Iceland for frost-resistant travellers

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Iceland for frost-resistant travellers

You have probably heard that all kinds of sales are taking place on Black Friday in November. Our favorite purchases are tickets. Of course, also gifts and food, but it's not the essence. In short, we ourselves did not quite understand how we got tickets to Iceland. For February.

Food

Accomodation

Shopping

Transport

Beaches and pools

Itinerary

Our journey lasted 4 full days. Planned a little less, but Iceland did not let go. About this - in the section Transport.
Places visited on a daily basis are divided into sections:

1

Reykjavík ⇨ Go to section!

2

Golden Circle ⇨ Go to section!

3

From Selfoss to Vík ⇨ Go to section!

4

Reykjanes Peninsula ⇨ Go to section!

Reykjavík

We arrived late in the evening, settled, talked with the owners of the apartment. The next day we went to explore the capital of Iceland. In addition to this day, we had a few more hours in Reykjavík on the penultimate day of our trip.

Hallgrimskirkja

The dominant feature of the city is the Hallgrimskirkja church. At her lookout you can take the elevator. From the upper platform one can observe how the clouds creep in or, on the contrary, the sun looks out. The weather changes every 9 minutes (we note). And this riot of nature is truly amazing.
In addition, the church has a body that can be approached and examined. Near free, but loaded parking.

Perlan museum

To come to Iceland and not see the glacier is unforgivable for ourselves. Looking at the prices of excursions to them, we have already accepted that it was not this time that we learned about this museum. This is an artificial glacier. Inside, everything is like on a real glacier. The guide excellently tells about such aspects of the glaciers, about which we could not even think. Ice mice, blue ice, thawed patches and crystal caves ... I really wanted to see all this. Upstairs there is an observation deck.

Grótta island lighthouse

The lighthouse was built on a small peninsula in the town of Seltjarnarnes. You leave the car in the parking lot and go along the pier. But that day it was completely flooded with water and we did not have to walk to the very lighthouse. One of the black sand beaches nearest to Reykjavík is also located just 5.5 km from the center of the capital. The road to the lighthouse goes along the embankment and bike path.

Graffiti

In Reykjavík, street art is very much loved. We found a site on which was written in detail about each object and went for a walk and take photos https://iheartreykjavik.net/2015/10/street-art-in-reykjavik-wall-poetry/
There is a huge amount of murals and whole painted courtyards. Lovers of this style - a must see! The duration of our walk was limited only by weather conditions.

Golden Circle of Iceland

Having left early, we managed to drive almost all of the Golden Circle of Iceland in one day (195 kilometers). Since the next day we planned to visit the south coast of Iceland, we stayed at Selfoss for the night. There are very few cars on the road, but near sights of 6-8 buses with mostly Chinese or German tourists.
We missed the Kerid crater entering the ring. Firstly, because the weather still did not allow to see it. Secondly, we wanted to visit the pool. Since we were in February, the length of daylight imposed its limitations.

Thingvellir national park
(isl. Þingvellir)

Thingvellir Valley is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the era of the Icelandic democracy, it was here that the daytime parliament in Western Europe – the Althing. In addition to historical significance, this valley is also a geologically unique place – the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates diverge here. This place was our first stop on the Golden Circle. Apparently, for this reason, parking there is paid.
In general, Thingvellir is a place where you want to walk and walk. If it were not so windy! And sometimes it is not clear that in front of us is a road, a mountain, or the sky? Everything was all white.

Haukadalur

This geothermal valley was our second stop on this day of travel. Here are several geysers. But the most famous are Strokkur and Great Geysir (isl. Stóri Geysir). The latter gave the name to all geysers, but now slumbers. And Strokkur every 5-7 minutes produces an impressive 30-meter puff. There are paths on the territory, on the sides of which boiling streams splash and in some places lurking moss. Fascinating!
And yes, parking is free, and there is an information center nearby.

