ICELAND - THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP - PART TWO!
If you have not yet read part one - I think it is a good place to start, unless you can teleport, than starting here works too because that is the only way you could get to myvatn without the first part --- Well I guess you could also make your own itinerary up...but what is the fun in that?
DAY FOUR: Get ready for some awesome waterfalls, geothermal areas and ultimate relaxation in the hot springs.
Time to continue the best road trip that you have ever been on! The next few days will take you to some great waterfalls, geothermal areas, the quaintest villages around and more!
Some Cute little Icelandic horses next to the road just chillin'
STOP ONE: Take a drive to Europe's Most Powerful Waterfall - Dettifoss - Drive time from Dimmuborgir Guest House 1hr 22mins (assuming everything goes to plan...)
In the summer time I am sure that it is a breeze to get to, but the winter is a whole other story - well at least it was for us! At this point we had driven about 12 hours just so we could see the most powerful waterfall in Europe - so you bet your arse that I was going to be seeing that dang waterfall. When we got to the turnoff for the waterfall there were a lot of cars stopped at the entrance where the 23km (12 mile) drive to Dettifoss begins. We started down the road and decided to turn around before our car got stuck (well we actually didn't turn around, we had to back out). Long story short we made it eventually, but that is a whole other post that will be coming very soon. It was a very fun misadventure!
Due to our misadventure we ended up having the entire waterfall to ourselves, along with some Texans that we picked up along the way. But, it was pretty epic - we were there for two hours and not a sinner came by.
When you get there you will have to walk about 1/4 mile to get to Dettifoss. It was as impressive as it sounds! In the summer time you can drive down another road to the other side and get up close and personal with the waterfall. I would recommend you explore both routes as they are very different if both the roads are open.
THE PATH TO DETTIFOSS! It is about 1/4 mile walk.
The waterfall was so strong, the mist off of it was insane. In this picture you can see to the left of the waterfall where you are actually able to stand above it. The route was closed when we were there, but I can imagine that it is also a pretty cool view.
The photos do not do this waterfall justice!
Just admiring the views!
Living life on the edge! As close as we could get to Dettifoss.
The Drive back from Dettifoss! A frozen, snow covered desert. Pretty impressive!
STOP TWO: Selfoss Waterfall - 1o minute walk from Dettifoss
This is a lesser known waterfall just up the road from Dettifoss. It is a nice stop and a pretty walk up stream. It is super easy to get to as well- all you have to do is walk up stream.
Selfoss!
STOP THREE: Krafla - 47 minutes from Dettifoss
We actually went over to this area and made it a quarter way up the hill before we turned around. This is also when we were in crisis because we had not yet made it to Dettifoss and I was trying to figure out how to make it. We had met a few people on our way up to the crater that said it was totally not worth it. I have seen cool pictures of it so it is up to you if you want to make the journey up the hill or not.
STOP FOUR: Hverir From Krafla - 10 minutes
This was actually a really fun place to stop. It is a little geothermal area that you can walk around and check out! We spent a good hour here before heading back into town for dinner.
STOP FIVE: Myvatn Nature Baths
Of course we had some dinner first! It was an especially delicious dinner due to the fact that I only ate a power bar and some beef jerky for lunch....and it was a long day. We got to dinner at about 8:00ish. We went straight to the baths because I had a feeling that lady aurora was going to dance for us that night. There was a good Northern Lights forecast and the sky was clear for the first night since our arrival. We ended up arriving at the pools around 8:30ish.
The pool floor was sand and I really liked the atmosphere. It is kind of up on a hill and worth the visit if you are in Myvatn. I would have went 20 times if I could have! It was also pretty magical because the Northern lights started for us when we were up there. While it was a really cool experience to be in the hotsprings with the Aurora overhead - the steam from the hotspring actually caused a bit of its own "cloud" coverage so we left pretty quickly after the aurora started dancing.
TIPS:
You have to shower before you go into the hotsprings. Which totally makes sense and I wish that they made us do that in the States. This made it so that my hair froze while we were photographing the Aurora because it is also recommended that you put conditioner in your hair to protect it from the sulfur and what not, therefore I had wet hair for the entire night.
END OF THE DAY: Head back to your accomodation and chase the aurora.
I think that it is worth it to chase Lady Aurora every night you are in Iceland, because you never know when you might get lucky and see her dance. According to all of the pamphlets I was seeing around - Myvatn is one of the best places in Iceland to see the Northern Lights.
