I C E L A N D ’21
Travelblog
The Azores were actually on the list for 2021. Due to the increasing incidence in Portugal, we decided to spend our vacation in Iceland this year. We have been enthusiastic about this island for a long time and we actually wanted to spend four weeks here. In the end we had 16 days left, which limited the travel program a bit.
We decided on two stops: Reykjavík and Höfn. From there we want to go on day trips. From Reykjavík we want to see the Golden Circle, the Kirkjufell and, if possible, we would like to go on a whale watching tour by boat. From Höfn, Skógafoss, the Solheimasandur wreck, a Black Sand Beach, the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Jökulsárlón and a hike on the Vatnajokull are on the agenda. We also want two days by car – we have reserved a four-wheel drive vehicle – to the Landmannalaugar massif.
Our journey starts on September 11th in Frankfurt. We will come back to Germany on September 26th.
Day 1 – September 11 2021
Today we went to Frankfurt very early. After three boring hours in Terminal 2 the flight with Icelandair started on time. We were lucky enough to sit next to the emergency exit, which means first class for legroom – unfortunately only for legroom: There was no food due to the corona. So we landed starved but on schedule at 3:30 p.m. local time in Iceland.
The FlyBus took us to Reykjavik and gave us a first impression of the local prices. The trip cost the equivalent of 46 euros – in Tokyo, double the journey cost 16 euros. The journey led through an inhospitable, flat landscape. On the horizon, however, the first mountains could already be seen – including a smoking one. We suspect it was Fagradalsfjall. In a few days we may be able to confirm this …
The Hotel 201 makes a good impression. It’s clean, the rooms and bathrooms are spacious and well equipped. The safe would be big enough for a whole lot of camera equipment. Fridge, free parking space and WiFi complete the package. The young lady at the front desk is extremely helpful and patient with us.
There are several restaurants close to the hotel, so we were spoiled for choice. In the end we decided on the Hradlestin, an Indian restaurant – simply furnished but fast service. Our Chicken Madras and a vegetarian rice plate were not typically Icelandic but very tasty. At a later hour the restaurant filled up and, above all, the take-away counter was more than well attended.
Tomorrow we have to get up early again, breakfast is 7:00 a.m. and our whale watching boat trip starts at 8:00 a.m.
Day 2 – September 12 2021
Unfortunately, our boat trip has been canceled at short notice due to rough weather conditions. The trip is resceduled for next Wednesday. Today we had light rain and strong wind all day. So we had to explore Reykjavik under unfavorable conditions. Since our rental car is only available tomorrow, we took the bus to the center. Note: buses run here on Sunday as needed, not according to plan. The electric scooter symbolizes what we got to know from Iceland so far: a lot of confidence in new technology and bad weather.
From the central bus station in Hlemmur, we first went to the shore. Here is the sun barge, called „Sun Voyager“ a work of art that is supposed to symbolize the Icelandic urge to go into the distance – with the weather we can well imagine this …
The Harpa, Reykjavik’s opera house, is right on the harbor. It has an unusual architecture made of glass elements, which looks even more impressive from the inside than from the outside. The building can be visited free of charge.
The harbor is surrounded by various museums, including the Phallus Museum, a collection of 280 penises of all kinds of animals. The Icelandic Art Museum can also be found here, it is located in an old prison, as a look into this art hall shows.
A little further is the Rainbow Alley, a street that is lined with colorful houses with galleries, bars, bistros and restaurants. This is Reykjavik’s party strip. You can tell that Reykjavik is a very young city in terms of population.
The street, which is partly painted in the rainbow colors, leads straight to one of the city’s landmarks, the Hallgrimm Church, which was only completed in 1974, with its 74 m high tower.
The building has an extremely imposing architecture, but as an Evangelical Lutheran church, it is kept almost in Scandinavian minimalism on the inside.
On the way back we tried fish and chips at the Reykjavik Street Food, they were already quite tasty. After a short detour to City Hall, the weather drove us back to the bus station and the hotel.
