Aroud Iceland

Group gathering in Reykjavik at the central city campsite. Time arrival does not matter - arrive at least at midnight. From the airport to The campsite can be reached at any time of the day without any problems by bus in 18 Euro. Everything is not cheap in Iceland.

So, let's get together at the campsite (pre-booking is not needed, payment is due place), set up tents and get acquainted. If we have time, let's take a walk around city and go to the embankment to the famous Sunny Wanderer.

Today we are driving along the popular route known as the Golden Circle. Contrary to advertising, this is far from the most interesting corner of Iceland. But there are a lot of tourists here. That's why we're going to the Golden Ring at the beginning of the trip - so as not to spoil your impression later with crowds :) But It’s also impossible not to go - the geyser can only be seen here (and in USA).

So, we leave the tents at the campsite, leave Reykjavik and turn off to the East, to Þingvellir National Park. You surely heard about this place - a crack between the North American and Eurasian lithospheric plates, the oldest parliament in Europe and the most modest the residence of the head of state, which I only saw :)

After Thingvelir we go to the geysers. We will stand for at least half an hour, watching the Strokkur geyser erupt is much more A breathtaking sight than you might think looking at the photos. Then we pass past the sleeping giant Geysir and we will go further to the golden Gullfoss waterfall. The waterfall is also beautiful in its primeval power. Bring a raincoat for splash protection!

On the way back, for the sake of variety, we'll take a different route - through the episcopal cathedral at Skálholt and the small crater Kerid. Under Finally, let's take a look at the greenhouses of the village of Hveragerði, which heated by volcanic springs. You can go here if you want to the free hot springs (there’s a whole hot river there) and take a swim. Be sure to bring swimsuits and towels with you today. Overnight in Reykjavik central campsite.

Early in the morning we break up camp and practice pushing for the first time a huge amount of luggage in the car and no later than 9 am we leave for ring road no. 1. Our trip around Iceland is 90% complete it is along this road - the only asphalt highway (as many as two strip) connecting Icelandic cities and attractions.

We're going to the East. First stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall. Immediately wear raincoats - there is a path that goes under the waterfall and there very wet and very interesting. While the instructor moves the car to another end of the valley, you will walk along a rocky cliff with a couple more waterfalls and look into the tiny (30m) but very interesting Gljufrabui gorge (also need a raincoat). 

Next stop is the huge Skógafoss waterfall. Then, if it allows time, then we'll take a walk (4 km) to the impressive wreckage of a military aircraft at Sólheimasandur beach. But to be honest, time is running out, and there’s a long way to go so it's better to skip this point. But where we will definitely go is to the lighthouse on Cape Dyrhólaey, where hurricane winds await us, colossal rock arch, cute puffins and raging ocean.

We continue our acquaintance with the power of ocean waves on the black volcanic Reynisfjara beach. In addition to the deafening surf, there is special interest here represent basalt pillars and grottoes. A unique place for photo sessions - Girls, get ready for romantic dresses.

Literally for 20 minutes we stop in the village of Vik, to the supermarket. It's already evening and We still have about 150 km to travel to Skaftafell National Park. We're rushing through endless lava fields covered with a soft carpet of moss. Late dinner at Camping Skaftafell.

We get up early and go to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. It's a fantastic place, even if you just stand on the shore and watch. But if you want more, you can buy a ticket (from €45) and ride around amphibious lagoon. In addition, you definitely need to go to the mouth of the lagoon. There, the current throws huge ice floes ashore and you can take a photo hugging an iceberg.

We stop in the tiny town of Höfn for a visit to the supermarket and one photo on the embankment. The next point on the program is Cape Stoksnes (black dunes, harsh rocks) and the “Viking village” located there (€8, dilapidated film sets). It is further difficult to single out specific sights, we're just driving along the east coast of Iceland, enjoying the scenery (rugged coastline, stepped  rocks) and make stops at observation decks above especially beautiful beaches and waterfalls.

