Waterfalls and Glaciers

We left our cabin on a grey but thankfully dry morning to head south and east along the southern half of Iceland's 'Ring Road' - the N1. The first 30 minutes of driving took us through Selfoss, a small nondescript town, and across a coastal plain. Its fair to say the scenery was dull, but things picked up after we arrived at Seljalandsfoss. A very short drive off the main road, set in a green, buttercup filled meadow, Seljalandsfoss is an impressive and accessible waterfall that drops dramatically into a pool leaving a small cave behind. I thought it unwise to walk behind - as people emerged looking very wet - and water and DSLR cameras don't tend to mix well together! We did walk in front taking in the view, conversation inhibited by the deafening roar of water plunging 60 meters over the cliff face.

Mrs B. preparing for her morning shower...

Seljalandfoss

A short walk along the valley led to a smaller and less accessible waterfall with an unpronounceable name to non Icelandic speakers, Gljúfrabúi. This is partially hidden from sight- it teases you with views as it is set behind a very narrow, water filled canyon.

Gljúfrabúi

From this point on the scenery became much more dramatic as the road skirted the volcanoes, mountain scenery and glaciers of Southern Iceland. We passed Eyjafjallajokull (another mouthful) farm and visitor centre - this was the place where the above named volcano erupted in 2010 - causing massive disruption to European airspace. Before too long we arrived at the second large waterfall of the day, Skógafoss. 

This is a really popular waterfall as evidenced by the tourist coach parties and vehicles - in the carpark but its also the start of a popular hiking trail with a campsite, so there were plenty of serious hikers around too. Skógafoss drops 60 metres but is roughly 25 metres wide so the speed and volume of water it discharges is astonishing. A track and 527 steps take you from the bottom to the top with multiple places to stop and admire the view or regain breath - it was a steep climb!

Skógafoss from the bottom..

....from halfway up

...and from the top

Once at the top of Skogafoss my natural instinct to explore a bit further led me to a stile and the start of the Skógar–Þórsmörk trail a 25 kilometre hike across the mountains. I persuaded Mrs B to walk a bit further and as the crowds thinned out the landscape opened up to reveal more waterfalls and mountain scenery - black and green but with occasional splashes of alpine type flowers. It was delightful to breath in the clear air and take in the stunning views of wilderness. Not having planned any sort of hike, after a couple of kilometers I reluctantly turned back as the path was slowly climbing and we hadn't set off with any food or water. A sensible retreat seemed prudent! 

Scenery at the start of the Skogar - Porsmork trail.

Returning to the car we mapped out the next stage of the long drive and after a picnic lunch drove on for a good distance before detouring to Reynisfjara near the village of Vik, stopping to look at a typical small Icelandic church on the way.

Widely regarded as the most impressive black sand beach in Iceland, Reynisfjara overlooks basalt sea stacks and on the beach itself is an impressive cave with basalt stacks. As we'd driven east the sun had broken through so our stroll along the beach was taken in sunshine and we were able to see some of the amazing geology that helps shape the Icelandic landscape.

 
As we'd driven further and further eastwards the roads had emptied of traffic but the landscape constantly changed. After the grey and black of the coastal plain, dark and forbidding mountain cliffs, strange rock formations with occasional green meadows we found ourselves on open road amidst a sea of purple. The Nootka lupine was introduced to Iceland (its not native to the country) to help with soil erosion. Like many experiments its now got somewhat out of control and has colonised vast areas.

Rush hour in Iceland

Having travelling about 200 miles we'd still got another 50 or so to go to our hotel but kept getting distracted by the scenery and stopping to take in the views. Good job it wasn't going to get dark anytime soon! What distracted us most were constant views of glaciers and icecaps that seemed to get closer as we drove on. The surprise of the day came after we spotted a small car park which seemed to offer a safe place to stop and get some landscape photos of the distant glaciers. Walking up a stony path we came over a small rise in the ground where a glorious vista open up. We'd arrived at the Jokulsarlon lagoon. 

Jokulsarlon Icebergs

Lots of places that appear stunning in guidebook or internet photos often disappoint in reality. Not so with Jokulsarlon. Shades of blue dominated the colour pallette. The water reflected back late afternoon sunshine as predominantly white and blue icebergs, that had broken away from the glacier tongue, created eddies that swirled around creating patterns and ripples as they made their way out to the Atlantic. All set against a backdrop of white cloud and icecap. We immediately decided to return the following morning for an even closer look. 

