Iceland: Vik to Skjól
via Fjaðrárgljúfur, Jökulsárlón, Breiðamerkursandur, Múlagljúfur, Svartifoss, and Gullfoss.
This is the second part of my Iceland journey, days 5 and 6.
Some travelers try to drive the full 828-mile loop around Iceland in a week. In my opinion, that doesn’t allow enough time for hiking and sightseeing.
Day 5 began in Vik and ended up at Diamond Beach, the farthest east I’d go.
First stop: a hike through Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon.
Incredible to see so much color and banding in these rocks.
Back on the road with a quick stop for coffee with mjolk at Hamrafoss Cafe…
And on to the glacial lagoon Jökulsárlón.
That’s the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in the background. As you can imagine, it’s been dwindling quickly in recent decades. In the last 50 years, the lake has quadrupled in size as a result.
It’s still an ice place to cool off a beverage! That lake is nearly a thousand feet deep.
And a look at Breiðamerkursandur (Diamond Beach) where the ocean washes pieces of glacier back to the volcanic sand.
Time to start heading back west.
Along the way, a long hike at Múlagljúfur canyon! This view looks back at the glacial lagoon in the distance.
See any sheep about 2/3 of the way up the waterfall?
How many can you count?
Looking back toward Hvannadalshnúkur. Settling in at the Skaftafell campground.
Ready for a lot of driving on day 6.
There’s nothing quite like starting the day with a hike in search of a waterfall. Looming in the background of this picture is Hvannadalshnúkur peak, which is the highest point in Iceland (6,921 ft / 2109 m).
Found the waterfall! Incredible basalt lava columns are bent like candy canes on the left side. Hiking up the trail on the left, you find yourself on a stairway of large hexagonal stones, which are the tops of more basalt columns — similar to Giant’s Causeway.
Back on the road for a few hours, and then a quick stop at Rutshellir Cave.
Fresh and delicious fishes & chips for lunch! This is one of my favorite meals, and that was about as good as it gets:
After eating in Selfoss, I was back in the Golden Circle — the geothermal area of Iceland.
Thermal springs start to dwindle the farther east you go (away from the Mid-Atlantic rift), and I had started to miss them. It was wonderful to warm up at the quaint Hrunalaug spring.
One last waterfall for the day: the iconic Gullfoss, which cascades 105 feet.
And finally, arrival at Skjól campground just in time to watch Denmark play England in the European Football Championship. Everyone in the nearby pub supported the Danes except a pair of Brits, who cheered a bit too loudly when England won.
Did you miss the first part of the journey? Find it here:
Ready for part 3?