Day 3 - Snæfellsnes Peninsula - Beaches, Churches, and Mountains

Kirkjufell

I don't think I have an "official favorite" part of Iceland, but I do know that if I had to pick, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula would be up there as a contender.  Sea cliffs, seabirds, quaint churches, and mountains made exploration of this area one of the most breathtaking and beautiful days of our trip.  Here is how to recreate this adventure....

Snæfellsnes Peninsula - Beaches, Churches, and Mountains

Búðir Church

Our day on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula began with a detour off the Ring Road (Rt 1) onto Rt 54.  The road winds along the shore with views of farms, fields, and mountains shadowing the coast.  As you near the end of the peninsula you get glimpses of a glacier covered peak - Snæfellsjokull.  Our first stop was to see the church and beach at Búðir.  We photographed the picturesque dark church and explored the black rock beach and tide pools nearby.  Grazing sheep wandered by, and it was an idealic Iceland setting.  

Continuing along Rt. 54, we stopped next at the town of Hellnar.  It was lunch time, and our travel agent, Linda, had suggested we eat at the "cute cafe" in town.  We discovered the Primus cafe and had a nice lunch in their open and friendly cafe.  After lunch, we hiked a short walk down to the caves only to discover an even cuter cafe nestled into the sea sprayed rocks.  Whoops!  Either way, we enjoyed our Icelandic lunch and beach exploration.  

Icelandic Lunch at Primus Cafe

Back on the road, we drove to Djúpalónssandur beach.  A short walk through lava rock monoliths and we were on a wide beach made of black basalt pebbles.  Metal ruins of a 1948 shipwreck, left untouched for many years, sprinkled the area above the high tide zone.  In the distance, the tall Snæfellsjokull peak rose up behind the dark lava rock.  It was a spectacular scene.  We strolled the beach, protected from the wind by the tall rock formations.

Black Beach with ship wreckage and Snæfellsjokull mountain.

Kirkjufell Waterfalls

We continued around the peninsula, enjoying the magnificent ocean views.  Our next stop was one I had been looking forward to since researching Iceland photography. Kirkjufell mountain is one of the most common photographs of Iceland.  (In fact, if I google "Iceland" - this is the first image to appear.) This scene is located on the Northern portion of the peninsula.  Mountains rise up near the shore and at this point you can get a photograph with the Kirkjufell waterfalls in the foreground.  It's a gorgeous spot and easy to miss the small pullout on the inland side of the road.  We took our time, admiring the view and walking the short hike around the falls.

Our room at Kast Guesthouse

Kirkjufell is located near the town of Grundarfjörður.  We headed into town to search for a dinner spot.  Leanne and I split a delicious meal of fish and chips and salad at RuBen and Ali enjoyed pizza and beer (It was here we started to discover Iceland's affinity for pizza.)

From Grundarfjörður, we cut down Rt 56 back to the southern portion of the peninsula to Guesthouse Kast  (in Kast).  These accomodations provided clean, modern rooms with a shared bath.  The location was stunning - located at the base of wind swept fjords.  They also provided a nice continental breakfast spread.

READ ABOUT THE NEXT DAY HERE: Day 4 - Westfjords - Winding Roads, Mountains, Puffins, and a Ferry

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Snæfellsjokull and wildflowers

Day 2 - West Iceland - Waterfalls, Lupines, Hot Springs, and Craters

This was an amazing day! We were met early in the morning at Guesthouse Aurora in Reykjavik by a driver from Enterprise Rent-a-car who took us to their office. We picked up our Kia Rio and drove over to Iceland Unlimited's office to meet with Linda, our travel agent. She answered our questions and gave us a large map highlighted and labeled with sights to see. We set our GPS and we were on our way!  Here is how to recreate our adventure...

West Iceland - Lupines, Waterfalls, Hot Springs, and Craters

Sunbathing at Glymur waterfall

Our official first stop on Day 2 was to see Glymur Waterfall. This is the tallest waterfall in Iceland. Along the way, we stopped to admire the fields of lupine and roadside waterfalls. When we arrived and the trailhead, we grabbed our cameras and headed out. Mistake!!! We had no idea that the to get to the waterfall, we had a multi-km hike up-hill to the view. Doh!  I highly recommend this hike, but come prepared with water and hiking shoes/sneakers. The view did not disappoint. Not only was the waterfall beautiful, but we also got to gaze down gorges, climb into caves, and sunbathe on cliffs (little did we know this sunshine was rare and we would never sunbathe again). 

Glymur Waterfall - Tallest in Iceland

After returning to the car, we ate some road snacks that served as our lunch and drove to Hotel Hafnarfjal- our lodging for the night. Tragically, the hotel has lost our reservation, but deeply apologized and within minutes had set us up at not extra cost at a nicer hotel in town- Hotel Borganes (in the town of Borganes). 

