2nd Day of Exploring the Natural Beauty of Iceland
Welcome back readers! As promised, here is the second installment of my Iceland exploration. By the way, did I mention what I loved about visiting Iceland during summer time? It never gets dark in Iceland during those times. And that was a huge advantage… or maybe disadvantage if you have severe sleep problem like me. But seriously, you could literally explore Iceland 24/7 non-stop if you want to. The only thing that slowed us down was the rain. As a matter of fact, it rained 4 days out of my 5-day Iceland exploration. My 2nd day of exploring the natural beauty of Iceland was cold, windy and rainy. Oh well, for a wanderlust like me, it was ‘rain or shine’. Without further ado, here’s how I spent my 2nd day in amazing Iceland.
By the way, case you missed how I spent my first day exploring the natural beauty of Iceland, click this link.
Day 2: Where did I go and what did I do?
To begin with, I have to say that it’s so weird to sleep and wake up to the same ‘bright’ sight. Unfortunately, there is no amount of Tylenol and Motrin PM that could put me down to sleep on a ‘bright’ night in Iceland. Consequently, I wasn’t able to go to sleep until 4:00 in the morning on my first night in Iceland. With that being said, it was a late day for me as I woke up 10:00 in the morning.
After walking up to this beautiful sight, who would want to leave? Our loyal Snail van, however, is ready to hit the road again.
1st Stop: Seljalandsfoss
As I’ve said in my previous post, I could never get enough of the beauty of Seljalandsfoss right? Thus, I went back there the next day circling underneath playing with its sparkling mist. You will get wet whether you like it or not by the way, wearing waterproof from head to toe is almost a must. It was windy, wet and cold. Yet, it was so much fun!
Here I was standing on a rock close to Seljalandsfoss. And about 560 m. towards the direction those people are heading is our 2nd stop for the day, the Gljufrabui.
2nd Stop: Gljufrabui
Not too far of a walk from Seljalandsfoss is Gljufrafoss or Gljufrabui, as it is more commonly called. Interestingly, some tourists missed this beautiful spot despite the fact that it is right by Seljalandsfoss. Trust me, I almost did myself realizing it on my drive to Skogafoss after visiting Seljalandsfoss. As a result, I had to make a U-turn to check out this beauty.
Additionally, Gljufrabui is also known as the ‘hidden waterfall’. Partially hidden by canyon of rocks, hikers have to pass through these canyons to see the waterfall.
Finally, I am here! Oh Gljufrabui, I almost missed you. Although you are cold, wet and slippery, you are so worth to visit any time of the day.
3rd Stop: Skogafoss
Skogafoss is another beautiful waterfall in Southern Iceland. Again, it is one of the most famous stop-offs on the Ring Road. As a matter of fact, it is almost a mandatory stop-off due to the fact that Skogafoss is highly visible as you drive on the ring road. Hence, I don’t think anyone could miss it. Additionally, Skogafoss is so beautiful it is definitely a must-see when you visit the southern part of Iceland.
Alternatively, you can also climb up the mountain to see the waterfall in its entirety. The 370 steps to the top of the mountain will not just give you the amazing view of the waterfall. In addition, you will have the opportunity to see the beauty of southern Iceland’s coast line.
Lastly, what is beauty without story, right? Legend has it that the first settler of the town Skogar, named Thrasi, hid a chest of gold underneath the waterfall. Allegedly, three men attempted and failed to recover the chest of gold. Supposedly, the ring to the handle broke up as they were dragging the disappearing chest on the ground. And apparently, the ring was once used as a door handle at Skogar Church.
The following verse pertaining to the legend has passed from generation to generation can be read below:
“The chest in Thrasi’s secret lair
Under the Skogar waterfall
Rewards the one who venture there
With endless riches, great and small.”
Typically, tourists head next to Plane Wreck in Solheimasandur after visiting Skogafoss. Unfortunately, I had to skip this interesting tourist spot due to fear of exhaustion. Finally, ‘jetlag’ caught up with me coupled with the bad weather. Sadly, my 2nd day of exploring the natural beauty of Iceland was short of sunshine. I could do the 2-hour hike both ways but not when it was windy, cold and rainy. I still regret skipping it, but oh well, there’s always a next time.
4th: Solheimajokull
Our next stop is Solheimajoskull, a glacier in Southern Iceland. Additionally, Solheimajoskull is also known as the ‘Sinking Glacier of the South’. It is easily accessible but dangerous to explore without expert tour guides. Visiting the Solheimajokull is definitely a must-visit in Southern Iceland.
There is NO FEE to walk along the trail to Solheimajokull. It is not advisable to climb the glacier without proper gears and expertise. Parking is free and there is a bathroom on-site.
Tours to trek up the glacier are available for a small fee. I would love to do hours-long exciting Solheimajokull glacier hike someday. Sometime soon, I would like to climb on that greenish-blue colored glacier. But for now, a walk to the sinking glacier is way more than enough for me. By the way, even from a far, it was beautiful!
5th Stop: Black Sand Beach
I always love white sand beaches and think they are the prettiest in the world. However, Iceland’s Black Sand Beach makes me think otherwise. Reynisfjara is a well-known black sand beach located in the south coastal area of Iceland. Undoubtedly, this beautiful black sand beach is one of the most famous stop-offs in southern Iceland. It is definitely a must-see tourist attraction. So far, I have to say that Iceland’s Reynisfjara is the most beautiful black sand beach I have ever seen in my life.
Despite of the cold wind and the rain, there is no way I would pass on taking a beautiful walk along the black sand beach.
Furthermore, it’s not everyday that I get to see a beautiful mountain situated steps away from the ocean.
Reynisfjell is a 360 meter high mountain with basalt columns on its base.
These are the basalt columns at the foot of the Reynisfjell. The seemingly picture perfect hexagonal-shaped columns look almost unreal. It’s so amazing to see such beautiful creation. And if that is not beautiful enough, take few more step and you will arrive to yet another magnificent view. Again, it looks so unreal and outwardly.
Finally, my last stop is Reynisdrangar, an amazing stack of rocks off the shore of Reynisfjara beach. Again, what is beauty without a story, right? Throughout the years, legends are told explaining the eerie and unique formation of Reynisdrangar. Old legend tells of a couple of trolls seeing a ship and dragging it to the shore one night. Unfortunately, dawn broke turning the trolls and the ship into stone. Additionally, modern legend tells of a loving husband turning trolls into stone avenging for the murder of his beloved wife.
There is NO FEE to enter Reynifsjara. Parking is free. There is a restaurant on-site. You may use the restaurant bathroom for free. Alternatively, you may use the bathroom outside the restaurant for 200 ISK. Additionally, wide selections of hotels are available in the area.
Accommodation
On my 2nd day, 2nd night rather, of exploring the natural beauty of Iceland, I decided to get a hotel room. Why? In as much as I love my newly embraced campervanning life, I cannot go another day without taking a good shower. Baby wipes are good but no 5 to 10 packs of baby wipes could ever replace a ‘real shower’, LOL. Again, my decision of booking a hotel room last-minute not only cost me a bit of a fortune bust also most of my time. I scoured more than 5 hotels in the town of Vik and called almost 10 until Hotel Dyrholaey confirmed availability. Click the pictures below to see how does a $323 hotel room in Vik Iceland look like.
Finally, my 2nd day of exploring the natural beauty of Iceland has come to end. In conclusion, my 2nd day of exploring Iceland allowed me to see 5 major tourist attractions. It is important to note that this trip is very chill and laid-back. I made sure to take my sweetest time enjoying each stop-off. While the beauty of the place you visit counts, it is really how you enjoy the places that matters.