I knew I wanted to see the land where so many childhood books and music I'd received had come from. I had no idea that Iceland would steal a piece of my heart and I would forever long to return (no matter how many trips I make over the years).
If you are thinking about going to Iceland, don't think anymore, JUST GO! I have never been to a country with people so nice, crime so low, and scenery so beautiful. Icelandic people truly know how to take care of each other, others, and their country.
For those of you unable to hop a plane today, here is just a quick glimpse into a world I couldn't even do justice to.
Part 1:
Vogar, Reykjavik, and the Golden Circle
My trip started where most Icelandic adventures begin, right outside of Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital. The trip was extra sweet because I was able to do it with my Mom, the gypsy that taught me to love exploring. She had found an Air-B&B in a little town called Vogar, just south of Reykjavik. It was this house that would be our base for our trip. It was a quick ride from the airport, and also just a short drive into the capital, making it an ideal location for western Iceland.
Travel Tip: If you are able/ want to see a lot of Iceland, I wouldn't actually recommend staying in a house. Iceland is a lot bigger than you think and for those looking to see a ton of the country, I would suggest booking hotels for two nights in places around the island. That way you can move from spot to spot. This will allow you to get a larger view of this pretty country.
For those who only have a short amount of time, or are looking to just do the western chunk, renting a house in a place like Vogar would suit you well. It is also cheaper in the long run (depending on length of stay and number of people) than hotels would be.
I will start with VOGAR:
The town of Vogar is rich with Viking history. Located right on the ocean, it was easy to see why it would be a spot once traveled by the original settlers of Iceland. It is also know to most Icelandics as "the windy ass-hole" and the plentiful breezes we experienced certainly explained the name, though it was so much more charming than "ass-hole" would imply.
A small fishing town, I found Vogar quiet, quaint, and beautiful. Right down the street from the Blue Lagoon, the bridge between two continents, the Viking museum and more, it was an ideal location to start seeing the history of Iceland right away. Being outside of Reykjavik also made it a great place to see the northern lights. We were lucky enough on our 4th day to do just that, right from the backyard patio.
Some views of Vogar- Hawaii might have "rare" black sand beaches, in Iceland they are the norm.
On our rainiest day in Iceland we decided to visit the most famous thermal spot: the Blue Lagoon.
Travel Tip: VISIT THE BLUE LAGOON!!! It is totally worth it. I would even suggest going on a day that is cold and raining like we did. I was wet already so I didn't mind the drizzle. Instead of wasting a rainy day inside and a sunny day in the pool, plan your visit to the lagoon for the worst weather day of the week. You won't be disappointed.
PS: Also book early. Tickets book up, and online reservations are cheaper. If you can't print your tickets, like we couldn't, don't worry. The Blue Lagoon can scan your reservation from your email. Since Iceland is a country where wireless is everywhere and it is free, bring your phone or iPad for things like this! Lockers are provided, and crime is low. We never once worried about our IPad.
Plan to stay at least 3 hours, you will want as much time to use the silica as you can. Use it, a lot, and often. Plus they have steam rooms and a sauna if you are sick of the pool.
Travel Tip: Don't get your hair wet in the lagoon!!! It will destroy your hair, making it stringy and chemical burned. Instead, when you get your hair wet in the shower before you get into the lagoon (you have to do this to enter the pool... and no, I did not have to get naked so don't let the internet scare you) rub a ton of conditioner in your hair and leave it there. Then put your hair in a bun on the top of your head. This will insure any splashes don't destroy your hair as well. When you are done, rinse your hair and it will feel amazing, and will have been protected.
Yes, you read that right. Iceland is uniquely located at the spot where two continental plates are pulling apart. No, the rift doesn't open up to the center of the Earth (as cool as that would be), at least not yet. Though you can see this in a couple places in Iceland (another one at the Golden Circle, which I will also talk about) the spot near Vogar has a bridge which allows you to pass from one continental plate to the other. It was a spot my Mom couldn't wait to see, and I was equally as glad when we found it.
