Iceland

Drink of Choice

I know I kid about being hungover in all these amazing places, but truthfully, I feel like the national drinks and foods say a lot about the culture. Unfortunately for me, given my dietary restrictions, I normally can’t try national foods. I can, however, partake in drinking the drink that represents each place. So grab a shot of Brennivín and a nice cold beverage and read about our adventure.

Hungover in Iceland

The national drink of Iceland is Brennivín which will definitely give you a big ole hangover. This baby has a 37.5 APB is known as “black death”. The name directly translated means “burning wine” and it does burn. This drink is typically served as a shot with a drink of choice, but you can pair it with a lovely cocktail as well.

Technically Between Continents

This has got to be one of my favorite trips. I’m not sure if it was because of Icelands beauty, interesting history, or the fact that my now husband and I were doing long distance and were finally seeing each other after months.

When we started doing long distance, we made it our mission to see each other often and to always have a next time planned. I was living in Oxford, England at the time and my husband was in California, so naturally between continents made sense. I should specify, I never claimed this was half way, but it was TECHNICALLY between continent as we would start the trip on one continental plate and end in another. Was my journey there 12 hours shorter from the UK? Yes, but I think we both agree, this trip was worth it.

Reykjavik and Pre-Roadtrip Shenanigans

We met up in Rekyavik where I was awake and ready to explore and my now husband was ready to nap and work on that jet lag. We spent the arrival day walking around Reykjavik and adjusting to how endless the sunlight was.

The next day we really started the trip with a busy day. My philosophy with jet lag is to brute force your way through it - even if this time, I wasn’t the one who needed to get over the time difference. We started the trip by willingly dunking ourselves into the nearly freezing water to prove that we did technically meet between continents. Yes, we went to the cheesy, I can touch two continents photo-op in  Thingvellir National Park. Turns out you can’t touch both sides unless you do the diving bit, but as neither one of us is more than basic dive certified, we just pretended like we did it. The experience was freezing, but so cool. I honestly think I would have been disappointed if we decided to not do this. This day was also the rainiest of the days, so at that point, might as well commit to getting into the water.

After we got out of the water, we decided to explore the national park more. Not only was this our first glimpse at how many waterfalls we’d see on the trip, but there were historic fun facts also interspersed between different points of the park including where the early inhabitants had their town meetings. We could have spent longer exploring the area, but the rain was getting to us and we still had one more stop before coming home - Braurfoss. Not the biggest of waterfalls, but if you have time, worth the visit.

After the activities of the morning, it was time to eat. We went into downtown Reykjavik and spent the rest of the day eating and site seeing. I have a lot of dietary restrictions so unfortunately, eating was a bit difficult for me. For anyone else in this position, I would highly recommend a grocery trip in the beginning just to grab some quick meals when you’re in a pinch. The capital was definitely easier than most towns. After lunch, we stopped by some shops to get traditional Icelandic sweaters. I got a cute grey one and while it’s not the comfiest, it’s got good memories, so I still have it in my closet. While in downtown we saw Hallgrimskirkja which is the church which was designed to look like the traditional Icelandic style. We then walked over to the Sun Voyager, the stainless steel scultpture found by the water in the northern part of the city. By the sculpture we found a really fun book that someone had hidden. People were able to write in the book and people wrote from all around the world. We also wrote in the book and I hope this book is still there.

After signing the book, we kept walking around and stumbled into the strangest attraction in the whole town. We found this giant hill in the middle of the harbor with something clearly on top. We decided to climb it and once we got to the top found out that the structure on top was just a little structure with fish drying with in. It was so bizarre and will always stay in my mind.

At that point we were exhausted and it was time to go to bed back at our AirBnb.

Let the adventures begin

The next day was the official start to the road trip. The end point for today was Stykkishólmur via Reykholt. On the way we stopped by the hot springs known as  Deildartunguhver. The hot springs were very cool, but honestly, our favorite spot was the green house next door. We had our lunch in the green house and had the most fun seeing the methods they used to grow the food on the property.

We then went to  Djúpalónssandur with the intention to go to the beach there, but the adventure to the beach was definitely the most memorable part. We saw so many cool rock formations and historic buildings, but the zip line along the way was definitely my favorite part. I found a hole to jump into which probably wasn’t wise but I’m glad I tried it because I still laugh at the memory when I think back to it.

At this point we had lunch in the car by the beach. Most days, we ate breakfast and lunch on the go, but spent dinner in the towns we were visiting. We then hit the road again to head to Stykkishólmur. This was a cute port town with plenty of walks around the town and to a view point where you could see a great view of the port. We spent the evening hiking and looking at the good views until we were hungry and ate a cute restaurant by the water.

It’s about the journey not the destination

We ate our breakfast at the first stop of the day- Lisafoss. Don’t worry, there is no shortage of “fosses” the whole trip. I would say we averaged 2-3 waterfalls a day. There was some light hiking around the waterfall and it set the tone for the day. Unlike most of the other days, this day was mostly dedicated to seeing what sites we could see along the way rather than a whole lot of planned stops or mostly things at the destination.

