Touring Iceland’s Golden Circle During Winter

On October 19, 2020October 19, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Iceland7 Comments

One of the most popular tours to take from Reykjavik is the Golden Circle. There are plenty of reasons why the Golden Circle is so popular and we were amazed by the impressive sights at each of the stops. Actual driving time is about four hours, but it takes at least six to eight hours with stops and hiking around to see everything that each destination has to offer. Assuming that you take the circle in the traditional direction, the first stop is Þingvellir National Park (pronounced Thingvellir in English), the second stop is Geysir, and the third stop is the Gullfoss waterfall. There are definitely some other stops that are worthwhile, but these three are “can’t miss” locations, each for their own reasons.

Þingvellir National Park is interesting for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is its natural beauty, which we’re sure is spectacular in any season, but since we were there during the tail end of the winter season, we enjoyed the snow-covered scenery. It is also home to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is where the tectonic plates of North America and Europe slowly separate away from each other. Iceland offers several opportunities to stand in both the North American Continent and the European Continent, but obviously Iceland is a European country. From a historical perspective, it is also the site of the first Icelandic Parliament, called Alþingi (Althing in English), in 930 AD, which we learned even more about during our visit to Borganese (more about that later). It is just north of the largest lake in Iceland, Þingvallavatn, which was mostly frozen while we were there, but still quite spectacular.

Having rented a car, we were doing a self-guided tour as opposed to riding one of the busses filled with other tourists. We’re not a big fan of crowds, so we preferred to do it ourselves and do our best to avoid the throngs of tourists that were there at the same time as us. Despite the fact that we were in Iceland in what is considered to be their off-season, we found that there were plenty of tours running everyday, so we can only imagine how busy the summer season must be. The good thing for us was that we could wait a few minutes and the tour guides would cattle call their group back to the bus and at least for a few minutes, we would have relatively quiet access to each of the sites. But if you do rent your own car and do the tour yourself, be careful because the environment can be very harsh and one mistake could lead to disaster. This didn’t lead to disaster, but a tourist plowed their car into a snowdrift and we tried to help them get the car out of the drift, but were unsuccessful. Fortunately they were able to call for help, but in these conditions it could have been disastrous.

Geysir, also known as The Great Geysir, is a spectacular geyser and is what all other geysers are named after. Obviously, Iceland is known as the “Island of Fire and Ice” due to all of the volcanos and thermal activity that occur throughout the island. Hot springs and geysers can be found throughout the island, but The Great Geysir is the most famous, having been active for 10,000 years, although it can go dormant due to earthquake activity for long periods at a time. While we were there, it was quite active, erupting several times in a twenty to thirty minute stretch. Having been to Yellowstone National Park and seeing Old Faithful as often as we have, it was interesting to see as the water in the mouth of the geyser ebbs up and down until it reaches its crescendo.

We had missed the hotel where we were hoping to have lunch, so we grabbed some fries from the cafeteria. Since Geysir was obviously the lunch stop for the tour busses, we had no desire to sit in the cafeteria surrounded by the large crowds, so we figured we would just save our appetite for a delicious Icelandic dinner that evening. One thing that we did learn is that finding restaurants outside of Reykjavik is not as easy as it has been in other places we’ve visited. The countryside is dotted with wonderful little farms and small villages, but very few cafes and diners where you can grab a bite to eat, so planning ahead as to where you want to stop is a definite must.

Another View of Geysir Starting to Erupt

The final stop was the waterfall at Gullfoss. This was truly the most spectacular site that we saw during the day and one that will last with us for years to come. Despite being cold from being sprayed with the mist from the falls, it was as beautiful as anything that we’ve ever seen. The combination of ice and rushing water made for a fascinating contrast that was mesmerizing to watch. If we weren’t so cold, we could have hiked around the falls and captured them from every angle possible for hours. Even if you don’t have time to do the full circle, a trip to Gullfoss is an absolute must.

We continued around the circle, surrounded by incredible beauty, with only one other site that we wanted to see along the way. Despite the crowds that were at each of the stops, the roads were mostly empty and most of the time that we spent driving, there wasn’t another soul around, which felt a little ominous at times. It gave us a sense of how harsh it must be to live there during the winter and how hard it must have been for the earliest settlers of the island. Another stop worth seeing is a volcano caldera called Kerið (pronounced Kerith in English) that is along the circle, which isn’t nearly as busy as other stops. Also, no matter where you go in Iceland you will find plenty of Icelandic horses, which are furrier than those that we find here in North America.

All in all, the Golden Circle was amazing, but it was only our second day in Iceland, so there were plenty more amazing sights to see before our trip would be over. We know that we’ve said that we don’t get pictures of sunrises because we’re just not up that early, but Iceland changed that for us since the sun rises so late. We couldn’t have been happier with our decision to visit Iceland, it was one of those experiences that will stay with you forever.

