Travel Journal: Exploring Iceland Pt.I

Having in mind I live in London, which is grey enough, and that I’m not really the most winter-loving person, you can probably tell that Iceland isn’t on top of my holiday destination list. So when the gang told me we’re considering Iceland as a short holiday I definitely wasn’t impressed. Iceland. In September. It’s not even skiing season. That said, it didn’t take long to change my mind – a quick Google search and I was ready to pack my bags. Iceland it is!

Apart from passing through Reykjavik on the way from the airport to our Airbnb, we didn’t spend any time in cities but rather, prepared for a lot of driving to see the breathtaking Icelandic sites.

If you’re planning a trip to Iceland leave your heels at home. This is all about comfy shoes and layers that keep you warm.

Our first stop was one of the most popular Icelandic destinations, the Geysir geothermal area, where the Strokkur geyser shoots a column of water up to 30 metres into the air every 4-8 minutes. While the air temperature was freezing (I think it was around 7-8ºC but felt like 0ºC), the temperature of the water 20m down Geysir’s feeder channel is about 125 ºC. 

The whole area is dotted by big and small geysers, mud pools and hot springs, while the Laugarfjall hill offers magnificent views from the top. It’s all very surreal, like something you would see in a post-apocalyptic movie scene, which is exactly why we loved it so much.

Straight after the Geysir we headed to another site from The Golden Circle – The Gullfoss waterfall. Created by the river Hvítá, Gullfoss waterfall tumbles and plunges into a crevice some 32m deep. To say we were soaking by the time we decided to head to the car would be an understatement. Exploring the waterfalls is no mean feat. I’d say umbrellas are useless but get ready with a raincoat, boots and anything that can make your camera waterproof. You’ll definitely want to capture the view!

On the way back we stopped randomly at places that caught our eyes, most of which were natural sights and absolute gems for our cameras.

Stay tuned for Part II