Gullfoss waterfall

The most powerful waterfall that we have seen in our life so far.
Height – 70 m, width – 240 m, several levels. Add to this the wind, which practically keeps you on your feet. You can look at the waterfall from several upper observation platforms, as well as go down lower. There are a lot of people, but the weather quickly makes photo lovers return to cars and buses.
There is also free parking, a cafe, a gift shop, as well as at other stops of the Golden Ring.

From Selfoss to Vík

On the third day of our trip to Iceland, we woke up at Selfoss. We drove to Vík and returned to sleep in the same guest house. Some sights were planned, some we visited by chance.

Seljalandsfoss

A 60-meter wide waterfall that falls into several streams. Everywhere they write that you can get around and look at the waterfall from the inside, but not on our arrival. But for us, he was the first waterfall in which water flew up. Yes, of course, the bulk flew to the Earth, but the tangible part disappeared somewhere in the low clouds. Parking fee, so we left the car nearby and unhurriedly, because slipped at every step, walked through the territory.

Plane DC-3

Back in 1973, an American plane crashed aboard Iceland. It takes about an hour to go from the parking place to the aircraft. Along an absolutely empty path along the beach of the black volcanic sand of Sólheimasandur. So if it rains, the chances of not getting wet are exactly 0. But oddly enough, there are enough people around him. All actively photographed and climb over the wreckage.
Parking is free.

Dyrholaey

The southernmost cape of Iceland. This is a good place for small walks to beautiful views.
Cape high, 120 meters, but the surging waves are strong. They broke through the rocks through the arch, which is effectively illuminated periodically playing on the spray rainbow. Below you can see the most famous beach with black sand. The most picturesque road leads to the cape itself, and you can park your car nearby for free parking.

Reynisfjara beach

This is the most famous beach with black sand. The most important thing here is not to turn your back on the water. Suddenly, a large wave (sneaker wave) can fly in, knocking everyone in its path, and then dragging a man down into the cold sea. Especially you need to be careful when you take pictures in the rush to find the beautiful against the background of basalt rock-columns or in the cave Halsanefshellir, located right there on the shore.

Vík

This tiny village is located about 5 km from Reynisfjara Beach. Colorful, upholstered houses, a church on a hill. Initially, we wanted to stay here for the night. But the minimum price for a room is 200 euros ... In general, we are glad that we stopped in Selfoss, because there was nothing to do except a half-hour walk in the village.

Solheimajokull

Glacier. To which we got free and completely by accident. Still, it is sometimes useful to just look out the window! We calmly drove up, parked for free and went to the glacier, simultaneously catching the views of tourists from excursion groups. The ice is really blue! Crystal cavities, a glacial mouse and ash from past eruptions - we saw everything that was told on the excursion in Perlan! We would have walked there and more, but the sun gradually rolled towards sunset.

Skogafoss

Impressive large waterfall. Its height is 60 m, and its width is 25 m. We were lucky to see a double rainbow playing on its countless sprays. In addition, there is an opportunity to climb the path up and admire the whole expanse. And if you go a little higher along the path along the river Skog, then you can see another small waterfall literally 200 meters from Skogafoss.
The trail continues further, in the guidebook there was information that this is the beginning of the hiking route to the Torsmork National Park (Þórsmörk).

Selfoss

The largest city of southern Iceland (6934 inhabitants for 2016) is located 60 km from Reykjavík and 130 km from Vík. He was our base on this travel site. There is a small church (Selfosskirkja) and a supermarket. Easily reach the sea in the town of Eyrarbakki or go out of the countryside in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights. By the way, in order not to go in vain there are special sites and applications that show the probability of seeing this phenomenon in the chosen place. We used the My Aurora Forecast app.

