We love Iceland. Huw and I have been twice before, but never with the children. So, once the lockdowns started to lift, we found ourselves in Heathrow Airport awaiting our flight to Reykjavik. In fact, I booked the flights months earlier, in March, during a particularly boring session of chemotherapy; not being allowed to have someone with you meant I did a lot of online shopping to pass the time! We had to pay for Covid tests before we travelled, and arrange for tests within 2 days of our return to the UK, but that was ok. We double-masked in the plane, and knew that in Iceland we’d be outside most of the time. Genuinely, we felt more at risk of catching Covid here in the UK that 3 hours away in Iceland. And after such a rubbish year, we NEEDED this trip!
Day 1: Reykjavik
Our base was a little way outside Reykjavik, in Selfoss (outside the city in the hope of catching the Northern Lights – we were, again, unsuccessful).
Blue Lagoon
Our first port of call simply had to be the Blue Lagoon. That wonderfully warm, cloudy, slippery in places, (a little bit smelly), steamy geothermal pool known the world over. It had changed since my last visit – a hotel had appeared that wasn’t there before! And, as always, it was very popular … but if you head towards the back of the pool you could easily find an area to call your own. With the steamy ‘fog’ you couldn’t see anyone beyond a metre away anyway! With our faces covered in clay, we enjoyed a drink at the swim-up bar, and also sampled the steam rooms and saunas. The cold showers were one step too far for me though!
In total, we spent a good 2.5 hours here, just bobbing up and down in the warm waters, relaxing, and enjoying the start of our Iceland adventure.
Whale Watching
We booked onto a Special Tours whale watching trip, which would last approximately 3.5 hours. After checking in we were led to our boat, Andrea, and shown where we could change into a bright yellow all-weather coverall suit. Well, Toby and myself thought we’d see who could look the silliest – I think I won! They are optional. Seriously though, it did get really cold out at sea, and we were very grateful for the extra warmth the suit provided.
On board there were fascinating artifacts and posters based on the wildlife we might be lucky to see. There was also a bar/café area, serving warm drinks and snacks.
We were lucky: the weather kept calm and dry (just cold) and we saw some white-beaked dolphins and three juvenile humpback whales. They seemed as interested in us as we were of them, as they got very close to the boat … it was a magical sight. Beautiful creatures. It’s a trip I’ll never forget.
Once back on land we headed across the road to the Exeter Hotel, and Deig Bakery within it, for hot drinks, hot bagels, and amazingly tasty donuts!
Other highlights of Reykjavik
After our heavy carb lunch we walked around the harbour to FlyOver Iceland. This is an indoor ‘theme park ride’ where, surrounded by a huge interactive screen, you literally fly over, under, and through Iceland. It’s very exhilarating! Good fun.
Finally, before heading back to our hire car, and then accommodation, we walked through the town, passing the Penis Museum …
… walking up Rainbow Street …
… to see the magnificent Hallgrimskirkja cathedral.
Just down the road from the cathedral we stumbled across an inviting ice-cream parlour. Well, we had to try it out!
Of course there was lots more to see, but we only had a day here!
Day 2: Waterfalls, Caves and Lava
Today we headed East from our accommodation towards Hella and Vik. Along the way we stopped at two amazing waterfalls.
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss is rather special, in that you can walk behind it. It’s a magnificent waterfall with a 60m cascade. The circular walk that takes you right behind the falls starts off as a metal walkway with steps. This is easy to traverse, but you then reach a point where the ground becomes very rocky and uneven, wet and slippery, and there’s no rope or railings to hold onto. Because of this I chose not to carry on, but Huw and the children did. They said that once you had walked behind the waterfall there was another tricky area to get over before rejoining a walkway on the other side. The scenery here is beautiful – a ‘must stop’ if driving along Route 1.
Skogafoss
A little further down the road and you come across Skogafoss. Another popular waterfall to stop and view, and this time the challenge is the 370 steps you climb to reach the viewpoint at the top. Naturally I sent the kids up the steps, while we walked down to the riverbank and admired from below.
Caves of Hella
Also along Route 1 you will pass the historic Caves of Hella. This was a truly fascinating tour, underground, through several man-made caves. No-one really knows, for certain, how these caves came to be there – or even when they were constructed. Perhaps it was the Celts, who lived in Iceland before the Norse settlement in the 9th century? They have clearly been used throughout history as dwellings, animal sheds and for storage.
