Iceland Week 2: How to Enjoy the Country of Fire and Ice

Last Friday, I shared highlights from the first week of our two-week Iceland vacation. Building on our family’s tutorial on how to get the most from your Iceland visit, today I share our westward trip from windy Lake Myvatn from week two.

Explore Iceland: Godafoss, Petting Zoo, and Akureyri

Day 8 was unique in that I recalled three smaller events rather than one big highlight. They included visits to a waterfall, a petting zoo, and the “capital of north Iceland,” Akureyri.

Godafoss

Our first stop out of Myvatn was at a waterfall named Godafoss, which looked like two rivers running at right angles into each other. But from above, we could see that one river wrapped around a resistant basalt “island” in the middle. The winds had died down significantly from the previous day, and we enjoyed partly cloudy skies and clear views of the panoramic falls.

Daladyrd Petting Zoo

When I told my husband our next stop was a petting zoo, he seemed skeptical. A zoo, in Iceland? Volunteering for eight years at the Woodland Park Zoo has made me a big fan of exploring international zoos of all kinds and sizes. When I read off the list of animals we’d be visiting, Brooke and I put it to a vote, and we won.

We arrived just before they opened at 11 a.m., but the owners let us in early. After meeting their adult dogs and two cats, I headed out to see their Arctic fox. We hadn’t had any luck seeing one anywhere else. The female was vocalizing and her fur was transitioning from summer dark to winter white. My daughter spent at least half of her time visiting with three kittens who climbed all over her.

The owners’ seven baby puppies made their public debut, and we laughed at chickens chasing rabbits away from their days-old chicks. We also visited their Icelandic horses (including two precious black foals), cows, goats, guinea pigs, turkeys, and sleeping pigs. Okay, so it was more of a family farm than a zoo. It was still fun. My daughter took her turn on their outdoor trampoline, getting a boost of endorphins for the next phase of the trip. We agreed unanimously that it was worth a stop on a long day of driving.

Akureyri

The “capital of north Iceland” and the second largest settlement outside of the capital region is Akureyri, with 20,000 inhabitants. We spent a few hours visiting a yarn shop and neighboring bookstore, replenishing our food supplies (at Bonus!), having a picnic at the waterfront, and looking for birds and flowers at the local Botanical Gardens. Fall colors had already appeared by September 6. After that, we headed for our next stay in the tiny village of Laugarbakki.

Iceland Airbnb Lodging

By this point, five things stood out about Icelandic Airbnb lodging:

• Most of the places we chose were pretty tight quarters compared to New Zealand and US lodging
• Most places had shoe racks right inside the door to prevent tracking in dirt requiring additional cleaning
• Icelandic locks on bathrooms and outer doors took patience and persistence to figure out
• “Fully equipped kitchen” means something different to everyone
• Every place had its unique charm and, even though tight, we had everything we needed, including WiFi

When we reached the Guesthouse Langafit I made us dinner for the first time in a week: golden potatoes, bacon, and ground pork. Not the set-up I’m used to but still tasty and relatively affordable. We also had a few delightful conversations (supper and breakfast) with a lovely couple from Austria who were traveling the Ring Road in the opposite direction. We swapped stories and photos before heading our separate ways.

Explore Iceland: Westfjords In a Day

To kick off our 28th wedding anniversary on day 9, I cooked bacon and eggs so my husband and daughter could sleep in. Back home, we’d debated about how much time we could allot for the Westfjords. We ended up downgrading from three days to one once we decided to drive the whole Ring Road. We still spent more than four hours driving on day 9, the second longest driving day of the entire trip.

In Holmavik we spent 45 minutes in the tiny Museum of Icelandic Witchcraft and Sorcery, my daughter’s choice for the region. I’d watched a short video about necropants, tilberi, and the zombie climbing out of the floor, so I knew what to expect. Fortunately, we were provided a guide in English so we could read about the exhibits.

Natural Hot Spring

The other highlight was my only hot springs experience in Iceland, at the Reykholar Hostel. We’d chosen not to visit the Blue Lagoon resort outside of Reykjavik as too touristy. However, when we checked in early at the hostel, we learned that only one of the nine rooms besides ours would be occupied that evening. And not only was there a sauna, but a hot tub as well!

After dropping off our bags to make room in the car, we explored a very winding road west from Reykholar, but after an hour of driving west, we all agreed that we’d had enough fjord driving and decided not to continue to the pink sand beach of Latrabjarg. Instead, we returned to the hostel where my husband tried out the sauna and I enjoyed a solo dip in the natural springs hot tub.

This spa had an incredible view and no top to move, buttons to push, or knobs to turn. I soon discovered that the shell of a hot tub sat perched directly over a geothermal hot spring. The markings I saw on the surface were merely mineral deposits. I had my Icelandic hot springs experience!

Explore Iceland On Horseback

On Day 10 I woke intending to explore Reykholar on foot, but the wind and rain returned. We’d planned to go horseback riding at midday. Riding in the wind and rain for several hours didn’t appeal very much.