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula – Iceland in Miniature

On August 22, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Iceland14 Comments

Our last full day in Iceland was also one of our busiest and most rewarding. It started out a little stressful as we woke to a fresh five or six inches of snow on the roads and we had a two and half to three-hour drive to peninsula ahead of us. We had rented a 4WD SUV just in case something like this happened, after all we were in Iceland, but that doesn’t mean that it can get through anything. We asked several people at the hotel if they thought the road conditions would be okay for us to make it the peninsula and they all said that it might be “a little icy”, but that we should be fine. Since we live in Colorado, we’ve probably told people something similar when we’ve had a few inches of snow, but we’ll probably think twice about saying that again in the future.

It was still dark out when we hit the roads and it was white knuckle driving as we made our way out of Reykjavik. Once we got out of town and the skies started to lighten up, the roads got a little better, but we would deal with icy roads for most of the day. The drive to the peninsula took us back through the town of Borgarnes where we turned off of the Ring Road (the road that circles the entire island) and headed west. Once we turned off of the Ring Road, we were pretty much the only car on the road, which was a little unnerving to be out in the middle of nowhere with no one else around. Despite the fact that the Snæfellsnes peninsula is considered “Iceland in Miniature” due to all of the sites that can be seen, it is also one of the least spots travelled to by tourists, perhaps because they have to leave the Ring Road. As you can tell by the varied scenery in the pictures, it really is an amazing place to see so many different sights.

One notable feature that is visible from everywhere on the peninsula is the Snæfellsjökull volcano which has a glacier that covers its cap. It is the highest mountain on the peninsula and can be seen from the Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavik on a clear day. It was the inspiration for Jules Verne’s “A Journey to the Center of the Earth” and was the location where the expedition started their trek below the earth. The Snæfellsjökull National Park takes you around the volcano and along the ocean and has some pretty incredible views. All national parks in Iceland are free, so they are definitely worth visiting. In order to get into the park, you have to drive over a pass on the edge of the volcano, which was covered in ice while we were there and made for some nervous driving conditions. With all of the active volcanos in Iceland and the land littered with huge lava boulders found miles from the volcano calderas, one can only imagine the potential devastation if one of the larger volcanos were to erupt.

The first stop, as we drove along the peninsula heading towards the park, was the town of Hellnar. It is really only a few buildings and a café that was closed while we were there. During the summer, you can book tours up to the top of Snæfellsjökull in order to see the glacier. The main attractions here are the beautiful little church, the views of the ocean, and all of the birds that make the area their home. The sun actually came out for a little bit, making it a cheery spot to visit. As you can tell from our pictures throughout the trip, the sun made few appearances for us and when it did, clouds returned within a few hours to blanket the sky. Unfortunately for us, the weather and a less than active solar period kept us from seeing the Northern Lights, which was probably our only disappointment of the trip.

From Hellnar, we continued along the coast to Malariff, where there is a lighthouse, and Lóndrangar, which are a couple of rock pinnacles that jut out along the rugged coastline. The rock formations are interesting and lighthouses are always nice, but otherwise it wasn’t anything too impressive. We continued on and entered the national park, always with Snæfellsjökull looming above us as we drove around the coastline. As you reach the northern end of the park, there is a road that heads west to the ocean and one of the many lighthouses on the island. You travel across a lava field and have some beautiful views of the ocean crashing against the black lined coast. After driving for twenty minutes, we turned around as the road conditions just kept getting worse and worse.

Once we reached the main road once again, we could see the most western portion of the Westfjords towering over the ocean water. Knowing that we still had about a four hour drive ahead us, we started heading back to grab a late lunch at the Hotel Búðir. On the way, we saw what looked like steam coming off of some of the lower peaks of Snæfellsjökull, which was a little unnerving to think that there was any chance that there could be anything active on the giant volcano. Although it was probably just a cloud that settled on the mountain, we were happy to make our way out of the area. Our lunch was wonderful, probably because we were extremely hungry from hiking around the different locations where we stopped. The hotel was truly charming, the staff incredibly friendly and if we’re ever back in the area, we would definitely considering staying with them.

All in all, it was a perfect way to end our brief trip to Iceland. We know that we’ll be back again, perhaps in the fall, when things might not be as frozen, but there still might be a chance to see the Northern Lights. We’re glad we chose to make the drive across the frozen tundra and frozen roads to see everything that the peninsula had to offer. After driving back to Reykjavik, we were thoroughly exhausted, but satisfied. Our time in Iceland is something that we will obviously never forget.

Growth Through Destruction

On January 16, 2018January 16, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Iceland, Photo Challenge, South America3 Comments

It is a harsh reality that our world is shaped by violent and disruptive events. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and violent storms change the earth’s landscape on a regular basis. Although each of these events can be quite dramatic, ultimately they can create stunning beauty. Many islands, such as Hawaii would not exist if it weren’t for the eruptions of volcanoes. Even though we see evidence of events that have occurred hundreds or thousands of years ago, seeing our world change before eyes is a constant reminder that we are but a small part of the natural world. As much as we try to control the world around us, nature continuously reminds us that we are not in control. This week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is words that start with the letter V, so we have chosen photos of volcanoes from both Iceland and Ecuador, some of which were active.