We then made our way to one of my most vivid memories of the whole trip. I had found this destination during my deep-dive researching of places to see and for some reason thought it was a lot more accessible than it was, but that part of the journey is honestly why I think of it so fondly. When we first reached where google maps said the waterfall, Ullarfoss, was, we only saw an old house with a sheep outside. There was a gate that indicated the waterfall was through there, so we followed the sign. As we kept walking, we realized we were decently into what looked like people’s property especially when we saw horses, but for some reason kept going. It was worth it though because we saw a series of 3 waterfalls and no was around except for us to enjoy them. It was a lovely romantic moment and I will never forget it.

After making our back into the car, we went to Kolugljúfur Canyon. There were so many hikes through the canyon and a great view at the top for us to have a quick lunch. We enjoyed all the hikes, and the multiple waterfalls, but at this point, we were ready to head to our final destination. When we reached Dalvik, we noticed a ranch that offered Icelandic Horse tours, so we obviously signed up for that as soon as we saw the sign.

We specifically chose this AirBnb for the Sauna. I have the link above to the AirBnb, so definitely check it out, if it’s available. Despite being August, the lows still required multiple layers of clothing, so the sauna was a fun oasis for the evening. Good thing we got our rest and relaxation in too because we had two fun adventures now planned for the next day.

Just horsing around

We woke up in the morning where we went straight to ride some horses. When we got there, they asked our experience with horses. I had very little experience on a horse except for one time in preschool and my husband had more experience. They gave me a super chill and easy horse and they gave my husband a more pain in the ass one. Turns out that horse was actually a pain in my horse’s ass because he bit my horse’s literal butt multiple times. He also really hated when I was in front and tried to go off track multiple times. The experience was honestly lovely and the horses were fun despite their quirks. We walked around the lovely landscape of Dalvik and learned about the landscape and Icelandic culture. I also learned that I have a pretty bad horse allergy so I broke out into hives and had to take Benadryl and was passed out for the whole drive to our next stop.

Our next stop for the day was Mývatn Nature Baths. This is honestly just a more low key Blue Lagoon and cheaper. We did do both and I’m glad we did because there were some perks in Blue Lagoon that were not at Mývatn such as a variety of face masks and more bath options. However, I loved how calm and relax it was. The atmosphere was a lot more intimate and I felt like it was easier for my partner and I to talk and debrief about life. We were doing long distance between multiple continents, so we had so much to catch up. Similarly to the Blue Lagoon, you will be asked to take a shower before heading to the baths. I did bring my own towel but they do provide you with towels and all the instructions you need. When you go to Blue Lagoon, because of the amount of people, the process is more rushed where they walk you through the prep steps before you go to the baths which definitely made me feel more relaxed. Overall, it was a lovely experience. Mývatn also has a lot more information about the formation of the baths and you can actually follow the under ground springs outside of the bath as well. After we had our two hours in the baths, we did go explore the under ground waters and it was so cool to see where it all comes from. If you travel a little bit close by, you will see the under ground caves nearby known as Grjótagjá. 10/10 would recommend. It’s just such a unique site.

In the evening we drove over to a cute inn by a lake. Little did we know, the lake name translated into midge lake and as the evening fell, we were completely swarmed by them. It was actually slightly apocalyptic. It’s the in the video where you can see all of them surrounding our car. We did go on a walk around the lake despite the swarm and really enjoyed seeing the ducks and sheep around the lake.

Basalted by the beauty

Wow that was a terrible title and I apologize. Today was a quick drive because the activity today was to spend all day in Stuðlagil Canyon. This, for me, was the most breath taking view. The water was so blue and the columns were so defined and looked so whimsical. We decided to go early which was a good move because the space got a lot more crowded as the day went on. There is a main trail that runs through but there are several different side trails you can take to get closer to the water. We were able to practice skipping stones by the water. I’m terrible at it but I did eventually get it right. We also had the most beautiful day because the weather was stunning. We even ate by the canyon for lunch to get extra time outside before getting into the car.

We then drove to our lodging for the night. I happened to be reading a book about a boy who grew up in a graveyard, which was great, because we stayed in an AirBnB with a graveyard in the backyard. The AirBnb was actually very cute and there were berry bushes near by so we were able to grab some for our breakfast in the morning. Fun fact, there are no poisonous berries in Iceland so dig in. I think this may have been my favorite or at the very least, a top two day. Most of the days were filled with a lot of driving and a million things to see, so I am so thankful for a calm day. We were really able to enjoy the canyon and even our time together in the AirBnb fully. Honestly, it taught me that if there was one thing I would want to change from our time in Iceland, it would be to have more restful days like this.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

This was a long driving day, but lots of fun things to see along the way with the last stop being the classic Diamond Beach.

The first stop was Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss). This waterfall is huge and stunning and is right off the side of the road. We used this time to also have a quick breakfast with a view. We walked over and spent so much time hanging out by the waterfall. It was stunning and we were the only people there until the last 5 minutes of us being there.

