue, cloudless sky made everything glisten even brighter. We saw a seal swimming in the water, although sadly it didn't get close enough to get a photo. Jökulsárlón became a lagoon around 80 years ago, as the neighboring glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic. Due to increased melting of the glaciers the size of the lake has quadrupled since the 1970s and it's now the deepest in Iceland, at 814 feet. (Note: In case you weren't already aware, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, GUYS.) Some of the icebergs are striped with ash from volcanic eruptions, and can spend up to five years floating in the lagoon before the current takes them out to sea.

Just across the way from the lagoon, you can drive over to Diamond Beach, where many of the large icebergs wash ashore on the glittering black sand beach. They are slippery little buggers to climb on, so be careful! I would have stayed here all day, but we had a huge drive ahead of us as we veered east and began to traverse through the winding Eastfjords. Our first stop was in the little fishing town of Höfn for another bowl of lobster soup at Pakkhús and to watch the sea birds and boats around the harbor. From here, we entered hours of driving past endless fjord landscapes grooved with narrow inlets which are some of the most beautiful terrain you will encounter in Iceland. The clouds hang so low in some spots, making the skies a very moody setting for some magnificent photos.

After two nights in the camper van, we were excited to have reservations at Fosshótel Austfirðir, which was built as a hospital in 1903 and renovated into a charming and scenic hotel. Its location in the small village of Fáskrúdsfjördur (home to only 662 residents!) was not equipped with many local luxuries, but we arrived with just enough time to spare to get dinner at the hotel's on-site restaurant, L'Abri. We had our first truly indulgent honeymoon meal since arriving in Iceland: prosecco, salmon, lamb medallions, and a delicious chocolate crepe for dessert. With happily full bellies, a hot shower and a comfortable bed, you'd think the day couldn't get any better -- but the view of the fjord from our hotel room was simply stunning, especially as the sun began to set.

Back to Icelandic Honeymoon: Day Three (Southern Coast)

Icelandic Honeymoon: Day Three

After our surprisingly sound sleep in the van, I explored the beautiful views surrounding our "campsite", which included a herd of horses, which are some of the most majestic creatures I've ever seen up close. They were so friendly and social, too! The Icelandic horse is one of the purest breeds in the world, because local law prevents all other horses from being imported into the country, and exported animals are never allowed to return. These are some of my favorite photos that I took on our whole trip, because the horses are such wonderful subjects -- and our unexpected backdrop of Eyjafjallajökull in the hazy morning light was amazeballs.

After a quick PB&J breakfast, we were off to Seljalandsfoss, our first big waterfall of the trip. It looks quite delicate and beautiful from afar, but once you get closer to this 200-foot-tall beast, you will quickly become drenched with the spray. This is one of the most unique waterfall experiences in Iceland, since you can follow a path into a cave behind the falls and stand behind the curtain of cascading water. (Note: Make sure you are wearing raingear and shoes with good tread; the pathway is uneven in parts and very slippery.) Just a stone's throw away from here is Gljúfrafoss, which is mostly obscured by a cliff face. You can access this hidden falls through a thin crack in the outside cliff wall, as well as climb the small, winding cliff to get an aerial view of this moss-covered waterfall den. (Note: Apparently you do have to pay for parking here, but it was swarming with tourists when we arrived, so we drove a bit further down towards Gljúfrafoss and managed to park freely near some campsites.)

A very short drive away is yet another stunning waterfall: Skógafoss, which produces such a massive amount of spray that often you will be blessed with a single or double rainbow appearing in the mist. Sadly, it was too cloudy and gray for us to get a spectrum this day, but the lush green walls and deafening sound was more than enough to satisfy. (Note: You can walk right up to the falls, but unless you are wearing full rain gear and have protection for your camera, I would not recommend. I got pretty soaked and didn't even approach that closely!) There are also 370-ish steps that take you to the top of the falls, and it was here that I realized just how out of shape I'd become in recent years. People many decades older than myself were passing me on the stairs; a truly humbling experience. ;) However, despite the pain to get to the top, it is quite hypotizing to watch the water from the Skoga River rush over the edge. The food truck Sveitagrill Miu is on location just before the parking area, and definitely worth a stop for some tasty fish & chips, along with an assortment of dipping sauces and gourmet salts.

We ended up skipping our plans to visit the Turf House in Selfoss the previous day, so since we were making good time on our itinerary we stopped at the nearby Skógasafn museum to get our first real dose of Icelandic history and culture. The transporation and communication exhibits were interesting enough, but we skipped the folk museum and instead went out to see the recreated village, which includes a schoolhouse, church, and several styles of homes from periods of Icelandic history, including a very Bilbo Baggins-esque turf house. It's crazy to think that several of the wooden houses were lived in until the 1970's!

Next we were off to Reynisfjara Beach in Vík, which when we were tossing around ideas for honeymoon destinations, was the location that made me 100% set on Iceland over anywhere else in the world. It's the southernmost village in Iceland, and as there is no landmass in the Atlantic Ocean between here and Antarctica, the waves hit the shoreline with an unparalleled ferocity. (Note: the warning signs on the beach here are NO JOKE. Avoid going near and certainly IN the water. The "sneaker" waves are very unpredictable and the undertow can take you out to the freezing sea in a heartbeat. A tourist drowned here just earlier this year, and several others in recent memory.) Despite the treacherous waters and howling winds, the location is unbelievably unique and awe-inspiring, with it's gothic caves, towering basalt columns, jet black sand, and legends of trolls who turned to stone sea stacks in the shallows of the Atlantic Ocean. The area is also known for a lot of puffin activity in the early morning and late evening hours, but since our trip was in the afternoon we unfortunately missed getting a glimpse of these cute little sea birds. Despite the town of Vík being home to only 300 residents, it has several well-reviewed restaurants. We refueled our bellies at Suður-Vík, a charming and cozy spot with exposed beams, a delicious camembert pizza, and local artwork made from shells, rocks and flora from the black sand beach.

It's hard to believe that even after such a full day, we still had one more stop to make: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. What had started as a light drizzle on Reynisfjara Beach had developed into full-fledged rain by the time we arrived, so our stop here was cut short and we didn't hike the full length. The canyon is well over 300 feet deep and about a mile long, and the bedrock dates back to the Ice Age some two million years ago. NBD. The serpentine shape of the canyon is a by-product of thousands of years of erosion, caused by the melting glaciers, and provides some truly spectacular views. It's one of the prettiest spots to see in Iceland (and that's saying something!) and despite its easy access from the Ring Road there aren't many tourists here.

From here, we drove past miles and miles of lava rock fields, covered by undisturbed moss. (Note: Despite Justin Bieber rolling around on the moss in one of his music videos, please take care to stay on the marked paths and don't walk on it: moss is very fragile, and can take hundreds of years to regrow after being trampled upon.) The skies were super gray and moody because of the continued rain, so that paired against the seemingly never-ending horizon of green lichen was really incredible. The rain was relentless, so we decided to park for the night in a legitimate campground at Skaftafell National Park, since we planned on hiking there the next day. Being holed up in the van because of the weather wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared: we had a few drinks, watched Game of Thrones, made a few calls home to friends and family, and attempted to play Bananagrams until several of the letter tiles went flying out of eyesight into hidden crevices of the van.

Back to Icelandic Honeymoon: Day Two (Reykjavik > Golden Circle)

Continue to Icelandic Honeymoon: Day Four (Eastern Iceland)