Iceland: Reykjavik to Hofn
We got a true taste of why everyone is flocking to Iceland when we made our way through the south. We started our Ring Road adventure from the Airbnb in Reykjavik and stayed the night right outside of Vik at Guesthouse Steig. Our first stop was þingvellir national park (stupidly skipped Gullfoss and Geysir..oops!), Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Black Beach, and the Reynishverfi Rocks. The second day we drove from Vik to Hofn and stayed 2 nights at Hotel Smylaborg, which was 40 minutes outside of Hofn. As promised, I will keep the "talk" to a minimum and let the pictures speak for themselves (with some captions of course!)
þingvellir national park is where the original Icelandic government held their seat of power and their courts. For 2 weeks out of the year, they would hear and try cases. Dozens of executions including beheadings, drownings, hangings and in cases of witchcraft, burning at the stake took place here. They also recited their codes of law.
þingvellir national park- þingvellir lake in Iceland is where the mid-atlantic ridge hits land for the only time. It is popular spot for diving because you can physically see where the Eurasian and North American plates are splitting. Very cool!
Skogafoss - By the way, foss means waterfall so you'll see a lot of those along the way.
The great thing about Skogafoss is you can hike behind it!
Don't miss the other waterfalls you can walk to from Skogafoss. This one is hidden behind a canyon and is often overlooked. It's the last one in the row and is stunning.
Seljalandsfoss- If you look close you can see the rainbow :)
Bird's eye view from Seljalandsfoss
Solheimasandur Plane Crash- We got up early and began the 40 minute hike before 7am. We were the only ones at the site for about 10 minutes. It was totally worth it. When we drove by the night before, it was packed to the gills.
Solheimasandur Plane Crash - A real plane crash where everyone survived!
Black Beach at sunset with Dyrholaey Arch
Cave at Black Beach with hexagonal rock structures
Dyrholaey Arch - Up close
Reynishverfi Rocks
Fjadrargljufur Canyon- our pictures truly don't do it any justice
Katla Geothermal Park - lava rocks covered by moss
Jokulsarlon lagoon- Icebergs break off from the glacier and float along the lagoon until they meet the Atlantic Ocean
Nick checking out the lagoon
Waves crashing on the icebergs along the beach
More icebergs along the beach
The water was incredibly blue!
FINAL THOUGHT: The entire landscape of Iceland is amazing. There is so much untouched beautiful land and you can see so many of Mother Natures wonders in such a small area. Volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls, ocean, green fields, etc are all within a few hours. Iceland is smartly harnessing all of this natural energy to power their entire country without relying on anyone or having severe impact on the environment. While they have to import a lot of the fruits and vegetables, many have greenhouses to grow their own and they truly believe in being localvores. It's not a marketing message thrown on every package because it makes them feel better about themselves. Nick and I talk about it often but to truly get "back to basics" and rely on what's around you is something I admire. I hope we can attain that lifestyle in some capacity when we get back to the states.