Reykjanes Peninsula

We had about half a day to inspect the Reykjanes Peninsula.
The guide promised lunar landscapes, and we rushed into the geothermal area of Krýsuvík.
First we saw the huge lake Kleifarvatn. 2.5 km wide, 4.7 km long and no one on the beach is an ideal place for introverts. Perhaps the presence of squally wind played a role in the fact that nobody was there. I didn't want to get out of the car. And to watch from the heat to theoretically run to the highway, but in fact the waterfalls soaring upwards were interesting. It was difficult to drive here in February on a rented car.
Our next stop was near the Seltun geothermal field. Here it was definitely necessary to overpower myself and go for a walk. When you look at all the colors that nature has painted this area, there really is a feeling that you are visiting another planet. Very unusual. But the smell of hydrogen sulfide does not allow to enjoy this picture in full.
Nearby is the lake Granavatn. It was formed in one of the maars - craters created by explosions of overheated groundwater. Get out and walk around there we had no strength. Not in the sense that we were already tired, but the weather was still quite severe. The wind shook the car when it just stood at the gas station.
Next, we headed towards the famous Blue Lagoon, along the way enjoying the unusual landscapes: the red road and lava fields overgrown with soft moss. By the way, it is under protection, because it has been recovering for a very long time after tourists passing through it.
We stopped for a walk near the skeleton of a small chapel (Krísuvíkurkirkja). It was built in 1857, but burned to the ground on January 2nd 2010.

Accomodation

Iceland is the country in which the principle of booking accommodation at the last moment does not work. Even in winter it is expensive. After buying the tickets, this was the first thing we began to look at in preparing this adventure. The availability of housing has determined the route. So we initially wanted to stay in the town of Vík, but not the existence of affordable housing made us replay the entire trip plan. We booked both places through the airbnb service.

Reykjavík (Kopavagur)

The first two nights we stayed in the private sector, 5 km from the center. The house had several apartments. The entrance was from the ground floor and from the basement. At our disposal was a basement - a room and a shower, the water in which significantly smelled of hydrogen sulfide. So we immediately realized that yes, we are in Iceland. Shared kitchen and living room located on the ground floor. So we could just go straight to our place and talk to the hosts. They (a married couple) were moderately talkative. And they had a wonderful dog. Besides us, at the same time they rented a room on the first floor to other tourists. Parking near the house was free. We paid 100 euros for two nights for two.

Selfoss

In fact, this accommodation was a guest house. On the first floor there are rooms for tourists, on the second floor the owners themselves live. The shower was one for several rooms. Even at the end of February there were enough tourists and we had to wait our turn. In addition to the shower, in common use was a kettle. This is an important point when choosing housing in Iceland. The habit of leaving home to fill a thermos with hot water will save you about 20 euros per day. The indisputable advantage of this place was also its location - just 8 minutes walk to the largest supermarket in the city.
Parking across the street was free. We paid 90 euros for two for a room for 2 nights.

Beaches and pools

We swam 2 times in these 4 days. We travelled every day. Why some plans have changed - below.

Reykjavík

In the capital, the place of bathing is called Nautnolsvík. The guidebook said that even in the cold winter you can swim here. In fact, no. The refined hot water source was almost completely covered with sand.

Golden Circle

It was the best place for swimming. Imagine: all day you are fighting with the wind, half-snow - half-rain, icy road. And here at sunset the sun peeps out, and you immerse yourself in a hot bath in the open air. And by this time around there are only about ten tourists.

From Selfoss to Vík

Approximately 20 minutes walk from the parking place along the valley along the river and we came to the pool. Again under the open sky. Next - locker rooms, but the floor was flooded with ice water. Yes, and the pool itself can not say that it was already very warm. His detailed study made it clear where there is a pipe through which hot water flows into the reservoir. It only remained to stick to the rail next to it, trying not to get burned, but not dangling too much with his feet, so as not to accidentally stir all the cold water around.

Reykjanes peninsula

It is on this peninsula, very close to the airport, is the geothermal resort Blue Lagoon. Yes, she is beautiful, but the prices are crazy (the price of a ticket for an adult is 88 euros). Also, the fact that it is water from a geothermal station located 100 meters away made us change our mind about swimming here.

Food

We are not one of those people who loves a clear, understandable and familiar food. But we love to eat.
In Iceland, if you travel with a reasonable budget, it is quite difficult.
However, we could not miss some national dishes.