Another 40 minutes of driving and we arrived at our modern Scandinavian type hotel, checked in and booked a table for dinner at the earliest time available (8.30pm - a bit late for Mrs B but as we were in the middle of nowhere other dining options were limited!) and found we'd got a room with a view:

After a good night's sleep and a hearty buffet style breakfast we headed back to Jokulsarlon. Ahead of most of the crowds we booked an amphibious vehicle trip that would take us out onto the lagoon so we could get closer to the icebergs. I'd read that Jokulsarlon was only 80 years old and created by the retreating Breiðamerkurjökull glacier part of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest icecap. Icebergs breaking off from the glacier float out to sea, exiting the lagoon and flow along Iceland's shortest river out to the Atlantic. The iceberg journey from glacier to sea can take years and during this time melting and freezing and erosion from the wind creates fantastical sculptures. The bergs are in some cases layered with black and gray ash deposits from ancient volcanic eruptions. The lagoon is also a wildlife haven supporting a small seal population, colonies of arctic terns and great skuas.

Kitted up with life jackets we got into the amphibious boat and were driven into the lagoon. The sheer variety of ice sculptures was breathtaking. We were fortunate to spot a seal 'chilling out' (literally) on an iceberg.

Mrs B with a 1000 year old block of ice.

 

 

The tour ended all too soon, (but not before we'd had the chance to hold and taste some 100 year old ice) and we found ourselves back on dry land. Walking down by the side of the river we spotted another seal, arctic terns hitching a lift on a iceberg and eider ducks, including one sitting on her nest right by our feet. 

When we got to the beach we found it littered with melting icebergs another surreal sight!

Reluctantly tearing ourselves away from Jokulsarlon we headed westwards towards the Skaftafell National Park. We didn't get too far before detouring to look at another glacier; Fjallsjökull. The lagoon, Fjallsjökullsaron, was much smaller, littered with icebergs, but somehow quieter, with an almost cathedral like atmosphere but with a feeling too of intimacy and closeness to the landscape.

Skaftafell is a popular Icelandic hiking destination. The National Park has lots of trails of varying lengths and grades from 'easy' to 'challenging'. We decided on a shortish hike to see another waterfall, Svartifoss, not in itself as impressive in terms of water volume, but cut into a basalt column cliff. The trail started off on the level but soon climbed steadily uphill. Birdsong surrounded us and I spotted a redwing chirping away. After several stops to recover from the exertion and after about a mile and a half of climbing we arrived at the waterfall.
 

Svartifoss

The vertical basalt columns made for a stunning but slightly gloomy backdrop. The trail crossed a river and then climbed uphill over moorland. I saw a ptarmigan having a birdbath and as we started to drop downhill the path forked. Rather than head back to the start of the walk I persuaded Mrs B. to detour to a place named on the marker post as Sel. I had no idea what we would find - and it turned out to be a good hunch to go that way. Tucked into the hillside were some traditional Icelandic farmhouses, now abandoned and preserved as a slice of Icelandic heritage. We wandered around trying to imagine what life must have been like in this isolated spot. It must have been a lonely and demanding life for these Icelandic farmers.

The old farm buildings at Sel

We returned to the start of our walk enjoying panoramic views of the coastal plain before heading back to our hotel. After freshening up we set off in search of somewhere to eat. The nearest 'town' was Hofn and I'd read about an unusual 'diner' called Hafnarbudin near the harbour.We found it easily enough - Hofn isn't big enough to get lost in - and I enjoyed the local speciality. Hofn is a fishing town and its prize catch is langoustine - they have an annual festival to celebrate it. 

Hafnaburdin Diner and Hofn Harbour

In Hafnarbudin, where tourists and locals eat side by side, I ordered 'lobster soup' (actually langoustine) which was served inside a very large hollowed out crusty bread roll - about the size of a melon. The soup was creamy, full of flavour and packed with langoustine. Delicious but very filling. So ended a packed day that have revealed so many different aspects of Iceland. Tired but full of both food and experiences we returned back to our hotel to plan our final day and long return journey to Keflavik airport.