We then headed over to Eggin í Gleðivík. It is a scuplture on the coast and if I’m being honest, it was a super quick stop. If you wanted to cut something out, you could cut this out, but it is on the way, so might as well if you have the time and energy.

The next stop was Hvannagil - The Golden Valley. During the drive, this stop hits about half way, so it’s a perfect time to get out and stretch your legs. The environment was also so different from we had seen so far in Iceland. The golden aspect of the valley definitely comes from the colors of the layers in the hills around you. It’s stunning. There are also so many different trails to try, so you can go on whatever route looks most exciting for you.

Stokksnes is a lovely beach with hills surround and a light house you can walk up to. We started with going to the black sand beach. Diamond beach will also have black sand, but the black sand was the main attraction of the beach itself. We talked along the beach and then up the hills to the light house. I thought the coolest part for sure was as you walk away from the beach you see these little wild flowers poking up through the black sand and that is an image that will stick forever in my noggin. The light house was a fun destination to climb to, but primarily because of the views. The light house itself was mid, but the views around and down to the beach were stunning.

We then headed over to the main black sand beach of the day - Diamond beach. This was definitely the most touristy part of the day. The beach was somewhat crowded because we did arrive later in the day. However, there were still very few people around then most touristy destinations I’ve seen around the world. We were still able to access the beach and all the trails along the water without being bothered much by the people around us. We saw a seal in the water which was so fun. We live in the bay area so this probably shouldn’t have been as exciting as it was, but something about seeing a cute seal in Iceland was adorable. The ice chunks really did look like diamonds and it was so cool to see the clear and blue tones contrast with the black sand of the beach. Touristy? Yes. Breathtaking and totally worth it? Also, yes.

We did make one last stop and even though we were exhausted, it was another worth it waterfall. We were pretty exhausted at this point so it was more of just a sightseeing stop for us, but our last stop of the day was Svartifoss. Very stunning with those basalt columns, this mammoth waterfall was a good end to the day.

While it was a driving heavy day, overall, I loved how many stops we had to walk around and I loved how diverse the landscapes were for the journey that day. We stayed at a hotel for the evening. It was a nice respite from the cold because it was a nice and cozy hotel with breakfast included. We also got some entertainment on the way in because the sheep out in the front were either playing or fighting? But it was really interesting to see regardless.

You can’t take a boulder through customs

The first stop of the day was Fjaðrárgljúfur. This was a nice hike to start the day. It’s another longer driving day, so we definitely took advantage of this opportunity to talk around before heading to our next stop.

This was definitely my favorite part of the day because we saw the PUFFINS!! If you know me, You know I hate birds, so I was thrown off by how excited I was before and how obsessed I was with the experience after. We saw the puffins in Dyrhólaey. There are a lot of places where you can see puffins in the country, but this was not only the most convenient but because of my husband’s motion sickness, it was one of the only places we didn’t need a boat to see them. I went in thinking there would not be a lot of them because this wasn’t the most recommended place to see them, but we saw so many. They are the derpiest birds. It’s not just because as a bird, they look like silly small penguins, but also because they rarely tuck their feet as they fly short distances and it just makes them look like they’re bad at flying. Bring a good camera because those are some of my favorite pics to look back at.

Our next two stops are fun because we saw a glacier and a volcano in the same day. First, we went to Sólheimajökull which is the glacier. There are so many ways to explore the glacier, but the one that made the most sense for us was to hike and climb around it. We put on some boots with good traction and made our way around. There were places in the glacier created little caves. I think if we had more time, I would have loved to go maybe a guided hike up the glacier or something but given our time constraints, I think this was the best way to explore.

We then went to Sólheimajökull. The volcano was active, but not enough to fully block activity. There were several different trails and we picked one that less people were on. It was nice to have a less crowded path to chat. We were also able to get pretty close to where the erupting part of the volcano was. We also saw some really cool rocks and an old lady who was carrying a boulder the size of her head. Not sure what she was trying to do with it, but I can’t image she can get that out of the country.

After a full day we headed to our hotel. This was a lovely hotel to stay in because it was really close to a lot and was so cozy. I loved the fact that for a less tiring day, we could go explore the lighthouse.

The lady trying to smuggle out a boulder from the volcano

Much needed R&R

For the final day, we decided it was time to properly rest. We spent the majority of the day in Blue Lagoon. We opted for the middle package which I think was the perfect choice, especially when we got the mud masks. Overall, it was a super comfy experience. We opted in for some robes which just made us feel so bougie. The masks were hella fun and I am not sure if it was just the atmosphere or it actually worked, but my skin felt glowing. We had a meal there and were able to really connect and chat for our last day. After our really relaxing day, we did one last walk around the lighthouse before calling it a night. While I could say a lot more, I think that memory remains most precious in my head.

Goodbye for now

I will never forget this trip for so many reasons. For the most personal reasons, it was because after months of long distance, it was the perfect see you again, even if it was just for a week. Where else can you find volcanoes, glaciers, and so many fun adventures? It’s definitely just a goodbye, for now!