1

Hákarl

Dried meat of the Greenland polar shark (Somniosus microcephalus) or the giant shark (Cetorhinus maximus). About the taste and smell, I can only say that you are not allowed to open the box with hákarl in public places. We bought the smallest possible box at Kolaportið market in Reykjavík, and yet could not finish it. By the way, the official website of the market says that it is open only on weekends from 11 to 17 hours.

2

Skyr

Filtered light yogurt. It is not bad as an independent dish instead of yoghurt for breakfast, and with the addition of nuts. The consistency as gelatinized sour cream. We bought in small shops in Reykjavík.

3

Whale meat

We bought smoked slices for the last Icelandic krona at the airport when the flight was delayed for 20 hours and the shipping company did not take care of the passengers. To taste like cameljatin. Some compare with the taste of beef and tuna. We were able to bring part of the pack home and not say that we would finish it quickly.

4

Hot dogs in Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

This fast food point is the most popular in Reykjavík. There is always a queue, in any weather. The taste did not produce any shock, but the price of a warm meat hot dog for Iceland is very good. This place is located across the street from the Kolaportid market.

It should be noted that in 4 days it was our only warm food purchased. With us we brought dried fruits for snacks, a thermos, several packs of instant noodles and instant cereals and soups. The latter were especially good in the minutes when all the chills, wet and cold, we came after a whole day of adventure in our rented rooms. Therefore, check that there is a kettle or kettle on the rental housing, or bring the latter with you.

Shopping

Ha! There is no such thing in Iceland. Of course, we had a glance at knitted sweaters for 200-300 euros. But our grandmothers will do it better. And besides the standard tourist set: soft toys (in Iceland, these are birdies, dead ends, whales and sheep), postcards, maps, national alcohol and food - there are also very specific souvenirs. For example, they sell volcanic sand or petrified lava. Although you can pick up the one and the other on the street for free. Lava make jewelry or candlesticks (the average price of about 25 euros). In addition, one can not stop and stare at all kinds of Vikings, elves, trolls and their attributes. Special attention is given the clothing brand 66 ° North. Icelanders should know what to wear to keep warm.

Transport

Plane

Iceland is exactly the direction to which it is worth taking additional insurance against non-departure during the flight. This is due to weather conditions. And if we flew there on a schedule, then there were problems with the return flight - we flew 20 hours later. At the same time, Wizzair did not even offer water.

Bus

The cost of a ticket for the shuttle from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik is about 40 euros one way. This is the price you usually pay for a taxi in another country. Naturally, a visit to Iceland is not limited to Reykjavik. To see more nature, you have to go deep into the country. On average, a short 6-hour tour costs about 67 euros, and a full day - from 90 euros per person. Moreover, to see all the beauty in its rhythm and without regard to the schedule, it is more convenient to rent a car.

Car

In our opinion, the best way to see Iceland is to rent a car. Surprisingly, here you can rent a car for about 24 euros per day. We took a Nissan Micra with studded tires for 4 days. Booked through the website www.northbound.is (Orange company). This car was good enough to pass the entire Golden Circle and adjacent small gravel roads without any problems.
Although we took a chance and rented a friend of the iron without full insurance, this may be one of the options that should be included. According to the words on the car rental check-in counter, cars are often returned with damaged windows or creased doors. The reasons for such damage are unpredictable strong gusts of wind and flying stones. Therefore, in order to avoid the sudden appearance of a draft in side wind, capable of turning the door like a piece of paper, we decided to enter / exit the car strictly one by one.
Note that if you do not rent a 4x4, you are not allowed to drive on category F roads. Most of them are located higher in the mountains and are often closed due to bad weather. But all major tourist attractions are available even with the Micra model.
Useful site www.samferda.net. On this portal are private announcements of those who offer or are looking for a trip around Iceland and want to share the cost of gasoline / rent. We also left a request for a route from the airport to Reykjavik, and a couple from Poland wrote to us.

To summarize, would we come to Iceland again? Of course yes. In any weather! But only having bought a special insurance.