More info on how to Photograph and Chase the Northern Lights.
DAY FIVE:
STOP ONE: Godafoss Waterfall from Myvatn - 43 minute drive.
By now you might have noticed that I love waterfalls! This waterfall did not disappoint. It is actually pretty unique and I have never seen one like it. It forms a semicircle of waterfalls. It kind of reminds me of a super mini Niagara Falls (not that I have been there - just from the photos I have seen of it). You can stand above it, or you can drive across the bridge, park and walk about 1/4 mile and climb down a little path to be below it. I Personally thought this is where the best view of the falls were and by far the best place to take a photo.
Also, the gift shop/gas station right next to it is a great place to not only fill up, but they had some great souvenirs too!
Cool (no pun intended) views from below.
The fact that it was partially frozen made the waterfall that much more magical.
Also a Drone friendly place!
There was something very cool about all the ice surrounding it.
STOP TWO: Akureyri for Lunch - 44 minute drive from Godafoss
At this point you might be hungry - we actually ended up just driving through this city. But it looked like a nice place to stop. It is the second biggest city in Iceland and it actually even has an airport. So possibly worth the stop.
STOP THREE: Stykkisholmer - 4hr 46mins from Akureyri
This was by far my favorite town in Iceland. Not only was it one of the most picturesque places I have ever been, but it was also a lot of fun to climb to the top of the hill with the lighthouse on it. Not to mention the most delicious seafood restaurant ever (Sjávarpakkhúsið)!
Also if you have ever seen the Secret Life Of Walter Mitty it is one of the towns in the movie. I am not sure If I fell in love with the boats, the colorful houses, the mountains or the lighthouse - but whatever it was I want to go back someday. I would also recommend that you stay the night here. It looked like it had some great accommodation.
DAY SIX:
Stop One: Mt. Kirkijufell
So we did not actually get to see this mountain. It is a pretty iconic place in Iceland and you see a lot of pictures of it. Unfortunately for us a crazy storm had rolled in with insane winds, rain, fog, and clouds. We made the mistake of staying in the town that the mountain is near called Grundarfjordur (wish we had stayed in Stykkisholmer). There was not much happening in this village and it had a very sad vibe. It may have just been because of the weather - but I suggest that you do not stay the night here unless you are for sure going to catch the aurora with Mt. Kirkjufell in the background (because that would make some epic pictures). That is actually the reason we stayed there in the first place, in hopes to see lady aurora dance one more time.
STOP TWO THROUGH SEVEN:
As I mentioned we actually ended up going back to Reykjavik that morning because a terrible storm had rolled in. It was actually even a little scary to drive in. But I had done a lot of research and scheduled the day out for us! Maybe if you do it, you can email me some pics for the blog or let me know how it was!
It is a pretty cool little drive as it takes you in a circle around the little arm.
Kirkjellfoss - Skardosvik Beach - 35 minutes driving
Skardosvik Beach - Djupalonssandur - 20 minutes driving
Djupalonssandur - Londranger - 8 minutes driving
Londranger - Hellnar - 6 minutes driving
Hellnar - Arnarstapi - 5 minutes driving
Arnarstapi - Gatkeller - 1 minute walking
Arnarstapi - Gerduberg Cliffs - 55 minutes driving
STOP EIGHT: Reykjavik
Gerduberg Cliffs - Reykjavik - 1hr 27minutes driving
You have just spent an awesome day exploring this area and it is time to head to Reykjavik to catch your flight the next day. If your flight is early I suggest that you make a stop at the Blue Lagoon that night. Keep in mind you need to reserve the blue lagoon like a month ahead of time at least! It is also kind of a drive to get to from Reykjavik - about 45 minutes each way.
DAY SEVEN - BON VOYAGE, SAFE TRAVELS, BUEN VIAJE, Góð Ferð.
If you have a late flight, or even a mid afternoon flight I would suggest that you pack everything up except for your bathing suit and some airplane clothes. Because you will be heading to the Blue Lagoon. It is on the way to the airport and they have everything you need before your flight. You can spend an hour or so relaxing in the hot thermal waters, take a shower, blow dry your hair, put your bathing suit in a plastic bag, possibly get a snack and then head to the airport. Don't forget to book at least a month in advance and in the summer probably even longer.
At this point I hope that you had as of an amazing time as we did in Iceland! Please share your stories and favorite spots.