Part III - Landmannalaugar

Leaving the Golden Circle we headed out towards Landmannalaugar. This area is known for its multi-colored mountains and the vast lava fields. If I had to name one favorite spot during this trip, this probably would be it.



To get there we would have to take the F208 mountain road, which approaches the area from the north. Up until we left for Iceland we had been a bit apprehensive, because the road was closed just two days before. Apparently this season it snowed more than the previous years, and mountain roads in general opened later than usual. Even with the jeep, I have to say that it was a really bumpy ride. The scenery, however, was quite worth it ...





We had to cross a few rivers, but they were quite shallow, except maybe for the last one, just before arriving at the Landmannalaugar site. After watching some videos out there I had been somewhat worried, but the actual experience wasn't so scary.



Arriving at the camp site, it was almost empty. The site has some good facilities, including a nice café (still closed at the time). A. had planned for us to hike the Bláhnjúkur (Blue peak), so we asked for directions and went our way. Now, had I known how hard this hike was going to be, I probably would've thought twice before going. First of all, the climb up is really, really steep. I mean, really, really steep (you get the idea, right ?).
And although there was a sort of path, it was narrow and quite slippery (lots of rocks and fine gravel which made it even more difficult). Also, if you suffer from vertigo, this hike is definitely not a good idea.


going up ...


and up ...

I didn't keep track of time but I think we made it to the first summit in about an hour or so. Two nice German ladies were in front of us, and along with another two people we saw when we were already making our way back, that was the whole sum of people we met during that afternoon.
We rested a bit after the first climb and started hiking up to the summit (where you can see the disk in some of the photos). Again, very steep, and it helps not to look down. Not sure how long that took but when we arrived at the top I was tired and very relieved.

The views, of course, are outstanding. It was worth all that effort just to be able to look at this ...










The hike down was another challenge, added to the fact that we had to cross several patches of snow and icy bits. We crossed down from the other side of the mountain, going in the direction of the lava fields. We almost turned around at one point, not sure what the right path was, but eventually we figured it out and continued down. Also, the prospect of going back the way we came was not very appealing, I have to say. At one point, we had to cross the river to reach the lava fields. I forgot to mention that we also had to cross this same river just before we started the hike up the mountain. Usually there's a small bridge you can use, but because it was so early in the season the bridge was damaged and hadn't been repaired yet. We went ahead anyway, taking off our boots and looking for the shallowest section to cross. Now that is one experience I hope I won't have to repeat. The water was freezing and I could feel the icy cold in every nerve of my body. When we crossed it that second time there was a bonus, at least. Next to it were the hot springs so we could warm our feet afterwards.







The hike through the lava fields was more relaxed. A. went to check the hot springs but the rest of us were so tired we just rested for a while. There was a lot of snow on the ground still, so we had to be careful, but eventually we made it to the river side and followed the path back to the camp site again.

Thank god for the midnight sun, because when we got back it was already past 8 o'clock but the sun was still shining strong. The duration of the whole hike was probably around 5 hours, with a couple of small breaks in between.





I wish we had planned more time for this special place, but unfortunately it was time to return.

Back to Reykjavik we drove through a different road. We decided to take the F225, which passes right next to the Hekla volcano (the one that is supposed to be erupting anytime now).







It's a much better ride than the F208, and more scenic as well. Of course by the time we rejoined the Ring Road it was past the opening hours of most restaurants, so we drove until Selfoss, where the latest earthquake happened. Icelandic houses must really be built to sustain earthquakes quite well, because I hardly saw any signs of damage in the streets. We didn't find any restaurants or cafés opened at 11 PM, but there was the hot dog stand and some sandwiches at the gas station, which was enough. We were so exhausted, but it had been an amazing day. On our next visit to Iceland we will surely make the 4 day hike from Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork (our destination for the next day), a popular hike and probably one of the most beautiful.





Itinerary
From Gullfoss, roads 35,31,32, F26 and F208 to Landmannalaugar
From Landmannalaugar, road F225, and then 26 (part gravel) to the Ring Road
Ring road back to Reykjavik, with a brief stop in Selfoss

More photos at Flickr here

Part II - The Golden Circle

The next morning we woke up really early with plans for a full day ahead of us. We planned to visit the Golden Circle attractions and later a hike in Landmannalaugar .


Everywhere in Iceland you can see sheep and horses by the road (and sometimes on the road). This one we spotted on our way to Thingvellir

THINGVELLIR

Our first stop was the Thingvellir National Park, the closest to Reykjavik, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a good thing we went early, because we were able to explore a bit without meeting the crowds that usually visit (the tourist buses started arriving as we left, actually). The Golden Circle was probably the only place where we saw more tourists, but even then it’s not comparable to the number of tourists you might see elsewhere in Europe. That said, it was nice to have bits of the park all to ourselves.