Today, the caves are being slowly and carefully restored under the supervision of the Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland. Working alongside and with the local community, the Caves of Hella use local guides and local products; it’s well worth supporting.
The Icelandic Lava Show, Vik
Just before reaching Vik you should stop and take a walk down to a ‘black sand beach’. On our visit the rain was coming down and I’m afraid the temptation was to remain in the car and go in search of coffee and cake instead! Upon arival in Vik, we found coffee (and cake) in the same building as The Icelandic Lava Show.
We decided to join the next show – it was indoors, and warm after all. We didn’t really know what to expect. The promise was ‘real lava’ … and that really is what we got! The show was so good! The presenter was engaging, and a great storyteller. He told us about Katla, the volcano above Vik that is ‘overdue’ an eruption. Katla is under a huge glacier, and when it does erupt there will be very little time for Vik residents to evacuate before the flood waters flow down through the town.
He then told us all about lava – what it is, how it behaves … and then he opened a hatch and molten rock was poured down a channel right in front of us. It crackled and hissed as it cooled, and ‘glass’ bubbles appeared that shattered when tapped with his metal pole. We even got to keep some cooled pieces to take home with us!
It was brilliant. A definite highlight of our trip.
Day 3: Golden Circle
Today we were following the tourist buses to see the geysirs …
… Gulfoss Falls (amazing viewing platforms – and the shop serves lovely hot chocolate!) …
… Þingvellir National Park, where you can walk between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates – you can literally have one foot in North America and the other in Europe! Þingvellir is also the historic site of the Icelandic parliament from 10th to the 18th century.
But then we went slightly off the main tourist route, for two very special visits.
Fridheimar
Do you like tomatoes? Do you think the climate is ideal for growing tomatoes in Iceland? No? Think again! Fridheimar is a must-visit foodie destination, because everything is about the humble tomato, of which they grow 370 tonnes every year in the huge greenhouses that you’ll also be dining in. Of course they use geothermal energy to heat, and light, the greenhouses. The tomato plants are very tall and rather than chemicals they use biological pest control.
After a tour of the greenhouse you are shown to your table, where the mainstay menu consists of home made tomato soup with bread. When I say bread, I mean a smorgasbord of different breads in plentiful supply … perfect for dunking into the soup!
They also offer additional menu items, such a burrata cheese with heirloom tomatoes, a tomato ravioli, and I mustn’t forget the tomato ice-cream in a mini plant pot!
There’s a well-stocked shop too … guess what the theme is? Yep, tomatoes!
Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths
Having experienced the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon, before returning home we wanted to visit another. This time we picked Laugarvatn Fontana, located on a lake side. The pools (several, each heated – geothermally – to a different temperature) were more ‘swimming pool-like’ with steps and ladders. It felt more of a locals pool, which was nice – it wasn’t crowded either.
The pools (and sauna, and steam rooms) were great, but that wasn’t the biggest draw to us stopping here. We had signed onto a Geothermal Rye Bread tour – the quirkiest thing I have ever experienced! Our guide took us down to the lake shore, where hot water bubbled up through the black sand. A rye dough, in a pot sealed tightly by a lid and plastic wrap, was lowered into a freshly dug hole in the hot sand, and then covered. It was then decorated with a stone (to locate it in 24hrs) and left to cook. Of course, they had placed a pot the previous day, and that was now ready to be dug up, cooled down, and eaten.
Back in the warmth of the main building, the steaming warm bread was sliced and served with butter and salmon slices … oh wow, it was amazing. What with the tomato soup earlier in the afternoon, I was in foodie heaven! An amazing tour, unlike anything I’ve ever done before!
Day 4: To the airport and home
Alas the nights were too cloudy to see the Northern Lights, but what we did see a lot of around our accommodation were Icelandic ponies. Whenever we past, we had to stop to say hello.
On our way to the airport we also stopped at Ikea … I know, I know, but it has become a tradition! When we first visited Iceland, Ikea was the only place we could afford to eat each day! So it was fitting that our last lunch before flying home should be an Ikea special, with some snack chocolate to eat on the plane!
Iceland is the most amazing destination. The people are friendly, the scenery is unforgetable. There’s so much more to see too (including the Northern Lights) so we will go back. And I can’t wait x
