Reynisfjara Beach, Jun 19th

As the name implies, this is a beach walk more than a hike, and the main attraction is a huge columnar basalt wall that sits on the eastern side of the beach.

It’s also impressive due to the contrast between the soft gray, almost white color of the basalt and the dark grey and black sand it sits on.

As with most places in Iceland, lots of people visit these places and in this particular case, they climb on the rocks to take pictures. While waiting to get a chance to take a picture without people on the rocks, I decided to continue walking along the beach to end and even jump over some rocks and explore the cost line a bit. On that little section of coast, I found solitude but also more rock formations. I’m used to see columnar formations that are mostly straight but here, they go in all directions bending and twisting giving the whole image a more dynamic feel.

As I walked on, I notice that the black sand below my feet was not actual sand but tiny black pebbles. At a certain point I decided to get on my knees to take a close-up picture without noticing the wave breaking behind me and splashing all over.

Aside from getting my feet wet, I noticed pebbles flying all over the place with each wave break.

After a while I walked back around and saw my next destination at the other end of this black sand beach.

Fjadrargljufur, Jun 19th

Now try to say that three times quickly. This was a short hike with some very interesting sights. The hike starts from the road and follows the eastern side of the Fjadra gorge. The gorge itself is not much longer than a mile and only spans the last section of the Fjadra river before it joins the Skafta river.

As you climb on the side of the gorge, rock walls start growing on both sides mixing the greenery of grass with the different shades of brown. It looks like the earth was simply torn apart right at this point.

There are several outcrops that allow you to get closer to the edge and see the snaking river down below and some small waterfalls before the whole thing disappears into the rolling hills behinds.

It’s one of those places I visited where I wished I had river shoes to walk on the river bed and explore the bottom of the gorge as well. Perhaps another time

Gulfoss, Jun 18th

My last stop for the day was a short hike but something I didn’t want to miss. Gulfoss is a waterfall along the Hvita river, but what makes it interesting is the double turn it makes in the two tiers. From the park entrance, there are numerous path to several viewpoints that give you different perspectives of the waterfall. From the very top, you can see both tiers. The first drops its waters at an angle with the river making it really wide to then quickly turn the other way for another drop into a very tight canyon where the river seems to disappear into an abyss. Huge plumes of moisture come out of the second tier just hinting at the power and amount of water that flows in there.

After watching from the top, I took the path that goes down and passes by the edge of the lower fall. In the middle you have to cover yourself as the mist can get you soaked in a matter of seconds. From the corner you finally get a glimpse at the lower canyon and how thin it is.

The end of the trail goes to a rock outcrop that puts you eye level and very close to the upper tier which also has multiple smaller steps. While there I noticed the sky turning purple and darkening as rain was coming over. It was quite a site to see.

Since rain held off for a bit, I finished the visit by taking the upper trail that stays above the canyon looking down at the waterfall from above and almost behind.

Geysir, Jun 18th

Next stop in my big Iceland adventure was Geysir. This is a small park with some trails around a couple of geysers and bubbling pools. Right from the parking lot you can see the water vapor emanating from the ground, but the biggest attraction is a couple of geysers that shot up in the air every few minutes.

I started walking towards Strokkur, the most active and regular of geysers as it went up, to then continue towards some of the pools. Even though you can see steam and some bubbling these are not active or as regular. It was still incredible to see the color of the water and how deep they go

From there, I took a path to the top of a Lupine covered hill that opens views to the entire area and far beyond.

Then, on my way down, I decided to jut sit with the camera and wait for the Strokkur to go up. It was quite fascinating to see the water bubbling up and down as it heated up and then abruptly bubble up and explode leaving an empty hole behind.

Most of the water comes back don to the same pool but some of it runs down the hill leaving sediments behind that look like the surface on another planet

You can see the rest of the pictures here

Thingvellir National Park, Jun 18th

Located on the western side of the south Icelandic coast, Thingvellir has some interesting topography and history. On the natural side, the park is in an area where the continental tectonic plates meet. Nowhere else in Iceland, or the world for that matter, you can walk on the Mid Atlantic Rift. This means that, as you walk, you have one tectonic plate on each side. You are literally in the line that divided the continents. Along that path you can visit Oxarafoss, a short but beautiful waterfall that falls from one continent into the rift.

Other trails cross deep channels filled with water so blue and so deep that it’ll give you the idea the go all the way to the center of the planet.

Aside from the geology aspect. Thingvellir has historic importance as well. Most settlers started to arrive in the late 800 from Norway starting communities along the Icelandic coast. Since each clan wanted to force their own believes and rules, it became necessary to create a general assembly to create the rule of the land. The location for this assembly became Thingvellir which literally translates as “Fields of Parliament”. This parliament functions still today in Reykjavik making it the longest running parliament

You can see the rest of the pictures here

Glymur, Jun 18th

This hike was near the top of my to-do list for a good reason and it didn’t disappoint. If for nothing else, Glymur is the second tallest waterfall in Iceland dropping its waters 650 feet into a deep narrow canyon. The hike starts traversing some flat land heading out into a canyon you can barely see in the distance. It almost makes you think twice if you are in the right place and how tall this waterfall really is. The trail doesn’t disappoint though. Right from the start you pass fields of Lupine up to where the eye can see. Not only the filed was covered in them but they were just enormous.