Iceland is a country of magic, belief, and kindness. Over 80% of the population still believes in Elves, fairies, and trolls. Because of this, signs leading to Reykjavik play on this very belief system. A harbor town, like Vogar (and like most of Iceland, as the interior of the country is not inhabited) ships and beaches are prevalent. So is art, culture, and beauty.
I had to see this to believe it myself... sure enough, it was pretty common.
This kid feeding the birds with his Dad was a common site walking around on a weekday.
Reykjavik has a flee market, just like most cities. The reason I suggest visiting is the great price on goods. I personally have super sensitive skin and unfortunately for me, Icelandic wool is just too uncomfortable to wear. For anyone looking to buy a traditional Icelandic sweater, you can't beat the prices at the flee market. I saw sweaters marked down 60% from the store prices. Plus, this flee market is half garage sale, half place where local artisans can sell their work.
The quality at one shop was so good I was sad I couldn't buy a piece.
They not only sell sweaters, but wool spools, music, books (a great place to find a legend or two), and food. That's right, inside is a fish and veggie market.
Travel Tip: If you end up not buying food from the flee market, make sure you go to the "BONUS" stores, aptly nicknamed "the pink pig" stores. As these are the cheapest grocery stores in Iceland.
The observatory, our second stop, was FREE! It also offered a great view from it's upper patio. The wind was so intense (as you can see in the picture of my mom. ps: she looks 5x bigger than she is because the wind is blowing her clothes out around her) I could almost lay down on the breeze and not fall over.
To be honest with you, I researched the golden circle after doing it, more than I did before. Though the touristy route that I took was pretty (I loved Gullfoss) I would not do it again the same way. There were so many things that I didn't get to see, and a few I did that I would skip.
That's just me of course. I will walk you through what I did, and maybe it will be your cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, it was still a sight to see, just something I personally wouldn't do twice.
Every day in Iceland started one of two ways, with either a waterfall, or a rainbow. The day we drove the golden circle it was the latter.
What we didn't anticipate was the drive time to get to each place, and how much time we would want to spend at each place. Though we felt like we were seeing things at a quick speed, we only truly got to explore the first three.
Gullfoss:
This was probably my favorite place of the day, but that is because I'm way into finding waterfalls. With one path leading above the waterfall for high viewing, and one leading down right next to it, for a feel of the spray on your face, I very much felt like I got to "explore" here a little.
If I had to see one thing in the Golden Circle, this would be it. It is very wet near the water, so a rain coat is recommended. The path is also slippery, so wear good shoes. In fact, wear good shoes everywhere in Iceland.
Now poor Geysir, this was my least favorite part of the Golden Circle. Probably because I live not super far from Yellowstone, which in my opinion is a much grander geyser presentation. I found Geysir, to be more of a tourist trap than a cool spot to stop. It worked well to stretch my legs, and it was cool to see their version of "old faithful" blow (fun fact, due to an earthquake, the geyser now is unpredictable in how much volume it shoots into the sky. Though it still goes off almost every 2 minutes, I watched it simply bubble over one time, and drench people the next.).
If you like geysers this would be a stop for you, and by all means see it if you have time. If you don't, I personally would move on to hidden waterfall hikes, or hidden lagoons. Both are things I wished I had spent my time on.
Pronounced Thingvellir, Pingvellir is really known for 2 things.
1. The Alþing general assembly was established around 930BC and continued to convene there until 1798 (Think ancient parliament). Major events in the history of Iceland have taken place at Þingvellir and therefore the place is held in high esteem by all Icelanders.
2. It is another place where you can see the continental plates being pulled apart. What makes this spot different? At Pingvellir you can actually dive between the plates. Though it looked really cold to me, and I've sadly never scuba dived, we saw some people living out this once in a life time opportunity to be between to plates as they shift.
And of course, there was more waterfall action!