After a winter trip to Iceland in 2012, I wanted to see more of the country, preferably without the snow cover. August 2013 was the appointed time and the experience of driving around the country did not disappoint.
My photos from 2012 are to be found here: Iceland 2012 Winter
The fundamental idea of the trip was to drive the perimeter of the country in a week. 1,900 kilometres approximately through some marvellous scenery. Without resorting to a four-wheel drive vehicle also (the country’s inner F class roads are not suitable for anything but 4WD). Along the way, I would revisit some places from the winter trip but also discover new ones.
I split the trip into logical sections:
Day 1 – The Golden Circle
Reykjavik
Thingvellir National Park
Geysir
Gullfoss
Skaholt Cathedral
Day 2 – The South Coast
Hvolsvöllur
Seljalandsfoss
Eyjafjallajökull Erupts Exhibit
Skogarfoss and The Museum of Skógar
Dyrhólaey promintory
Vik and the Sisters (Reynisdrangar)
Black Waterfall – Svartifoss
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Stokksnes
Day 3 – The South East Fjord Coast
Hofn to Seyðisfjörðurd
Day 4 – East to North Central
Dettifoss
Geothermal sites
Lake Myvatn
Godafoss
Husavik
Day 5 – Oddities of the North Coast
Whale Watching out of Husavik
Skagafjörður
Glaumbær museum
Hvítserkur (the creature)
Thingeyrar
Hvammstangi
Day 6 – Back to the Capital
Hvammstangi
Reykjavik
Such an amazing landscape. Will you go back again?
I fully intend to. I’m considering Japan this September/October but am also tentatively planning Iceland for the same timeframe (one or the other). I’m drawn to Iceland because it’s such a relaxing place and the scenery is generally wonderful. Even the capital is a vibrant place. You figure the country has the population of one of the suburb cities of Atlanta…. You can go for miles without seeing anyone and that’s fine for me – less time waiting for people to get out of my camera frame LOL. I feel that with each time I go, something new and magical shows up. Hard to describe in words.