Near the town of Djúpivogur, the road goes deep into the island, we We cross the mountain range. There is no asphalt on this section and the speed there will be little movement. Having descended from the mountains, we find ourselves in the city Egilsstaðir located on the huge lake Lagarfljót (Lagarfljout), where, according to legend, the Lagarfljout serpent offends - Icelandic equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster. In Eijilsstaðir we do a short stop near a supermarket and cafes.

In fact, we have already passed the entire east coast of Iceland and the road is now turns to the West. We went around Vatnajökull - the most big glacier of Iceland. And now everything around is changing dramatically. To replace green grass and timid trees come a lifeless stone desert with hurricane winds. But the sky becomes clearer (most of clouds cling to the mountains) and we will finally see the sun.

As soon as you see steam rising from the ground outside the window, know that we are almost we've arrived. We set up tents in an idyllic campsite on the green shore of a lake Mývatn. We'll spend 3 nights here, so let's settle down thoroughly.

Today is the most beautiful and eventful day of the trip. To get everything done, Let's get up early. We'll be hanging around the lake all day long. Mývatn, and as you remember, we will spend the night right there (we don’t need to assemble tents necessary).

Let's start with the Hverir geothermal area. These are the erupting clubs a couple of fumaroles and boiling mud in the middle of a colorful desert. A brilliant sight.

Then we go to the Krafla volcano. Along the way we see a futuristic geothermal power plant. We walk along the side of a water-filled crater Víti and along the much fresher, smoking lava fields of the volcano Leirhnjukur. It's hard to explain in words, but it was on this lifeless slope you can especially vividly imagine the power of the fiery element that raged just a few years ago.

We drive back towards the lake and turn towards the Grjötagya cave (Grjótagjá). It houses the love nest of Jon Snow and Ygritte from "Games of Thrones". Then we climb to the crater of the Hverfjall volcano (Hverfjall) is an excellent observation deck, about 400 meters high.

The next point on the route is Dimmuborgir (also known as "dark" castle"). These bizarre rock formations (solidified lava field) also appeared in “Games of Thrones” - a winter camp was filmed here Wildlings. And the name "Dimmu borgir" attracted Tolkien at one time (it was such a mountain in "The Lord of the Rings") and one popular musical to the team from Norway :) Well, according to Icelanders, elves, trolls and locals live in a dark castle Santa Clauses.

Towards the end we go to the southern tip of the lake to have some lovely pastoral landscapes slightly dilute the ones that surrounded us all day severity and alienness.

We return to the campsite. After dinner, the most persistent can  going to the Myvatn Nature Baths geothermal baths (similar to Blue Lagoons in Reykjavik, entrance €45). At night it makes sense to look closely starry sky - if the sun does set, then you will have a small chance see the northern lights.

We leave Mývatn again and within an hour we arrive in the seaside town Husavík. We have an attraction planned here called Whale watching (whale safari or whale watching). They give you a warm one waterproof suit, boarded a small boat with others tourists, and ride for 3 hours along the huge Skjálfandi fjord. During this time you are almost guaranteed to see a whale (tail, back, fins). If you're lucky, he'll jump out of the water. This entertainment is worth approximately 85 Euros for a slow boat and 140 Euros for a fast boat (you will see 2 times more). If you don't want to swim, you can just stay on shore, go to the whale museum.

After the whales we stop at the supermarket, fill up the car and drive along ocean to the north, to the Aksarfjord Bay (Öxarfjörður). We're there for a couple of hours We walk along the Ausbyrgi canyon. This is a very unusual place for Iceland - here quiet (no wind), lots of greenery and water. According to legend, horseshoe-shaped The canyon is nothing more than the hoof print of Sleipnir (Odin's horse).

Then we climb the mountain plateau along a bouncy dirt road leading to Dettifoss waterfall. The next 20 kilometers to the parking lot waterfalls will be held in rally mode - in some places you want to accelerate, and in others It's getting scary.

We leave the cars in the parking lot and walk down to the Dettifoss waterfall. You might have seen it in the movie "Prometheus" and it's really a fantastic sight - in the middle of a dehydrated lunar landscape, suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge mass of boiling water. She rushes from that the Vatnajökull glacier itself, which we passed a couple of days ago on the southern coast. After the photo shoot at Dettifoss we walk another 1 km upstream to to the neighboring waterfall - Selfoss.

