Despite the Storm, Nothing But Beauty (Winter) :|: Iceland

[Seljalandsfoss on a Winter's Night, Jason Watanabe]

Despite the Storm, Nothing But Beauty (Winter) :|: Iceland

Travel Tips to Iceland on WoW + Airport Transport 

I knew that Iceland would be such a beautiful place, I just never realized how breathtaking it could be, even though I experienced it through a storm. While it was warmer than normal while I was there (5-6C), the weather still was an issue through the trip, with the rain and winds that reached up to 40-50mph. The conditions made me thankful that I didn't decide to drive myself, as I signed up for tours throughout the trip, however, if you're comfortable driving in windy and icy conditions and also am fine dealing with one-way bridges and roundabouts, then you should be fine, just make sure to fill up gas at every opportunity if you're heading across the island, as you could go long stretches without seeing a gas station. As beautiful as this place is, it also is a very expensive place, as I spent a lot of money on food and gifts, so much in these small towns, that the airport almost seemed like a deal. 

Iceland is a waterfall paradise which has a lot to do with the glaciers that cover just over 10% of the landmass. One of the most famous of the waterfalls is Gullfoss, which was references as the Golden Falls as part of the Golden Circle. The waterfall can easily taken you about 45 minutes to an hour to explore as you can see it from every angle and walk almost to water's edge. Of course, you don't want to get to close and especially when icy, crampons would be a good idea as you will not survive if swept up in this waters. Skogafoss is a waterfall you'll definitely be seeing if taking a tour of the south coast of Icleand. You can literally walk up to the base of the waterfall or take a trek up the hillside to see the waterfall from above. Beware that in bad weather, the stairs might be closed and the closer you get, the more wet you'll leave. Of course my favorite was Seljalandsfoss, which can be seen from the road as you drive in south Iceland. One of the coolest things about this waterfall is your ability to hike behind the waterfall and take some awesome pictures. The trail on the right is much easier, but expect to get wet if you are walking close to or behind the waterfall. The left trail provides a higher view of the falls. When seen at night. the falls can provide a spectacular photo op. The spring also provides some beautiful greenery and flowers to add to the spectacular view. If you want to head a bit off the touristy trek, you should venture to Glymur, one of the most spectacular and the former tallest waterfall in Iceland. You can also visit Dynjandi and Haifoss, but you definitely need to read into the trek to these before venture on your way to these beauties.

If you continue on your trek in the south, you're sure to stop by Vik and its beautiful black sand beach Reynisfjara. As a warning, it would be wise to stay away from the shoreline as the waves crash at different levels and once you get swept in, there is little chance you'll be returning to land alive. The waves pound the shoreline and being there with nearly 50mph winds, I was pushed towards the water and pelted with the black sand. However, braving the weather, I got to see the waves go backwards because of the wind and mix in with the black sand that swept along the shoreline; something visually stunning and worth every struggle to experience in. However, if you plan accordingly,  you can probably enjoy the spectacular sight of this beach. There are also two main caves where you can see the beautiful post piles that formed in this mountain side that make for a beautiful spectacle of nature. While it is know as one of the most beautiful beaches in Iceland, I would beg to differ, as Diamond Beach was probably my favorite beach despite the weather conditions. Just on the other side of the bridge from Jokulsarlon (Glacier Lagoon) in Vatnajokull National Park, there is a beach that collects much of the glacier runoff. The result? A beach full of diamonds. Sure, these diamonds won't make you rich, but will leave you with lasting memories of something so incredible as the contrast of the black sand beach to the diamonds that lay all around is stunning. Plus, you even get close to chunks of the glacier Breidamerkurjokull that you cannot access at Jokulsarlon. 

Just up the way at Jokulsarlon, you can see the beautiful glaciers in the lagoon. Despite seeing the lagoon in darkness and rain on both visits, it still is visually stunning and a great walk. I definitely encourage you to dress warmer here as the weather changes, hence the glaciers. From day to day, the views change as the ice breaks off and flows down towards Diamond Beach and beyond. The ever-changing environment makes it a place you can visit over and over. While some wildlife floated around with the ice, the spring would provide a more eventful journey for those looking for wildlife. 

The glaciers of Iceland are also some of the most spectacular sights on the island. Many of these glaciers can be seen while driving from place to place, one of which is the spectacular Eyjafjallajokull which erupted in 2010, causing significant affects to Europe travel. A little farm that sits just below the glacier sits in a picturesque background, but also in a place of extreme danger during the latest volcanic eruption.

At Vatnajokull glacier, you can find the home of the movie Interstellar and show Game of Thrones as you find a landscape that is spectacular and also famous. It also has some of the most spectacular ice caves that are created and can be seen with the right temperatures in the winter months. Some of the most spectacular formations, but also forming some dangerous crevasse as you must walk with caution closely behind your guide, not to forget your crampons and picks. 

