As the year draws to a close, it was time to visit another country. This trip was a couple’s trip with our friends and only for a weekend. We planned to cover quite a bit in the couple of days in the country, and really only scratched the surface of what it has to offer. That said, there’s plenty to blog about!
Outbound Flight
As we boarded the flight from Gatwick airport on Friday afternoon, little to our knowledge (ultimately due to not reading up prior to leaving) we were leaving daylight behind us for a few days in mostly darkness. Winter in Iceland can be beautiful, but very short days means the need to take full advantage of the daylight hours to see the sights.
On arrival, we made our way to our accommodation in Grindavík, via somewhere for dinner. We had hired a car for the weekend, so we could explore at our own pace, but it certainly took some time to get used to the left-hand drive. There were no specific dining plans, instead we just tried to find somewhere local. We settled on Papas’ Restaurant, a small place which to our surprise was still open and serving food despite the time! We sat down and ordered; I had fish and chips (hardly sounds adventurous, but I wanted something local and being a fishing village, I thought it very suitable) washed down with a pint of their local beer, Co & Co.
We left Papas’ and headed out into the snow. Grindavík looked beautiful, with the street lights showcasing the nordic-looking houses with Christmas lights up, coupled with the snow made it all feel very festive! We made the very short trip down the road to our ‘hotel’, Seaview Cottages. Now if I could’ve have afforded, both monetarily and time-wise, even longer in Iceland, I would have certainly stayed at these pods longer! They’re self-catering units, with a bedroom, bathroom and open-plan living room with a kitchen. Perfect size for a couple and the epitome of ‘if Ikea did hotels’. Unfortunately we never saw the harbour that the cottage overlooked in the daylight, nor were we around to experience the site’s café, but it really made the stay special.
The cottage was well stocked with cutlery and facilities, including under-floor heating! It’s definitely worth a visit for a stay to the area.
Thingvellir National Park
We woke on the Saturday and were away from the cottage by 8, ready for our packed day of exploring Iceland. First stop, Thingvellir National Park.
We had arranged to go snorkelling in the Silfra fissure; the only place in the world where you can snorkel between tectonic plates (North American and Eurasian) where they have been pulled apart over the years. Fortunately the tour group we had booked with, Arctic Adventures, as with all the others I’m sure, provided ample warm clothing, a dry suit and neoprene equipment to keep us as warm as possible. We looked ridiculous, but headed out for a snorkelling tour around the river in the National Park.
The views underwater were absolutely stunning, and reflected in the video I uploaded to my YouTube channel from the visit.
After our session, we dried off and were given hot chocolates and cookies to finish off the package. Perfect ending. We then got back to the car, blasted the heating on full, and headed towards our next stop.
Geysirs
We pulled up into the car park outside the Geysir area, where there were several vents spouting out steam from below the Earth’s surface. Also, and by this stage more importantly, there was a café and gift shop. We headed inside and grabbed something to eat, before heading out to see the Geysirs up close.
After capturing this on camera, seeing the springs in action and a little stroll through the park, we got back to the car and made our way on further inland, towards Gullfoss Falls.
Gullfoss Falls
The journey between sites was beautiful too; the rolling hills and countryside of Iceland, looked picturesque. It could have easily been mistaken for somewhere in Canada! We pulled up to another gift shop at Gullfoss Falls and I picked up some swim shorts (a strange purchase at a waterfall in the middle of Iceland, but needed for later that evening) and we headed to the viewing platform for some photos.
Next stop on our whistle stop tour of the Golden Circle, Kerio Crater.
Kerio Crater
The sun was starting to set as we started heading back towards the cottages via Kerio, and we wanted to make sure we had at least a little sunlight there. We paid the entry fee (which I can’t remember what it was, but I think it worked out at about £4 each) and headed up to the crater. As we emerged over the brow of the top, the sheer scale became incredibly apparent. The light was fading quick, so we got down halfway to a little viewing point and snapped some photos.
After the photoshoot we made our way down the steps to the foot of the crater and observed the frozen ‘lake’ up close. In classic tourist fashion (and as, clearly, many people had done previously) we stood and skimmed stones along the icy surface and appreciated where we were, in the moment, as darkness fell.
That was the end of our whistle stop tour of the golden circle, but far from the end of our visit and itinerary! We made our way back to the cottages, stopping via a field of Icelandic Horses to say hello, and grabbed our swimming costumes. Back out into the car and the short 5 minute drive to our final tourist spot of the visit, the Blue Lagoon.
Blue Lagoon
We had a choice, before coming to Iceland. Book a day visit, or evening, to the Blue Lagoon. We opted for the evening, and I’m glad we did! It was a perfect end to a long, cold day around the island. As we entered the natural spring, the sulphur water both cleansed us and wrecked havoc on our nostrils! Our booked package included a face mask and drink, which added to the experience.
Looking up into the night sky, sat bathing in the hot water, drinking some local beer (Gull this time), was a great way to round up the weekend away to Iceland.
Before we knew it we were back at Keflavik airport dropping off the hire car and boarding the flight back to Gatwick. On reflection, Iceland is truly a breathtaking place and a definite on the list of travel locations. Save some money (as the trip can be very pricey) and, in all honesty, take longer than a weekend to explore everything the island has to offer in full.