2 - 14 August - Traveling the Ring Road of Iceland
We drove completely around the island of Iceland on the Ring Road for two weeks. Each night we left the Ring Road and took a small road to a coastal town, typically a fishing village.
We arrived on the 2nd of August, groggy and jet-lagged the morning after traveling from Minneapolis. We could have visited the famous tourist pool, The Blue Lagoon. Instead of being touristy, we rented our van, left the airport town of Keflavik and avoided the city of Rejkavik, the largest town on the island and stopped at a bakery for lunch outside of Rejkavik. We ate at a small bakery in Mossfellsbaer and tried every sandwich and pastry they had. We headed north and west towards our first destination on the Ring Road (Route 1).
We arrived on the 2nd of August, groggy and jet-lagged the morning after traveling from Minneapolis. We could have visited the famous tourist pool, The Blue Lagoon. Instead of being touristy, we rented our van, left the airport town of Keflavik and avoided the city of Rejkavik, the largest town on the island and stopped at a bakery for lunch outside of Rejkavik. We ate at a small bakery in Mossfellsbaer and tried every sandwich and pastry they had. We headed north and west towards our first destination on the Ring Road (Route 1).
I was intrigued by the Snaefellsues Peninsula as we
headed towards the Western Fjords. We toured this first NW peninsula of
Iceland in West Iceland. On the south side, there are bird nests built
right into the cliffs and beaches to see. This is the recommended coastal hike
from Hellnar to Arnarstapi and our first real stop about two hours out of Rejkavik. One immediate change was the climate. We had left behind 80 degree weather in the midwest of the US and traded it for weather in the 50s. We typically needed our fleecies. I had brought shorts along and never wore them!
We hiked part of this and then made our way north to Grundafjordur, our
first overnight stop.
Our first dinner was excellent at Bjargarsteinn on the coast
of Grundi, looking at the famous mountain Kirkfell in the water. The next
morning, we visited the large waterfall on the other side of Kirkfell.
We drove back to Route 1, the Ring Road and drove further
north and west to the start of the Western Fjords. We stayed along another
fjord in Budardalur at the Thurranes Cottage on our
second night on the Ring Road. The kids loved this stop. Even though
we were staying in the middle of nowhere on a farm, our cabin had a hot tub,
which we all soaked in after our day of driving. Nice view as well.
The next day, we headed out for Trollaskagi and the northern
most point of Iceland, which was off Route 1 in Siglufjörður. Along the
way, we found a wonderful small town for lunch in Hvammstangi at the Hladan
Kaffihus. We stopped and each enjoyed local dishes and lots of desserts.
We enjoyed our stay in "Siglo", which was our most
northern stop. It had been one of the headquarters of the Herring trade in the
early 1900's, so we enjoyed the museum there and learned more about how the
herring were caught and used for products. There was not much thought about
ecology or conservation on the part of the companies involved and now the
herring are in other parts of the sea or in much smaller numbers and so that
trade has dried up.
This whole area felt very northern and remote. We were
almost in the Artic Circle.
Then we headed east to the Eastern Fjords. To get there, we
stopped in this quaint, local coffee and lunch place in Davik at the Kaffihus
Bakkabraedra. Everyone seemed to know everyone else; we were quiet observers.
We had fish soup and headed across a very barren stretch of Iceland to the east
coast.
We crossed the boiling hot pots and steam areas of Iceland
and across the most desolate area I have ever driven. For two hours, I did not
see any other cars or living beings. It felt like what it might feel like
to drive on Mars, but we eventually saw green and other life again.
Our next overnight was in the eastern fishing village
of Seydisfjordur, which is a Norweigen town and was supposed to be
“art fueled”. There is a beautiful waterfall and a ferry to Europe from this
town. We loved our waterfall hike here.
A bit further down the road, but up the same hillside with a view of the town sits the music sculpture Tvisongor. Ted, Alle and I sang to each other in these echo chambers and it was a wonderful experience.
The landscape is so vast and open, I couldn't resist taking
pictures constantly, even while we were driving.
From there, we drove back to Egilstaddir for lunch and
gelato at Salt and then to the eastern coast with its fjords, glaciers and
waterfalls. This small town we happened upon my daughter called the
most beautiful place in the world.
We drove to Höfn via the “fingers” along
the eastern fjords (a great route), towards the Vatnajokull National Park and
stayed in a cabin along the Ring Road right next to the glaciers of the park.
The next morning, we drove from Höfn to see the blue icebergs at the famous
Jokulsarlon Icebergs. The glaciers break off into pieces as
they drift to the sea and create the most amazing shades of blue and
white.
Here is yet another beautiful Iceland waterfall we saw as we
drove to the ferry for West Mann Island.
We left the ring road and took the ferry to visit West Mann
Island for two days. This is the nesting home of the puffin. We stayed
at main town on the island, Heimay on Vestmannaeyjar or
West Mann Island for two nights. We explored the town of Heimay and hiked
to see the puffins and their cliffs both days.
This sea cliff is actually covered with the grassy nests of
the sea bird puffin. They only come to land to lay their eggs in April. The
pufflings hatch, eat a lot of herring during the summer months and
learn to fly by August or September. We saw thousands on each hillside.
The tip of West Mann Island is the windiest place in Europe!
On another point of the island there are early Viking
settlements and I love (the reenactment of) their low rock-constructed,
grass-roofed cabins. Their interior structures are made of huge logs.
From West Mann Island, we returned to the south western part
of Iceland and the ring road. I thought it would be fun to drive part of
the famous Golden Circle to visit one of the hot spring pools. We went to Gamia
Laugin or Secret Lagoon in Fludir for the afternoon. It is in a
natural pondlike setting.
We stayed
at Heradsskolinn Guesthouse in Laugarvatn in a family style
room. The next day we all enjoyed Fontana, which is a more
structured spa. They have a variety of pools and steam rooms as well as a
lovely lunch buffet.
From Fontana, we drove to the Pingvellir National
Park to see the original Parliament Ring Rock, which is to the back left
below. It was here in 933 that the first all European meetings occurred with representatives
from a number of lands or countries to discuss laws and issues important to the
groups of the day.
The ring road brought us back around to Rejkavik, the capital city and suddenly we saw
more people and tourists than we had all trip.We rented a city apartment for
two nights with a chance to explore the old town, museums and the shopping
district, all of which were within walking distance of our apartment.
The trip of a lifetime!
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