In the evening we return to Myvatn. Second chance to go to geothermal baths!

Окончательно прощаемся в Миватном, возвращаемся на трассу №1 и вскоре делаем остановку у водопада Годафосс (Goðafoss, «водопад Бога»). Он поменьше, чем вчерашние гиганты, зато в нём чистая, прозрачная вода. Затем еще 1 час в пути и мы самом крупном городе северного побережья  - Акурейри (Akureyri), 20000 жителей. Бросаем машину на парковке и идём на прогулку - ботанический сад, церковь, пешеходная улица, набережная. Акурейри - удивительно зелёный и тёплый городок, на мой вкус гораздо симпатичней Рейкьявика.

Традиционно наведываемся в супермаркет и продолжаем свой путь. Через час прибываем на ферму Glaumbaer. Это музей под открытым небом - традиционное поселение колонистов с торфяными домиками-землянками, соединёнными подземными ходами. Такой себе исторический прототип жилища хоббитов. В Исландии реальность и сказки сплелись особенно туго.

За Глаумбаером дорога "срезает" полуостров Skagi и уже через час мыс покидаем асфальт, чтобы подобраться к остаткам крепости Borgarvirki. По сути это очередной кратер, просто в средние века викинги умело использовали природный рельеф и оборудовали на скале оборонительное сооружение.

После Боргарвирки мы продолжаем движение на север к полуострову Ватнснес (Vatnsnes). На его восточном побережье мы смотрим скалу Хвитсеркюр (Hvítserkur) - это гигантский каменный слон в полосе прибоя. А потом идём к устью Sigriðarstaðavatn чтобы посмотреть на лежбище тюленей.

Затем объезжаем полуостров Ватнснес по периметру и на западном побережье заезжаем в еще несколько тюленьих мест. В заливе Húnaflói, вдоль которой мы едем тоже можно увидеть китов, причём прямо из машины. Ещё тут пасутся знаменитые исландские лошадки и на берегу стоит живописный маяк. К вечеру прибываем в посёлок Hvammstangi и паркуемся в кемпинге.

Today is a long day - we will be exploring the Snæfellsnes peninsula (Snæfellsnes), we have a lot to travel and will need to get up early. We go around the bay of Hrútafjörður and head west along the dirt road, to the treasured peninsula. Along the way we traditionally make stops at pretty beaches, Icelandic horses, broken ships and expensive supermarkets (we'll go to the town of Grundarfjörður). But the most important point on today it is a waterfall overlooking Mount Kirkjufell. This is one of the most photographed peaks in Iceland. You've probably seen it many times mountain-church on postcards and advertising brochures. Now you'll see this one beauty with your own eyes.

We drive further and go around the glacier located on the edge of the peninsula Snæfellsjökull. Sniffells is hiding under him - he the very volcano through the depths of which Jules Verne’s heroes made their “Journey to the center of the Earth." If the weather is good, we will definitely stop by its slopes, let's get closer to the glacier.

On the southern coast of Cape Snæfellsnes we will look into the Vatnshellir cave (pre-booking is required for a full tour), Let's take a photo against the backdrop of the Gatklettur rock arch and at the monument to the legendary bard Bárður Snæfellsás. And the last attraction on today Rauðfeldar is a canyon of doomed birds. It's very narrow and winding a crevice in the rocks is a real labyrinth on the way to another world. Canyon by the way also mentioned in the Icelandic epic about bards.

Having finished with the sights, we focus on the road - until overnight stay is another 190 kilometers. We arrive in Reykjavik around midnight, set up tents at a familiar campsite.

We take another walk along the Reykjavik embankment, buy more souvenirs and We leave for Keflavik airport. If your flight is still far away, you can parachute into the Blue Lagoon (from €85, book in advance) and spend time in thermal baths. We hand over rental cars at the airport and fly away. home. The trip around Iceland is complete!