Day 3 – September 13 2021
This morning we picked up our rental car. After a two-hour walk through the rain and the less interesting suburbs of Reykjavik, we ended up in an industrial park at the Avis company, which rents the cars for Sunny Cars. We had booked a four-wheel drive vehicle that we also want to drive on the so-called F-Roads, which are not paved and are occasionally crossed by streams. Unfortunately, although our Suzuki Vitara had 4WD, it also had rather awesome summer tires. After the agency had assured us in written form that we would not have to pay the towing fees in the event we got stuck, we finally accepted the vehicle.
As soon as we started the engine, the weather suddenly improved. The first drive took us out of the city towards the southeast. Via the ring road we reached the N36 and our first waterfall, the Helgufoss near Mosfellsbær. The waterfall is rather unknown, so we had it to ourselves. The place gave us a first impression of Iceland’s nature. Free-roaming Icelandic horses grazed nearby (to say ponies is frowned upon here).
Our way led us on to Laugarvatn, a tranquil lake.
Then it went on via the N36 to Þingvellir. This gorge is part of the UNESCO cultural heritage.
Here lies the border between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Both plates drift apart about one centimeter each year and widen the gorge. There is also a beautiful waterfall here, the Oxarafoss.
In addition to the Þingvellir, the Strokkur (a geyser) and the Gulfoss also belong to the so-called Golden Circle, a collection of extremely beautiful natural wonders. Since the weather seemed more or less stable, we decided to visit both sights.
The Strokkur is a large, very active geyser, which about every ten minutes very reliably spits a fountain of boiling water up to 30 m high. Nearby is the „Geyser“, originally up to 65 m high but now inactive, the namesake of all geysers. There are also a number of smaller geysers and bubbling water holes that smell of sulfur.
The geysers are located in an incredibly colorful landscape.
The last stop on our tour today was the Gulfoss, the „Golden Waterfall“, named after the reflections that sometimes arise in the evening sun. The waterfall has two large cascades and is 32 m high. It is absolutely impressive even from a distance. About 130 m³ water per second flow down the waterfall, in rainy times it can be considerably more.
Since it was already quite late, this otherwise very popular place was almost empty.
Our return took place at dusk. Since the Icelandic roads are naturally quite empty, driving here is pleasant. Only the gravel roads are difficult to drive on, as the driving behavior of cars changes significantly here. All in all, it was a good first day trip – finally in reasonably good weather.
Day 4 – September 14 2021
For today we have made the peninsula around Keflavik. The tour went around the airport and had some sights to see. At 10 o’clock we set out and drove south on the N41. The barren landscape has quite a few motifs to offer if you occasionally pull over to the right and move a few meters away from the road. We were particularly impressed by the coast with small houses and the rocky landscape with its craters.
Our way led us through some fishing villages to the village of Garour at the very northern tip of the peninsula. Here you can see the Baldur, the first Icelandic fishing boat with a bridge. It’s in a parking lot right by the harbor. However, the boat has now rusted a lot.
Then the route led us to two lighthouses, one from the 19th century and one from 1947. The older one can be visited. Here we had an incomparable view of a wild, stormy sea. The seagulls had difficulty staying in the air. We also saw a marten here. However, we are not sure about the species identification. In the Lighthouse Cafe we had tea and a muffin. The service was nice but very conscientious. We learned from her that there has been no official mask requirement in Iceland for about a week.
The trip continued to the village of Stavnes. Here is another lighthouse, which is striking because of its orange color. A geocache was also hidden here, but it was guarded by five Icelandic horses. They immediately identified us as potential feeders and followed us very persistently, which made the search for the cache difficult. I saved myself by escaping onto some rocks in the sea. After all, this was the first geocache we found in Iceland.
The Hafnaberg bird rock was our next stop. We parked in the middle of a rocky landscape and walked towards the coast through a landscape that NASA would have honored as a training area for astronauts.
The route was only about 2.5 km long, but because we walked on sand and stones it felt like 10 km. Piles of stones lined the path and served as landmarks.
When we arrived at the coast, we were rewarded with a unique sight of steep cliffs and a stormy surf, about 30 m below us. The sun was shining, what was missing were the birds. They only nest here until August.
Around 4 p.m. we continued along the south coast point, we stopped briefly at a volcanic crater. The smell of sulfur was unbelievable.
