You hear about the wonders of Iceland - the land of fire and ice, but nothing really prepares you for the absolute beauty that is presented to you. As soon as you step off the plane at Keflavik, it's as if you've been transported to a completely different planet.
The volcanic landscape seems to stretch forever - a flat rocky terrain which looked not unlike like the surface of the moon, only black. Mystified on the bus journey after a fantastic short flight from Edinburgh on Icelandair (now also flying from Aberdeen), I have to say I didn't say much to begin with - I felt a little like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz; "We aren't in Kansas anymore Toto". It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before.
After an hour's bus transfer of howling winds and swirling gusts of snow, Reykjavik appeared down below us and soon the bus drew into the bus terminus, just outside Reykjavik Excursions. This is right in the town centre, a short distance from the distinguished landmark, Harpa Concert Hall. The distinctive coloured glass facade was chosen to mimic the basalt landscape of Iceland, but make sure you catch it at night when the lights around it change colour in spectacular fashion, just like the Northern Lights. Just behind, the view is astounding, with the snowcapped mountains and North Atlantic Ocean stretching out before you.
There are so many things to do, see and eat in Reykjavik, I could be here all day...so I've managed to fine tune the 'must dos' I saw when I was there. I've only scraped the surface, but hopefully it's helpful. Once you've covered these, then want to visit again and experience everything it has to offer. Believe me.
Stay:
A short walk from the terminus, up the main shopping streets of Laugavegur in the hip 101 District (look out for trolls in the windows of the shops FYI). A little up the hill on Thingholtsstraeti, we found the reception for Apartment K, checked in and taken a five minute walk to our accommodation. Apartment K is an amazing, quirky collection of modern studios and apartments, which are all decorated uniquely with off-the-wall decor, flatscreen tv and basic amenities - at a decent nightly rate too. I absolutely LOVED it.
Must Do:
Golden Circle Tour: This was probably my favourite element of the whole trip, which encompasses most of the classic sightseeing 'must-dos' you hear about. Booked with Reykjavik Excursions, the day trip takes you first to Thingvellir National Park - the location of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. You walk down the spreading boundary and can visibly see the separation between them. The views here are incredible, so take your camera.
Next stop on the tour takes you to the Gullfoss Waterfall, one of Iceland's many iconic waterfalls, where water plummets 32m in two stages into a rugged canyon. The waterfall is fed by Iceland's second largest glacier - the Langjökull. Potentially the most freezing I have ever been - but totally worth it!
Third stop on this tour is the Strokkur Geysir, which spouts hot water 100ft into the air every few minutes. Amazing!
The trip also takes you to a geothermal power plant, which is really interesting. All-in-all, get on the Golden Circle Tour.
The Blue Lagoon: Many guides to Reykjavik I've read recently advise many travellers to miss this out, but in my opinion, although it is really quite expensive for what it is, there's just no way I would tell anyone else not to go. The geothermal spa is beautiful. You must be brave after your pre-shower if it's during the winter months, for when I walked the short distance from indoors to the turquoise water, ice had formed on my feet. Get in there fast and enjoy the water - it feels about the temperature of a cosy bath! The water gets its colour from silica, algae and other minerals from the lava bed. There are trays of the silica mud, which collects on the bottom - slap this on your face as it will leave your skin feeling amazing.
*Tip: Don't wet your hair in the lagoon - crazy things can happen - that's your warning! 😳
Whale Watching: 🐳🐋 Although whaling sadly still goes on in Iceland, there is an opposing side rooting to make the slaughtering of whales something of the past. They have a motto 'meet us, don't eat us', which I stand by wholeheartedly. Therefore, I jumped at the chance to take a trip and hope to catch a glimpse of them in their natural habitat. After jumping into my survival suit and convincing myself I'd seen things, which were actually just waves, we struck gold! A pod of 6 Orca Whales - something which isn't seen very often, so I felt very lucky.
*Tip: make sure you take the seasickness tablet they offer you before you get on the boat. Even the most hardy of stomachs had a hard time not being upset. 🤢
Hallgrímskirkja: The imposing structure towers over the whole city - a beautifully mysterious church which was inspired by the shapes created when lava cools into basalt rock. It boasts a giant pipe organ and a statue of Leifur Eiriksson - the first European to discover America.
The Volcano House: As Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places in the world, you would naturally expect for there to be a museum, which covers everything you'd want to know about eruptions in the area. We paid a visit to the Volcano House, which also includes a volcano cinema, showcasing the natural, yet devastating beauty of the unpredictable landscape. 🌋
Should Do:
There are lots of things which I didn't get to do during my time in Reykjavik, which means I obviously need to go back and stay again (yay). These include:
Glacier Guides: Experience a range of different glacier trips - from adventures down in the ice caves to a glacier hike, there's not many places you can experience this first hand.
Pony Trekking: Being a keen horse rider, I can't wait to go back and experience trekking the beautiful sights on Icelandic horses. Iceland is very lucky to have horses which have a unique gait called tölt, which is a smooth, quick pace in between canter and gallop, as well as the flying pace - just what it sounds - flat out!
Avoid:
Northern Lights Tour: I'm so sad to say this and many people will think I'm crazy for adding this in, but in my opinion, the Northern Lights tour just isn't worth it. Understandably, humans can not control the weather. This means that when you pile on the bus with around 14 other bus loads (not joking) and drive out to a remote lighthouse, the chances of actually seeing the Northern Lights is very slim. For me, this was just overpriced and over subscribed. I would recommend downloading an mobile app of some sort, which will give you a much better idea of when you might best see the aurora borealis.
Looking for places to eat? I'm going to cover this separately, so look out for the blog soon.
If someone asks you to visit Reykjavik, do it! Don't even think about it - JUST DO IT! It is amazing. 👍🏼
No comments
Post a Comment