Michael and I decided to spend a few days in Iceland before we went on a cruise with two of his sisters. It had long been on my bucket list to visit Iceland! Without going into a great deal of detail, here’s what we saw each day prior to the cruise.

August 12: The Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is a 155-mile circular drive that visits three of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions: Gullfoss, Geysir and Þingvellir National Park. It also includes Kerið Crater. Here is the route (we didn’t actually start and end in Reykjavik, but from out hotel):

Þingvellir National Park or Thingvellir National Park is the only UNESCO world heritage site on Iceland’s mainland. The park is a site of great historical importance and is where Iceland held its first parliament over one thousand years ago. Set on the mid-Atlantic ridge, the park is also a geological wonder where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and separate, creating large fissures.

Geysir (also known as The Great Geysir), located in the Haukadalur geothermal area, is a hot spring that spouts steam and hot water high into the air. While it used to erupt regularly, in recent years it has become quite unreliable. Fortunately, its neighbor, Strokkur, is one of the most active geysers in Iceland. It erupts every 8 to 10 minutes, spouting water 20 meters into the air.

Here is the progression of the Strokkur eruption up close:

Gullfoss Waterfall is simply majestic and one of the finest waterfalls in Iceland. It plunges 32 meters over two tiers into a small gorge which cuts through the neighboring landscape. This unusual, cascading shape makes Gullfoss one of the most photographed waterfalls in Iceland. There are several viewing platforms around Gullfoss that offer different angles of the waterfall and canyon. For some reason we have very few pictures of this “most photographed” waterfall! I added one from the web so you can see the falling water.

Kerið Crater 
Formed over 3,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption, Kerið Crater is one of the best sights on the South Coast. The crater’s vibrant colors are fascinating to see in person.

We also stopped at some hot springs but we have no pictures. One of the pools was closed because it was too hot! The one we were in was heavenly!

August 13: Volcano Hike and Lava Show

After eating a sweet breakfast at the bakery by the hotel, we set out to do some hiking then headed back to town for a Lava Show.

We walked the Fagradalsfjall Hiking Trail. Path A (which we took) passes by the sites of volcanoes that erupted in the past few years. Specifically, the crater from the 2021 eruption of Mt. Fagradalsfjall in Geldingadalir and the Meradalir valley, where the new eruption started on August 3, 2022. 

Let’s unpack two of those:

• Geldingadalir: The name means “The Valley of the Castrated Animals.” The volcano in this valley is located on privately owned land, but the area is open to the public when weather conditions permit. 
• Fagradalsfjall: A small plateau and tuya volcano (a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano  formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet; rare worldwide) on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland. The volcano had been dormant for 6,000 years before erupting on March 19, 2021. The eruption lasted for six months and created a new lava field that visitors can see. 

We did not see any active eruptions. Darn! But it was a very interesting hike, with terrain unlike what we typically see! One of my favorite things about the hike was the fact that there were times that I couldn’t see a single soul anywhere.

Path A starts at the bottom (parking lot) and goes around the left side up to the point where it stops after the curve (the line on the map is green at that point). Michael didn’t go quite that far. I am not sure exactly where he turned around.

But let’s start with pictures from the drive to the trail. As per usual, it was overcast, but we still determined that the scenery was lovely.

I can’t tell you where I was on the hiking path when each of these pictures was taken. Sorry!

The Lava Show recreates a volcanic eruption by superheating real lava up to 2000°F and pouring it into a showroom full of people. It is the only live lava show in the world and has received multiple innovation awards and recognition for its educational and cultural value. One of the highest rated attractions in Iceland and an utterly unique immersive experience unlike anything else in the world.

August 14: Drive “Down South”

I would describe this as a waterfall and puffin day. Why? Cuz we saw waterfalls. And lots of puffins! It was a marvelous day!! We were glad we had our rain gear with us!

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Plunging over 60 meters, Seljalandsfoss is one of Iceland’s most remarkable waterfalls. What makes it so special is that you can actually walk behind it! (In other words, you can see “the back side of water,” just like you can on the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland or Walt Disney World.) The trail takes you all the way around the base of the waterfall. Just make sure you bring a rain jacket and some waterproof trousers as you will get soaked from the spray! I think this was my favorite waterfall.

Right next to Seljalandsfoss is Gljúfrabúi Waterfall
You have to walk through a gorge until you get to a cave. Inside the cave, the waterfall comes straight down. The spray can be very strong once you’re inside the canyon and it is possible that your feet will get wet walking to and from the waterfall. When we were there I had to wait in line for about 30 minutes to enter the cave. It was worth it, though!

Skogafoss Waterfall
Skógafoss is one of the most powerful and dramatic waterfalls in Iceland. There is a trail that will take you up to a viewing platform at the top of the waterfall. The views at the top are beautiful. Once you’re at the top, you can either just enjoy views from the viewing platform, or you can continue along the Skógá Trail.

Dyrhólaey
Dyrhólaey is a small peninsula with panoramic views over Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach on one side and the Endless Black Beach on the other. Dyrhólaey Peninsula is one of the best places to see puffins. They fish in the morning so if you go late afternoon, you’ll often see them on the grass covered cliffs. And boy, did we ever see a lot of puffins! What a treat! They are SOOOO cute! I primarily took closeups so it doesn’t give you a great idea of just how many there were. I am sure there were more than 500. (Michael thinks there were 1,000.)

Black Sand Beach Reynisfjara
We just viewed this from the peninsula since we’ve seen other black sand beaches. That said, this black sand beach is a breath-taking sight. Equally impressive are the incredible basalt columns close to the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. These columns were formed when magma cooled slowly and cracked into columns.

I will end this post with a few pictures from our drive back to the B&B.