Shortly afterwards we arrived in Grindavik. In this fishing village there is plenty of industry at the port, but also good fish restaurants. In the Fish House we eat fish and chips and a fish soup. The restaurant is quite chilled and recommended.
We continued to the Fagradalsfjall volcano about 10 km away. This volcano has been extremely active lately and can be visited. That promises spectacular photos. However, it would have taken two hours to hike at dusk to reach the volcano. Since we didn’t have a lamp with us, we decided to postpone this visit.
So we went back to the hotel. The journey went on the N42 through an extremely picturesque, mountainous landscape with many lakes.
Day 5 – September 15 2021
6 o’clock the alarm clock rang at 7 o’clock there was a quick breakfast. At 8 o’clock we were picked up by the bus for whale watching. Shortly after 9 o’clock the „Andrea“ cast off. The ship is a 34 m long excursion boat from Special Tours with three decks. At first we had about one meter of swell further out about 1.5 m. Of course, some people here got sick very quickly.
But: Sunshine! Still, it’s cold and windy. Around 11 a.m. we see two dolphins, shortly afterwards a few more. The animals circled and explored our ship. They are very curious. We got some good photos but because the Andrea was partly across the waves, taking photos was a matter of luck.
Of course there were a lot of birds to.
The ship was half full at most. The guide was a German woman, the lecture was in English. On the way back to the port, she told us some Nordic sagas.
At about 12:30 p.m. we docked again in the port of Reykjavik. We didn’t see any whales, but the trip was still nice. We finally had full sun and fresh wind around our noses.
Then it went to the whale museum, which is a little off the track but also at the harbor. There are mostly models and a few bones, but the 1:1 scale models provide a good overview of the proportions right up to the blue whale, which stretched over an entire hall.
Afterwards we had lunch in the port of Reykjavik. The restaurant Höfnin. We had fish stew and mussels. The stew was unusual but both tasted excellent.
Then we walked to the bus station and took bus line 2 back to the hotel. About 20 students climbed up halfway – it was narrow and, thanks to the constant sunshine, also very warm. Apparently our Arctic clothing was a topic of conversation for some of the students. Some took pictures of us with their smartphones.
Day 6 – September 16 2021
Today after breakfast we went to Kirkjufell, Iceland’s most beautiful mountain. The tour is about 380 km. The drive led along the N1 through rain and high fog.
First it went through the 6 km long tunnel under the Hfalfjödur to Akranes. It is a picturesque place with small houses, an old harbor and a lighthouse.
Then we went on to Borgarnes, where we bought a chocolate snail from a bakery that is said to be a local specialty – it was very tasty.
After Borgarnes we continued on the N54 through the mountains. At the so-called Sheep Fall, a high waterfall with many steps, we got out for some photos and our first drone flight. Here seems to be a weather divide, it suddenly became sunny.
The tour led through a breathtaking mountain landscape. Rugged black rocks and rolling green and red hills alternated.
The Kirkjufell is located on a peninsula in Grundarfjödur, not far from the village of the same name. This 463 m high mountain is really an exception! It is rightly called the most beautiful mountain in Iceland. However, it has an elongated profile from the side, so that we did not recognize it immediately.
Opposite is a waterfall that flows into a pot, a tourist attraction and accordingly well visited. Everyone wanted selfies with a waterfall and a mountain in the background. But this only works in a single place, which was therefore overcrowded.
Some scenes from season 7 of „Game of Thrones“ were filmed here. We took a lot of photos of the Kirkjufell and also some drone photos. We were able to photograph the mountain from above, from a height of around 500 m – spectacular!
On the way back we tried a gravel road through the mountains. The landscape changed its face every 500m. Black soil followed red mountain slopes, then came a rocky desert, then several blue lakes and green slopes.
Another drone flight followed on the most beautiful part of the way, then the batteries were empty. But we weren’t the only drone pilots here.
The return trip was initially still sunny, after which it was foggy and rainy again. Overall, the Kirkjufell is a recommended day trip that you should treat yourself to.
