Iceland - Enchanted Island
Iceland has been calling for years - this time we answered. No, it was not the most direct route back to San Diego, but it was a great place to stretch our legs and spend the better part of a week.
Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital and largest city, is a colorful, compact, and vibrant place. It sits on the southwestern coast, surrounded by rugged, volcanic landscapes and stunning views of the North Atlantic. Reykjavik feels almost like a cozy village despite being a capital. The city is full of interesting contrasts: it has charming, brightly painted houses, trendy cafes, and cutting-edge architecture that coexist with historic buildings and traditional Icelandic design.
The iconic Hallgrimskirkja Church, with its striking tower that mimics Iceland’s basalt lava flows, dominates the skyline. Built over 41 years, the church was officially opened to the public in 1986. The observation deck at the top provides wonderful views of the surrounding area. Inside this lutheran house of worship, the main hall is spacious yet sparse, vast and serene. The minimalist decor emphasizes the grand pipe organ at the back of the church while the natural light through the narrow windows adds to its peacefulness.
Nearby, the Harpa Concert Hall, a stunning glass building, apparently inspired by the country’s natural environment, hosts concerts, operas, and cultural events. The city also has a thriving art scene with galleries, street art and murals along with plenty of shops. Rainbow Street, a colorful and vibrant street in the heart of the city was painted as a tribute to Reykjavik's LGBTQ+ community. Lined with charming cafes, shops and galleries, it is an ideal place for walking.
A couple of notable museums helped us pass a wet afternoon. The History Museum, established in 1863 gave us a 1000 year look at the country – from Leif Ericson to present day. The Icelandic Phallological Museum, yes that’s right, a penis museum, has the largest display of anatomical parts in the world from elephants and whales to hamsters. We definitely saw the long and the short of it!
Iceland is known for its geothermal activity. As we drove through the countryside we saw steam randomly appearing from the ground in many places. Geothermal energy is used to heat about 90% of the homes in Iceland, heat swimming pools, used in fish farming, and other industrial applications.
We chose to enjoy its geothermal benefits at the relatively new Sky Lagoon, a spa located on the coast within the cliffs of the Atlantic Ocean. The large and wandering 3ft deep pool, with a 230 ft infinity edge, was an incredible place to just hang out for the afternoon. We did the traditional hot bath, cold plunge, sauna, steam, scrub and shower which was ok but by far, our favorite thing was just to soak, have a drink and enjoy the views.
We usually forget to talk about the food – not this time. Iceland is a paradise for fresh seafood lovers. The char and cod are amazing. Not normally fish and chips people, we had the best fish and chips ever with thick flaky cod coated in a very thin batter. I think the fish came off the boat that morning! We both enjoyed the char for several dinners. Lobster or fish soup for lunch were also amazing.
After a few days in Reykjavik, we headed out along the east coast to a tiny coastal village of Vik. Farmland followed us most of the way, mostly hay fields that had been previously harvested. The topography was very interesting though. These fields were tucked in between rocky outcrops, guarded by ragged cliffs to the west. There were also very few trees. Sheep grazed on what was left of the hay after harvesting, even wandering up the steep embankments of the cliffs. Along the way, we planned to stop at two different waterfalls.
The waterfalls, both spectacular, were easy to spot as we drove along. Unfortunately the weather was misty and windy so photos do not do them justice. The Seljalandfoss waterfall was unique in that you could actually walk behind the cascades. On a sunny day, there would be some wonderful rainbows as the light hit the falling water. The Skogafoss falls are one of the country’s largest falls with powerful flows that drop 195 ft. Mark chose to hike along side to the top for a beautiful view. Typical of Iceland weather, the rain and mist (not the wind!) cleared for just a bit while we were at lunch overlooking the falls and a glorious rainbow appeared.
Viki is known for its beautifully stark landscapes, black sand beaches and striking basalt rock formations formed when lava cools and contracts, creating geometric shapes. Reynisfjara has it all. The cliffs at the water’s edge are stair stepped hexagonal columns. Several people dodged the strong waves and climbed up the rocks for an obligatory picture. Guess who climbed and who photographed!
Just off from land are some jagged formations jutting right out of the sea. Softly rounded stones lined the top of the beach while the sand was in fact, black – lava that has eroded over time. Don’t get too close to the water though. Powerful sneaker waves with huge undertows are known to sneak surprise visitors to their detriment.
Saving the best for last, the highlight of the trip was our trip onto the glacier covering the subglacial Katla volcano and hiking through an ice cave. Eight of us hopped into a 4x4 Super Jeep with a guide, immediately left the main road heading inland and 40 minutes later, we found ourselves on top of a glacier surrounded by ice streaked with black layers.
Not surprisingly, the glacier was not white, rather, light grey with definite black streaks of ash sediment from various volcanic eruptions. We had had a strong rain the day before we climbed which washed the face leaving the stark contrasts between the layers. How thick was the ice? On the Katla volcano, the ice ranges from 700-2,000 feet thick.
We donned our crampons over our boots, fitted our helmets and started hiking. Stomp hard we were told, to keep from slipping! We hiked up and down a few hills, crossed planks over a few streams all the while, rising in elevation for probably a kilometer. As we came around a curve, suddenly before us was a tunnel about 100 ft long and uphill.
Breathtakingly beautiful landscape with a hint of scary “the ice is melting, what happens if the cave caves?” With little stomping steps, we all headed into the caves, stopping often to take pictures of the other worldly landscape. Once we had all passed through the cave, we rounded the cave and traced our steps back to the Jeep. Going downhill was a little trickier than up – little steps, bigger stomps. No one fell off the glacier and we all left with stories to tell.
Iceland was everything we had imagined and more. Sun, rain, wind, long soaks in a geothermal bath, incredible landscapes - we had an amazing time. Friendly people, good food and interesting sights. What more can we ask for!
We are currently in San Diego looking forward to celebrating the holidays with our boys but have no fear, the adventures continue. We are already laying out our plans for 2025 so stay tuned!
