Southern Iceland Pt. 1

Our last few days in Iceland were spent exploring its renowned southern coast. There were significantly more travelers along this route – a stark contrast to northern Iceland, where we felt like we had the entire country to ourselves. But there is a reason why this area is so popular; not only because of its easy access from Reykjavik, but it is also home to Iceland’s most iconic marvels. In a two-hour drive from the country’s capital, one can experience a unique mix of volcanoes, glaciers, black-sand beaches, waterfalls and hot springs.

With so much to see, we left our hotel in Kirkjubæjarklaustur bright and early. Our first stop wasn’t far. Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon was located just west of town, off an old dirt road. We parked at a marker in front of a grassy hill, wondering where this massive canyon could be hiding. As we approached a nearby river, the hillside suddenly opened up, and we immediately found ourselves standing in front of an enormous rift in the earth. Its sheer, moss-covered cliffs were over 300 feet high. We were hoping to explore the base of the canyon, but unfortunately the river was too deep to cross and forced us to turn around. We joked that next time we’ll remember to bring a kayak.

Vík is a small village best known for its dramatic stretch of coastline, and that was the first thing we visited when we arrived. The beach was covered in black sand and smooth pebbles. Just offshore were giant sea stacks believed to be unlucky trolls that got caught in the sun. And then there was the stunning cluster of ancient basalt columns lining the entire cliffside. It was far from what you imagine a typical beach looking like. We were also lucky enough to arrive just as a few paragliders took flight overhead, adding to the already surreal scenery. Although we were spending the night in Vík, it was still early in the day so we continued traveling down the Ring Road.

We went on a short hike to Sólheimajökull, a large glacial tongue sprouting from an ice cap just north of Vík. We barely made it there; the dirt road was extremely bumpy and rutted out. Thankfully we arrived with all teeth intact, and made our way down to the lagoon. At the foot of the glacier was a brave group of people gearing up, about to embark on a climbing expedition across the jagged ice. David and I imagined how exhilarated they all must be, and decided that next time we visit Iceland, we’ll sign up for a similar excursion. 

Skógafoss is Iceland’s crown jewel. It is almost taboo to visit the country and not see this magnificent wonder. What was so unique about the nearly 200-foot waterfall was not only its mere size, the high volume of water thundering down, or the legend of a Viking’s treasure hiding beneath it; but just steps away from a parking lot right off of the Ring Road was an absolutely flat path leading right up to the base of the falls. Standing just feet away from something this immense, and this powerful was breathtaking, but perhaps that was the ice-cold water literally knocking the breath out of us! 

David and I left the “crowd” (of maybe 30 people) at Skógafoss, and hiked to its relatively unknown neighbor, Kvernufoss. There were not any signs or markers leading to the falls; we solely relied on directions I found online. We had to park behind the Skógar Museum, climb a ladder that went over the surrounding sheep fence, hike towards the rocky gorge, and then follow the river upstream to the hidden waterfall. It honestly wasn’t too difficult to find, and was well worth the effort to have this secluded oasis to ourselves.

The Seljavallalaug Pool was something David had been looking forward to the entire trip. Hidden deep within a valley just north of the Ring Road was an old concrete pool filled by a natural hot spring. The trail followed a river that stemmed from a distant waterfall on the mossy hillside. We found the pool at the very end of the valley, and there was no question why it was built all the way out here. It was such a beautiful and serene setting; it almost didn’t seem real. David took a dip in the water while I sat on the rim of the pool and watched the fog creep over the ridge. 

We weren’t quite ready to end the day, so we continued on to Seljalandsfoss, another one of Iceland’s impressive waterfalls. But before the main attraction, we headed a bit north to its neighbor, Gljúfrafoss. This waterfall is often overlooked because it is partially hidden by a large rock cliff. But if you follow the river flowing downstream from the falls, it will lead to a narrow opening in the rock. David and I waded up the shallow water into the slot canyon where Gljúfrafoss resided. The water plummeted over 130 feet into a small pool directly in front of us, blasting a constant spray of mist. We were never more thankful to be wearing our rain jackets!

After drying off at our car, we backtracked to Seljalandsfoss. We carefully walked along the slippery path to a cave directly behind the falls, where it was just as scenic as it was from the front. From this perspective, we watched the waterfall create a small river that flowed out into the grassy horizon. It started to rain while we were exploring the cave, but we didn’t mind spending more time admiring the view as we waited out the storm. 

Just in front of Seljalandsfoss was a small shop run by the family who owns the surrounding land. Many natural wonders like this waterfall are on private property. And to help earn income, many owners will either charge a fee to enter their land (like we did in Höfn at the Viking Café) or set up a small shop nearby and sell authentic Icelandic goods, like this one. We talked to the owner about how tourism has drastically changed their country, as David picked out a classic Icelandic sweater handmade by an 82-year-old woman in Reykjavik.

As the day winded down, so did we. I didn’t think we had the energy to carry on any further, so we began the trek back to our hotel in Vík. We made a brief stop at a few abandoned houses built into the side of a giant boulder. We also pulled over to watch a farmer and his dog round up their sheep into the barn for the night. After such a jam-packed day, it was nice have a relaxing evening in our room, overlooking the ocean and the unfortunate trolls stuck in it.