Day 7 – September 17 2021
Today was the second time we were at Fagradalsfjall, an active volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The first time it was late and it was getting dark. Today we left early and arrived at the parking lot around 10.30 a.m. It’s about 50 km south-west of Reykjavik. The volcano is currently a major place to be and attracts many tourists, including simpler minds who walk around on the „cooled“ lava. Rubber soles then quickly start to burn – this is called „learning by bruning“. Motorized rangers are on site so that too much doesn’t happen.
The ascent to the volcano is about 3 km long, the last part is very steep and leads to the neighboring mountain. Halfway there you come very close to the lava. From a distance of five meters, the cooled lava also radiates tremendous heat.
But it only gets really exciting further up. The volcano has an exposed cone with a diameter of about 100 m. Yellow sulfur deposits surround the summit. The lava flows from several ground fractures into the valley at an amazing flow speed. So far, approx. 2.5 km of the valley floor with a width of approx. 500 m has been covered with lava and it is still flowing. The heat in this place can also be felt from a great distance. It smells like a huge campfire.
We did several drone flights over the lava field here and were able to take good photos.
At around 2.30 p.m. we were back at the car. Instead of the N42, we initially drove our first F-Road in the same direction. The gravel site was very steep in places and led through a series of large puddles. On the pista there were always large stones that you had to avoid. The path led into an incomparably picturesque green valley with a length of about 1.3 km and steep slopes – an incomparable place that we would never have found without a four-whell drive vehicle. Here we sent the drone on a voyage of discovery again.
Later we took the „normal“ road towards Reykjavik. We stopped at Krysuvikurkirkja, a tiny church that stands alone on a green slope, remnant of a peasantry that no longer exists.
We make further stops at Lake Krysuvik, a crater lake and the Seltun springs. The hot springs here emit water up to 95 degrees and smell strongly of sulfur.
For dinner we drove to Hafnarfjördur, a place where the descendants of the Vikings are very fond of their history. We ate in Fjörukrain, a very rustic restaurant furnished with all sorts of Viking devotional items. The restaurant is definitely recommended!
Day 8 – September 18 2021
Today was our last day in Reykjavik. We want to visit the Caves of Hella and Seljalandsfoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland.
In cloudy weather, the journey leads to the petrol station, then on the N1 to Selfoss. It’s a really nice place. We wanted to stop at Kaffi Krús, but it was still closed. Therefore, a photo had to be enough first. Unfortunately, the weather has not improved yet.
It went on to Hella. The place really has little to offer, but there is a vinbudin. Here you can buy all kinds of spirits and quite good wine.
The cave tour through the Caves of Hella begins at 12 noon. Photography is allowed here, which has not been the case in most of the caves we have visited so far. The cave tour is led by a young Icelander who speaks English quite well. He turns the cave tour into a history lesson and has really interesting reports. The caves did not develop naturally, but were dug into the soft rock by human hands. It was probably Celtic slaves who dug these caves. In any case, this took place before the Icelandic colonization in the 9th century.
Today the caves are on the site of a farm and are still used as storage rooms. There are nine caves of various sizes in total, three of which we were able to visit. The largest cave is called the chapel and is still used today for masses and weddings. At the end of the cave a Christian cross is carved into the rock.
Then we drove on via the N1 to Seljalandsfoss. You can walk around this high waterfall completely, so you can also view it from behind, but you get very wet. The place is great for long exposures.
Then we hiked to the rearmost waterfall, about 600 m. This waterfall is located in a ravine point – the pot of the waterfall is accessible, but you have to hike through the river that feeds the waterfall. Here you are really showered. Still a very recommendable place.
On the way back to Selfoss we took photos of a small church.
In Selfoss, the Kaffi Krús was open and we could enjoy cake and coffee. The café is very rustic and nicely decorated. However, the prices are very high even by Icelandic standards. A piece of cake is the equivalent of almost € 10.
The way back led behind Selfoss via the N35 and a branch route south along the Þingvallavatn lake. A very beautiful, mountainous route.
We arrived back at the hotel around 7:15 p.m. Now it’s time to pack, because tomorrow we’re going to Höfn, that’s a distance of around 460 km.
Day 9 – September 19 2021
This morning we put our suitcases in the car, refueled again and then drove the 460 km to Höfen. Nevertheless, there was a lot to see on the way:
First we were again at Seljalandsfoss, which we were able to photograph today in the sun.
