Northwest Iceland

It was one of those travel days where there was going to be a good bit of driving. We were checking out of our hotel in Borgarnes, and heading to the country’s second largest city, Akureyri. It was about a four-hour drive, with not many stops in between. But it was nice to have a more laid back day where we could sleep in a bit, and leisurely explore Iceland’s countryside.

Our first major stop was the hidden Kolugljúfur Canyon; which according to local folktale is named after Kola, a beautiful female troll that once lived here. After driving down a small gravel road off of Rte 1, surrounded by nothing but open fields and farmland, we thought we were lost. But about three miles down the road we arrived to a small dirt pull-off at a bridge. The minute we got out of our car we could hear the crashing water below us. The bridge stretched across the narrow gorge, giving us our first view of the magnificent and unexpected canyon. David and I hiked around its rocky walls, getting just feet away from the waterfall.

We took a different route back to the Ring Road that weaved through more farmland. Parts of the road followed the calm river just below the canyon, where we spotted a couple farmers taking a break to go fishing. We pulled over at a sweeping pasture filled with curious dairy cows, and another farmer hard at work bailing and wrapping hay before the next rainstorm.

The next stop ended up being one of our favorite locations of the day, Þingeyrakirkja Church. The 1860’s stone building was the only thing around for miles, and overlooked the Hóp Lagoon. We just laid in the grass, taking photos and enjoying the beautiful weather and vast views around us. In a meadow just south of the lagoon, a group of horses were running around and snacking on a pile of hay. We decided to join them, and sat on the back of our car and ate some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

David and I knew we were closing in on Akureyri when our surroundings went from the expansive fields of farmland to the rolling hills of the Öxnadalur Valley. We were looking forward to driving this 18 mile stretch all day. The mountains were so broad and so massive that the sun had trouble making its way to the valley floor, which was sprinkled with white fluffy dots of roaming sheep.

Towards the end of the valley was a small town… or rather a collection of farms. It was truly unbelievable to see people living in such a wild environment (although I have a feeling I’ll be saying that throughout our entire trip). And funny enough, it was the first time we got stuck in traffic – a farmer on a horse stopped incoming cars to allow his dog and son to round up their sheep back onto their land.

We arrived in Akureyri by late afternoon, and checked into our hotel. It was so nice outside that we decided to walk to the Botanical Gardens. It was strange being surrounded by lush plants and blooming flowers considering how harsh Iceland’s weather can be. We grabbed a quick snack at Kaffi Laut, a modern café with a gorgeous floor-to-ceiling picture window. As we were heading towards the exit, David spotted his dream cabin – a traditional Icelandic cottage that was acting as a greenhouse for the garden. He immediately started taking notes to replicate it back home in Colorado… for the unlikely chance we ever bought some land in the mountains.

We continued to walk a little further into town; browsing a few shops across from the gardens, and taking a detour through a small park full of ducks and geese being fed by the locals. We turned around at the Akureyrarkirkja Church, which stood high on a hill towering over Akureyri.

David and I ended the evening at Brynja, an ice cream parlor boasting the best ice cream in Iceland. We headed back to our hotel and settled in, thinking our day was over. Our bed faced a giant window that overlooked the surrounding mountains, so we kept the curtains open to enjoy the view. We had an unexpected wake up call around 11pm when a streak of green suddenly appeared outside. For the next hour, the Northern Lights glided across the sky, and we had a VIP view.