After a short climb and passing a small ridge, the views of the canyon finally open in front of you and a tiny waterfall appears far in the distance. From this vantage point it was hard to even guess where the trail might be

A short descend ends up at the entrance of a cave that make you feel you are passing into another dimension. The cave itself is not too big but from the entrance you can’t see the other end as it’s below and the angle doesn’t let you until you step in. Inside, the cave splits even though both routes go out to a staircase that finally brings you down to river level.

Then the fun begins. A painted rock indicates the route to Glymur… across the river where a wire hangs tight and a log only covers half of it. Here you have the choice of getting your shoes wet or just taking them off to cross. Since I believe that the best waterproofing for your shoes is not to get them in the water in the first place, I opted for the second choice. Two words: cold water!

From there, the trail pretty much skirts the canyon all the way to the top of the waterfall. In some places you feel safe and some others not so much. This trail is not for those afraid of heights or loose footing. Along the route, there are several rock outcroppings that let you peak into the canyon and the waterfall ahead which you can never see in full. Aside from the mist and spray that covers the bottom of the canyon, hundreds of birds fly from side to side giving you a better idea of how narrow and deep the canyon is.

Towards the top, the canyon gets so narrow and vertical that the trail must go behind to avoid the cliffs. From that angle you finally realize there’s a main waterfall which you see for almost the entire hike and two other smaller drops on the side.

After a short while you finally hit the highest point at a rock outcrop above the top of the waterfall. From there, you can only see the first few feet before the water just disappears into the canyon. Far down, a little blue line only hints at how high the canyon is. The whole area is wet with spray which makes it slippery and hard to navigate, especially when you know there quite the drop on one side.

Once there, I got presented two options to return. One was following my steps back the way I came and the other was going down on a trail on the other side of the canyon. I wanted the second option as it would give me a different perspective and it was a different trail altogether. Besides, I do prefer loop hikes that out and back routes. The only caveat was I needed to get to the other side of the river. Again. The trail takes you to the crossing point where the river is wide and shallow. The thing is you must be committed as the water if really cold and you can lose sense on your toes quickly. So, shoes came out again and off I went across. Did I mention cold water?

From the other side, you first get a view of the top of the waterfall but nothing else. It was quite impressive to se the cliffs and little people standing on the top

The trail then descends quickly and away from the canyon as the walls on this side are not vertical. Getting closer to the edge could mean sliding and tumbling down below the edge down to the canyon. Still, I found one stop with a view of the trail I used to go up on the other side.

Finally, I got back to the lupine fields and the cave that would take me back to the real world I guess

You can see the rest of the pictures here

Kirkjufellsfoss, Jun 17th

Yet another stop as I drove around the Snaefellsness Peninsula. This one for a short hike to the rather small and unimpressive Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall. What makes this little hike a must do is the combine view with Kirkjufell across the road. This is probably one of the most photographed spots in Iceland and since I was there, well, why not.

For a moment I thought about doing the waterfall first and then following a trail that supposedly climbs the edge of the mountain all the way to the summit. It’s not a long hike but, as you can see in the pictures, it’s probably steep and exposed. Being later in the day and having one or two more stops, I decided to pass that idea and just content myself with visiting the waterfall.

I stayed in the area for a bit over an hour shooting at will and trying to get no people in my photos. It took a while but finally I got rewarded for the wait and had a nice time there.

You can see the rest of the pictures here

Saxholl, Jun 17th

While driving around the peninsula, I noticed what looked like a small volcano in the distance. Further down the main road I found a side road leading straight to it, so I went off exploring. A sign in the parking lot explains Saxholl is a small crater that erupted probably 3 to 4 thousand years ago and it rises only 109 meters above sea level. It also warns that soil is very delicate, so you are asked to stay in the path and to not build cairns.

From the parking lot, there’s a metallic staircase that goes around as it climbs the side of the crater to the top. It doesn’t take a lot of time to get there and from the top, you can see the crater and surrounding areas. There’s also a sun dial to help identify distant landmarks which I found in several places. Wind was howling up there, so I stayed only a couple of minutes to snap some pictures before heading back down and continuing my adventure

You can see the rest of the pictures here

Svalbufa, Jun 17th

After hiking from Arnastapi to Hellnar, I got back in the car and continued driving around the Snaefellsness Peninsula towards my next intended stop on the north side. As I did, far in the distance I noticed a rock formation that looked like something out of this world. From my angle and with the sun coming from the side, it looked like a pirate ship emerging from the ground and out into the sea. It looked both intriguing and fascinating so when I saw a parking area close to it I stopped, grabbed my camera and went out exploring.

As a hike is not impressive or long (like a lot of the most well-known places in Iceland). From the parking lot, there’s a trail that goes straight out to a viewpoint at the cliff edge. I wasn’t too interested in that after hiking along the beach for a while, so I took a foot path heading towards the rock formation in the distance. 

The trail descends a bit to a flat area. Looking back, you can see the view point up in the hill protected with a fence. From this angle I think the views are better as you can see all the basalt formation on the cliff wall.

As I got closer to the rock formation I was aiming for, the form and shape didn’t change what I saw in the beginning. It still looked like a gigantic ship breaking free from a rock trap

At first, I thought I would be able to scramble up there but as I got closer that idea disappeared. The edges and walls are steeper than what they appear from the distance. I found a path to go around and went exploring and to my surprise, the rock took on another completely different shape form the other side. Now it looked almost like a Chinese dog or maybe a lamb looking onto sea.

As I walked back towards the car, my views included Nordurbufa a glaciated peak in the middle of the peninsula