Since it wasn't quite dinner yet, we decided to see a couple more sights . We drove toward Hraunfossar waterfall and stopped at Reykholt- a historic site and unique church. From there, we drove to the Hraunfossar waterfall. These are a cascade of beautiful falls that flow into a cloudy blue river. We were able to walk around the falls and admire them from the viewing platform (easy-unlike Glymur). They were beautiful. 

Back in the car, we drove to Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring. This isn't a hot pot to swim in, but rather, a geothermal power plant. Visitors can cautiously stroll through the steam and observe the boiling streams of water exiting the ground. 

Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring

Our last stop on the way back to Borganes was to Grabrok crater. We were able to hike up stairs (short but a butt burner) up to the craters edge and admire the surrounding volcanic view. It's definitely worth a stop. 

Grabrok Crater

Back in Borganes, we headed to dinner at The Settlement Center restaurant. The meals were delicious (I had a scrumptious seafood chowder) and the staff friendly. 

We settled back at our hotel for some rest after a long and fulfilling day of exploring. 

READ ABOUT THE NEXT DAY HERE: Day 3 - Snæfellsnes Peninsula - Beaches, Churches, and Mountains

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Girls Trip 2015: 16 Days in Iceland!

It's that time of year again...My FAVORITE time of year!!!  It's time for this summer's "Girls Trip" 2015!!! Since 2007, I've been going on a summer adventure with girl friends.  Girls trips have ranged from camping the Michigan coast, hiking through Colorado, and exploring Newfoundland.  This year's adventure is a big one...we are spending 16 days traveling around the Nordic country of Iceland!

I've been planning, saving, and daydreaming this trip for at least three years and today is the day.  I'll post when possible so other adventurers can get advice.  What's more, please leave comments below or on my facebook page if you have suggestions.  Our trip was planned with the help of tour company Iceland Unlimited and our agent Linda. She have been extremely professional and easy to communicate with.

Here's the plan...

Day 1 (July 8) - Reykjavik and Blue Lagoon - Arrive in Iceland at 6:30 am. Take Flybus to Blue Lagoon for opening at 8:30 am.  From Blue Lagoon, take Flybus to Reykjavik.  Check into Guesthouse Aurora and explore local spots.

Day 2 (July 9) - West Iceland - Get rental car from Enterprise and drive west.  Explore Hvakfjordur fjord and the Glymur waterfall. See other sights along the road. Stay at Hotel Hafnarfjall.

Day 3 (July 10) - Snaefellsnes -  Explore the Snaefellsnes peninsula and glacier.  Stay at Guesthouse Kast.

Day 4 (July 11) - Westfjords -  Take 9 am ferry  in Stykkisholmur alon Breidafjordur bay.  See Latrabjarg cliff and puffins!  Stay at Radagerdi hostel in Patreksfjordur.

Day 5 (July 12) - Waterfalls and Coastal Villages - Explore more of the Westfjords including Patreksfjordur, Talknafjordur, and Bildudalur.  Visit the Dynjandi waterfall and Isafjordur.  Stay at Hotel Edda Isafjordur.

Day 6 (July 13) - Strandir and Holmavik -  Explore the capital of sorcery and witchcraft while exploring more fjords and beauty.  Stay at Guesthouse Laugarholl.

Day 7 (July 14) - Northwest Iceland - Drive by fertile farmland and barren mountains roads.  Take an afternoon tour on Icelandic horses.  Stay at Guesthouse Holar.

Day 8 (July 15) - Akureyri - Drive to the capital of the north.  Explore the town and stay at Guesthouse Gula Villan.

Day 9 (July 16) - Whale Watching - Head for Lake Myvatan.  On the way stop and see Godafoss waterfall.  Go on 3 hour whale watching tour in Husavik.  Stay at Guesthouse Stong.

Day 10 (July 17) - Egilsstadir - Drive to Eastern Iceland.  Stop to see Dettifoss - Europes most powerful waterfall.  Stay at Icelandair Hotel Herad.

Day 11 (July 18) - East Iceland - Drive through East Fjords and fishing villages.  Stay at Guesthouse Arnanes.

Day 12 (July 19) - Glacier Lagoon and Vatnajokull - See glacial lagoon through a boat tour.  Explore Vatnajokull National Park, Svartifoss Waterfall, and Vik.  Stay at Hotel Edda in Skogar.

Day 13 (July 20) - The South Coast - Drive the south coast and stop to see many waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui. Snorkel to Silfa in Thingvellir National Park. Spend the night at Guesthouse Lambastadir.

Day 14 (July 21) - Golden Circle - Visit Thingvellir National Park.  See geysers and gullfoss waterfall.  Return rental car and stay at Reykavik Hostel Village.

Day 15 (July 22) - Reykjavik - Enjoy the last day in Iceland by exploring Reykjavik on foot.

Day 16 (July 23) - Fly home - Morning flight back to Boston.

I can't wait to start this adventure and continue the tradition of amazing girls trips!