Our second stop was the Skogafoss, a wide and high waterfall that you can approach from below as well as from above. In the upper area there is a viewing platform, below you can walk through the flat river bed and get as close as you dare to the falling water. Of course, Skogafoss is well attended and there are plenty of selfie-crazy people here too.
We made another stop at Black Sand Beach near Vik. The black sand in connection with the white spray is really worth seeing.
Shortly after Vik begins a large, wide landscape – here is no landmark to be found, to the left and right nothing but stone desert.
The Vatnajökull glacier begins in the very south. Like a huge white hand, he embraces the high mountains from above. We drove more than 100 km next to the glacier.
Our next stop was the gorge by the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. It cannot be entered, but it can be photographed from several sides. This sight is really recommended.
The last stop before Höfen was the glacier fjord on Vatnajökull. Here blue icebergs swim towards the ocean. Washed back blocks of ice lie on the black beach, therefore called „Diamond Beach“. Since it was very cold here, we only stayed a short time. We will definitely visit this place again.
Around 6:30 p.m. we arrived in Höfen and moved into our room in the Hvammur Guesthouse. Then there was dinner in neighboring Hafnarbúðin. The guesthouse is right on the harbor with a wonderful view of the ships.
Day 10 – September 20 2021
Today we explore the next port of Höfn, (1,700 inhabitants) and then the surrounding area towards the northeast.
First of all, it’s time to go shopping for breakfast at Netto. There is free coffee and tea in the guesthouse, as well as water, spices, etc. The kitchen is very well equipped.
In Höfn you can drive to the southern tip, but there is only one monument.
In the sunshine we drove to Vestrahorn, a mountain in the southeast. Here we visited the Viking village. But that’s not really worth it. The village served as a film set. The half-fallen huts cannot be entered.
However, you can also drive to a parking lot near the coast, right next to the lighthouse. Next to it is a coast guard radar dome. In the past, the area was seized by the American military.
We climbed the coastal cliffs. It was sunny here, but also stormy. The surf was a fantastic sight. Seals rest here; one of them had dared to go into the water. We were also able to take pictures of large seagulls. The walk across the headland was spoiled by the sunshine.
We continued to Skútafoss, a not excellent waterfall with several steps. The road there is a disaster. As a result, we were only a few visitors. The main waterfall falls into a basin. You can walk behind him, and there is a kind of cave here that was probably washed out by the water. This waterfall is really great.
This landscape almost cried out for a drone flight. Sheep grazed further up, and they were completely unimpressed by the drone.
Our last stop for today was the Golden Valley (Hvannagil Canyon). To do this, you have to drive into an F-Road and almost to the end. There is a wide ford there, but we didn’t dare to cross it. Therefore there were wet feet when wading through.
Two valleys extend north and west. We first explored both with the drone, which resulted in spectacular photos. The valley to the north can probably not be hiked through on the ground, as a river runs here. But to the west we walked a bit into a wonderful landscape. The mountains have many shades of red and in the evening sun there is actually a golden impression.
Neither the Golden Valley nor the Skútafoss were signposted. We consider both to be an insider tip.
On the way back, the weather was at its best. We were therefore able to take photos of the mountains and the Vatnajökull above from a great distance.
We arrived at the guesthouse around 6 p.m. We had a great view of the busy harbor. Yesterday he was in a large trawler on the quay, which is already on the way again today. There are also many small fishing and excursion boats and a yacht.
Later we had dinner again at Hafnerbudin, this time hamburger and lobster panini, both of which were great.
Day 11 – September 21 2021
Today started with rain and a power failure. Therefore we had to shower in the dark. As the coffee machine didn’t work either, we decided to have breakfast in the Hafnerbudin.
We had toast with lobster and shrimp and an bacon and egg toast both of which were very good. After that we drove to Vatnajökull, fed up and with light rain.
Despite the rain, we were able to take great photos of the ice on the glacier lake. A seal was also found that felt comfortable in the ice-cold water. Here you can also go out onto the lake in a rubber dinghy or in an amphibious vehicle. Unfortunately, you sit very close to each other and therefore have to wear a mask. We did not want that.