We saw our first foss (waterfall) there, the lovely Oxarárfoss.


Oxararfoss


on the road from Thingvellir

GEYSIR









Our second stop was at Geysir, to watch the hot springs erupting in the air. The actual Geysir doesn’t erupt anymore, but its neighbour Strokkur gives a nice display almost every 6 minutes. It’s worth spending some time here, exploring the smaller hot springs nearby as well.














Lilac flowers near Geysir. We kept seeing these flowers everywhere



GULLFOSS



To complete the Golden Circle we finished with the mighty Gulfoss, which indeed is quite impressive. We walked all the way up to the base, and could hear the water thundering all around us.







We finished touring the Golden Circle a bit after lunchtime, and I wish we could've spent some time hiking in Thingvellir. But we were planning to hike in Landmannalaugar during the afternoon so that's where we were headed next...

ITINERARY

For a good road map of Iceland I recommend the Road Atlas by Edda, for sale at any bookstore in the city. We got ours in one of the bookstores in Laugavegur.
The road from Reykjavik to Thingvellir and the rest of the Golden Circle is easy and straightforward. I'll be updating this info later on with road specifics and the road conditions we found, as a reminder and in case anyone finds it useful.

Ring road then road 36 to Thingvellir
From Thingvellir roads 365 and 37 to Geysir
From Geysir, road 35 to Gullfoss

More photos at Flickr:

Thingvellir
Geysir
Gullfoss

Part I - Reykjavik

We landed in Keflavik airport a little bit after lunchtime, and were greeted by a sunny cold weather. We picked up our rental car, and drove straight to Reykjavik, which is located some 50km from the airport. We had decided to rent a jeep, which I highly recommend, unless you’re not planning to stray from the Ring Road. This so called Ring Road is the main road in Iceland and takes you in a circuit around the island. Most of it is paved, but some parts are still gravel, although perfectly doable on a 2WD. Bust most of the interior roads, however, are marked for 4WD access only, and we were planning to take some of these, probably needing to ford some rivers as well.

That first afternoon was spent in the city. It’s a good thing I didn’t have many expectations about it, or otherwise I might have been disappointed. It would be unfair to compare it to other Nordic capitals, such as Stockholm, my favorite, or even Helsinki. It’s quieter, smaller, and as it is, I found it to be a very relaxed, easy going kind of a city.





We didn’t have any plans for the day, and we were tired from our layover in London, so we just wandered around the center for a bit. The main shopping area (Laugavegur and the streets around it) is nice, and Icelandic designer shops are worth taking a look at.





The unmissable Halgrimskirkja church was right next to our guesthouse, but unfortunately in reconstruction, so we didn't manage to go all the way to the top, from where I read the views are spectacular.



There weren’t many people in the streets during that afternoon, but suddenly we stumbled into one of the main plazas, which was full of people sitting outside in the cafés, or in the garden nearby.





We were starving by then so we started to look for a nice place to have dinner. One thing Reykjavik does have are nice restaurants. Don’t expect them to be cheap, since everything in Iceland is quite expensive, but I suppose that with the Euro currency being so strong I didn’t find the prices to be too outrageous (or maybe it’s because the prices in Lisbon have been increasing so much as well).



We called the much recommended Saegreiffin first, but it was closed until the next Monday, so after checking a few places (including the Sjávarkjallarinn, supposedly the best restaurant in town, but none of us were up for fusion food that night) we decided to go for the more traditional Humarhusid (Lobster House)



That was an excellent choice, actually. The lobster soup was very good, as all the main dishes which included grilled lobster, grilled fresh cod and arctic char. My friend ordered whale sashimi, and after much debate with my conscience I gave in and had a bite. It didn’t surprise me that it tasted quite good, but I’m certain that was the first and last time for me. There was only one choice for dessert but it was delicious and left us content for the rest of the evening.





The next morning we would have to be up quite early so we walked back home and slept without problems despite the midnight sun.

Accomodation in Reykjavik:
Sunna Guesthouse
A really nice guesthouse next to the Halgrimskirkja church and therefore quite close to the centre. We stayed in one of their lovely apartments, which was a great value for money, at least according to Icelandic standards. Breakfast was very good, and the service as well.

Restaurants:
Humarhusid
Amtmannsstíg 1
101 Reykjavik

More photos at Flickr here