Thingvellier National Park and Geysir geothermal area are great stops that are sure to be apart of any Golden Circle tour. At Thingvellir, you'll stop at a UNESCO heritage sight where you get to walk between the Euroasian and American plates, essentially walking between two continents and if you keep walking, you can find Oxararfoss, a waterfall tucked back at the end of a short hike along a wooden trail. Then you can see the spectacular Geysir geothermal area where geysers shoot into the air as you can enjoy the thrill of the unpredictable blast. If that wasn't enough sulfur for you, you can also dip into the Blue Lagoon, one of the most famous spots for tourist, however, making a reservation in advance is wise. Also, don't forget to see the Icelandic horses, which are so stunningly beautiful that you'll definitely want to take one home. 

Of course, many venture to Iceland to see the Northern Lights (aurora borealis), which can be seen from September to April. However, understand that seeing the aurora is not a given and predicting them is even harder. A combination of factors will come into play and should be considered when sitting out for a night to try to catch them. In Iceland, the aurora can be seen in the north at about 2 or 2.5 and in the south at about a 3, however, another factor few consider is that it must be clear! You also have to be in a place with little light pollution as DARKNESS is key to seeing them, which is why the closer to December 21st you are, the greater your chance of seeing it (if the sky is clear), as there is more darkness. Of course if you want to see the spectacular aurora you often see in pictures, you'll want to hope for a 4 or greater. The rating of the aurora is on a scale of 0 to 9 and when it's higher, it has greater visibility. This rating is often projected based on solar activity. I am far from an expert, but when searching for the Northern Lights, I've avoided sitting out for hours by using technology and going out into the cold only when the activity is up. The Aurora Forecast (Europe) will give you VERY accurate predictions up to an hour in advance and I normally placed myself outside 15-20 minutes prior to these peak times. Of course, before you go out, check the cloud coverage too, as that plays a huge role, as the 5+ that I was hoping to see was not visible due to cloud coverage. Iceland (Cloud Coverage) Regardless, with luck on your side and a good DSLR, you'll be able to capture some great photographs. Even with a camera where I could not change my settings, I was able to capture some fairly spectacular views. For settings, you should consider using a wide-angle lens (I rented one online), a low f-stop, an ISO of about 800, and a shutter speed of about 15-30 seconds depending on the surrounding conditions. Don't forget your tripod (preferable able to handle the harsh cold climate) like I did, otherwise, you'll have to play MacGyver and create one out of the clothes and items you have. Also, keep your focus on infinity, as it will be a challenge to try to focus it on your own. The lights capture were between a 3 and 4 with a little bit of cloud coverage. 

The north would provide better viewing opportunities, but you also may be limited on places to stay and how to get there. I will be visiting the north more in a future trip. Other things to look into include bubble viewing (you sit inside a bubble with clear views of the sky) or floating viewing (view from a heated lagoon).

From my experience, I would consider using Guide to Iceland (Tours). I took the 3-day tour which included most of the above and covers what any other Golden Circle tour or South Coast tour would cover. It also allowed for more time and freedom at each location, which was nice for those looking to take photographs. It's a lot of time in the bus, so definitely bring something to do or edit photos while on the road, which is what I did. I also visited during the winter, but during the spring, there should be a bountiful of puffins to see, a bird they are well known for.

Oh yeah, the food. The food and other items are quite expensive. Most places I went had fish and lamb available. My lamb soup at various stops ranged from $10-15 USD per cup. There were some cheaper options such as burgers (regular and lamb) and of course the Icelandic hot dog (hot dog wrapped in bacon), but if you do want to eat more local, be prepared for lamb and fish, including dried fish sold at various stops along the way. It's not a foodie heaven, There are a few location such a Hofn, which are also well know for lobster, where I had delicious lobster tails, lobster spring roll and lobster bisque. Of course like any country, they have there interesting foods as well such as ram testicles, horse, whale, shark, puffin, blood pudding, and more. Many of these are detailed at Guide to Iceland, but not everything on this list is terrible. 

Regardless, Iceland is a beautiful country and worth the visit. It's easy to get around with most speaking both English and Icelandic and if you know the full name of the local person you meet, you already know the name of their mother or father. Icelandic Names It is a country built on tourism, so the people are friendly and nice and it is also considered one of the safest countries to travel to in the world! I would suggest staying near city center as there is a lot more going on, but if taking a tour, any hotel and some guest houses/hostels in the Reykjavik will be serviced. Like any place, there are places to avoid, so be sure to research! By trip's end, however, I am sure you'll be like me and wishing you could go back to explore some more, as it definitely was an exciting place to explore.