Then it went to Diamond Beach directly opposite. The beach bears this name because the washed back ice blocks lie on the black sand. Dozens of ice blocks from 10 cm to about 3 m in size lie around here. They could well be mistaken for gemstones. Unfortunately it rained so heavily here that it was only enough for a few photos. Then we fled back into the car.
On the way back we turned onto the F-985. It leads directly to the glacier. We came up the mountain about 6 km. There was an even bigger wind here. We were able to film the surf on a high lake, and our cell phone was almost ripped out of our hands. Since a flood was announced on the road, we drove back to try again behind Diamond Beach.
On the way there, the wind was heavy. The bridge behind the beach was closed, so we only had to go back to the hotel.
The return journey was marked by strong gusts, in Höfn the harbor basin was literally whipped up. We had wind force 10 with a wind speed of about 52 knots.
The way to the restaurant (with the wind) was faster than the way back.
Day 12 – September 22 2021
We woke up today in the best sunshine. We used the light for the first photos, then we drove to the southern tip of Höfen. Today the Vatnajökull was easy to see, the air is clear.
Then we refueled and cleaned the car a bit. It was full of black velvet. Then we went shopping. We had sun on the way to the east fjords. We were able to take photos of the mountains with reflections in the pond.
Shortly after the Golden Valley we discovered a huge colony of swans on the fjord. It must have been several hundred animals that made a lot of noise. Afterwards we say two reindeers on a peninsula by the fjord, who passed the time there. We were able to photograph both of them well.
The so-called east fjords are very scenic. A new postcard motif awaited us behind every curve. However, the journey is also quite long, the N1 takes every corner of the land mass.
We arrived at Lagarfljot around 2 p.m. The lake is long and narrow, similar to Loch Ness in Scotland. There is also said to be a sea monster here, at least there is a geocache named after it. Unfortunately we missed it.
The journey along the lake is again accompanied by very changing impressions. The landscape is sometimes barren, sometimes there are small forests.
Then we arrived at the parking lot at Hengifoss. The way to the waterfalls is steep uphill and is quite strenuous. A total of 230 meters of altitude has to be overcome.
The first waterfall on the way is the Litlanesfoss. It is impressive, quite high and surrounded by hexagonal basalt columns that are of volcanic origin. The waterfall falls into a narrow, steep gorge.
Another 1,400 m away is the Hengifoss, which is about as high but surrounded by lava chimneys. Different colored layers of rock can be seen here.
The way back, steeply downhill, is no less strenuous than the way up. The time is quite well attended, but the tourists get lost on the site.
We made the way back a little shorter and took an adventurous, sometimes steep gravel road, which is also used by trucks. It’s very dusty here. Part of the way back we did in darkness, which gave us the possibility to take some nice photos of the night surf.
After about 570 km we arrived back in Höfn around 9 p.m. We treated ourselves to a beer and a snack in the Hafnerboudin.
Day 13 – September 23 2021
We were woken up again by a fantastic sunrise. Today we want to try to get in touch with Vatnajökull. We drive to a nearby glacier tongue, the Heinabergsjökull. This is about 30 km from Höfn in the direction of Reykjavik on the N1. Then a gravel road follows in the direction of the glacier tongue. This road is in really bad shape. Huge potholes follow every few meters. It is hardly possible to drive faster than 30 km / h.
After about 8 km you come to a parking lot, right next to a glacial lake. It is about 2.5 km wide and about the same length. The glacier tongue stretches from a mountain about 3 km away and far into the lake. The glacier edge is about 2 km from the shore.
Icebergs are mainly found in the southeastern area of the lake. In the west there is an outflow of the glacier water, in the east there is an inflow from the mountains. Both rivers are difficult to cross, so entering the actual glacier is not possible without getting your feet wet.
We explored the area with the drone. This worked extremely well up to a distance of around 2,300 m, the connection was very stable.
Then we hiked along both sides of the bank. The area is very barren and you walk along the former lake bed – the lake was once much larger. Actually only lichens thrive in this stone desert. Nevertheless, this landscape is inhabited by geese and swans.
Day 14 – September 24 2021
We were awakened again by the sunrise. 10.30 a.m. we drove to Skútafoss again. We liked it very much and this time we wanted to hike further up the river valley.
The waterfall was better visited today. The path behind the waterfall leads slightly uphill and goes over hill and dale to another small gorge with three mini waterfalls. Then it goes about 500 m further up the mountain, then the path becomes too difficult.
We flew 770 m further around the corner with the drone and explored the course of the river. We came to a point where two rivers converge from different directions. Then the radio link broke off. The drone switched to automatic return and came back to the starting point – good drone.
A little further downstream we photographed a high, lateral waterfall.
Sensational long-term recordings with 16 mm were made on the actual Skutafoss.
Then we drove again to the dam that separates the fjord behind the Vestrahorn from the ocean. The surf contrasts strongly with the black sand. There was still some time to practice drone flights.
As a last stop we looked for a geocache at the nearby lighthouse. The place is called Hvalnesviti.
Then we went back to the guesthouse, where we arrived around 5 p.m. We looked for another geocache at the viewpoint in Höfn and photographed the place from above with the drone.
There were evening meals today in the Z-Bistro. We had lobster pasta, but with homeopathic tins of lobster. We also had to wait 40 minutes for the beer, it was full and very, very loud. The staff seemed overwhelmed. Once is enough.
Day 15 – September 25 2021
Unfortunately, it’s back to Kevlavik today. Our flight leaves tomorrow morning. Before that we still have to cover 518 km.
In addition, we strengthened ourselves one last time with Icelandic and English breakfast. We stopped at another glacier tongue.
Then we only interrupted the drive for a few nice motifs next to the route.
Around 5 p.m. we arrived at the Start Hotel Kevlavik. The room and bathroom are large and well equipped. At the reception, we are very helpful with airport transfers.
We returned the rental car at 6:00 p.m., after which we went to the early check-in offered by the airline. Then things will go faster tomorrow morning. We have the early bird at 7.25 a.m.
Day 16 – September 26 2021
The alarm clock rings at 5.45 am. The hotel offers an excellent breakfast even at such an early hour. We didn’t expect that here.
The flight leaves punctually at 7.25 a.m. We land in Frankfurt at 1 p.m. local time. All that now separates us from home is the A45 with what feels like 80 construction sites. We arrive in Dortmund at 6:05 p.m.
Conclusion
Iceland certainly has the most attractive but also the most diverse landscape that we have come to know in Europe so far. Probably every vacation is too short, but here we would have needed at least a week more and one more station.
Iceland is expensive – especially the food and beer. But we knew that beforehand. Due to the pandemic, the prices were even lower this year than usual. There is a lot of fast food here. Self-sufficiency can make sense, but you should also refrain from comparing prices in the supermarket. Otherwise you find yourself frowning with an 80-gram pack of ham in your hand and amazed that it costs 19 euros. You can of course also eat haute cusine here – there is plenty of lamb in the restaurants and lobster – particular in the Hövn area.
Volcanoes – glaciers – mountains – waterfalls – there is an abundance of all of this here. We probably didn’t see many of the hidden sights at all.
The people in Iceland treated us with restraint, friendly but without the servile fuss that we know from other countries. They are just „Nordic dry“. If you don’t know that, you might think that Icelanders are „short-tied“. This way is not correct. The people were absolutely helpful.
Driving is actually fun in Iceland – even with a speed limit of mostly 90 km/h. The streets are empty, and there are seldom traffic jams in Reykjavik either. So you get to your destination very quickly and, above all, relaxed.
In any case, we want to visit Iceland again, then maybe the Westfjords in connection with a fork flight to Nuuk. This is possible from Kevlavik and is absolutely ideal.
Lessons learned
Plan more time.
No change of money – everything, really everything, can be done by credit card, even the bus ticket.
The opening times given in travel guides are seldom correct.
Apopos bus: The timetables on Sundays are not correct. Buses leave from 10 a.m., no matter what it says.
90 km / h can be enough if the roads are clear.
For f-roads you definitely need an off-road vehicle, not an SUV with alibi all-wheel drive.
You should definitely try f-roads.
There are many beautiful landscapes off the beaten path – sometimes one km off the road is enough.
Shared bathrooms are not that bad, they can be locked.
Active volcanoes should be visited at night.