Fortunately, by the time we reached Dalahestar around 12:30, we decided to take a chance and booked a private 2-hour ride. Isabella, a guide from Poland, was the only ranch hand there, and after she finished her 11 a.m. ride, she asked about our experience as riders. When she learned we’d ridden quite a bit, she asked if we would like to do some galloping. Heck yes!

Embracing the Elements

When the wind picked up and the rain returned, Isabella loaned us durable weatherproof clothes. We helped her prepare the horses, and as we started away from the barn, we discussed reducing the ride to an hour if the rain continued.

Like magic, it stopped. Isabella let us gallop in three places, and she took us down to the black sand beach as the tide receded. The promise of a beach ride was why we chose Dalahestar in the first place. Isabella did not disappoint!

Gait Education

How those sturdy Icelandic horses navigate the gloppy mud without slipping is amazing. We learned that they have a few different gaits from most horses we’ve ridden before. Instead of trotting, these horses do what’s called a “tolt” where the front and back legs move together on each side, making for a lilting ride rather than a jolting bounce. And their gallop felt liberating and freeing — in short, amazing. Add to that hot cocoa and cookies to warm up afterward and it was a definite highlight!

Snaefellsnes Peninsula

On our way to tour the sites around the western part of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, we stayed two nights in a lovely 2-bedroom Airbnb apartment known as the Writer’s Nest near a great pizza place, Kaffi 59. Located near Kirkjufell, or “Church Mountain”, it was by far our most spacious lodging while in Iceland.

Back home, I’d been given the Peninsula as one of the destinations to plan. Our daughter chose to stay in the apartment while my husband and I visited a few falls, birding spots, and tourist stops including taking the Saxholl Crater, Ytri Tunga to try to spot seals, and some stunning seaside scenery known as Longdrangar Basalt Cliffs, otherwise known as the “Rocky castle.” Londrangar gets my vote for the highlight of day 11.

Driving Takes a Toll

The day didn’t reach my expectations, the only day that didn’t. As we drove, I reflected on other international trips and how my mind would return home several days before the end. We still had a few things remaining on our list, but for the most part, Iceland had been a dream vacation.

Yet driving over 1200 miles in two weeks, staying in close quarters 24/7, and moving to a new place almost every night takes a toll. I felt grateful to have two nights at each of our last two Airbnb places.

Once we returned to the apartment, I stole an hour to clear my head and stretch my legs. It didn’t matter that our daughter chose to claim time for herself on a day I’d planned for all of us to enjoy. As an introvert, sometimes I need to carve out “me time.” She does, too, as a young adult. Driving trips can be a challenge. The one thing I might have changed would be to schedule half of a day for doing nothing. Personal choice.

Kirkjufells and Kirkufellsfoss

A long, restorative night’s sleep left me eager to explore before we left the Writer’s Nest. Despite strong winds and biting cold, I headed on foot for the twenty-minute walk to explore Iceland’s Kirkufellsfoss. I was not disappointed.

Not only did I see a moody sky over Kirkufells, but only two other photographers were out at 6 a.m. That meant getting a quality photo of the peak and falls, without a crowd of tourists in front of them. My 90-minute walk was the highlight of Day 12.

Reykjavik

Following that walk, we packed and headed toward Reykjavik for our final two nights. We made a few stops in search of golden plovers, taking our unique bird species for the trip to 53 with 30 new life birds for me.

Driving into the largest metropolitan area in Iceland felt a little like culture shock after being on the Ring Road for 12 days. We laughed at the sign indicating that tractors were not allowed on the highway between 7-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.

Whale Watching

At long last, we finally had some calm, sunny, and beautiful weather on day 13. Just about perfect conditions for a three-hour whale-watching trip that featured two Minke whales, followed by time in Reykjavik. We found a lovely lighthouse where soft late afternoon sunlight illuminated an entire beach of golden plovers, waiting to be photographed.

But wait, there’s more. To top it off, we were graced by two nights of relatively clear weather, both of which allowed views of the northern lights. But on our final night in Iceland, the lights show rivaled the one we saw two years ago in Alaska. Unfortunately, I did not have the right setup to capture more than some crude streaks (they didn’t even get imported into Lightroom…)

Mt. Esja and Iceland Takeaways

Our final day to explore Iceland included visiting a thrift shop in Reykjavik, seeing several lighthouses south of Keflavik, and getting ice cream. Our direct flight trips to and from Iceland (about 7 hours each) went seamlessly. I’ve shared my highlight from our last day, a wonderful solo experience on Mt. Esja.

The biggest takeaways from two weeks in Iceland — there were so many — are these:

• Iceland has something for everyone. Whether you like traditional tourist spots or unique experiences, identify what is most important to you and how you’d like to visit
• Weather matters. If you allow more time and flexibility, you can move events around if you get bad weather. In the shoulder seasons (spring/fall) expect colder temperatures and wind, fewer tourists, and lower prices.
• If you only have four days to explore Iceland, consider staying around Reykjavik or Akureyri. We are so grateful for the time and means to visit for two weeks.
• While Icelandic food may not be well-known in other countries (like burgers from America or pizza from Italy) their Skyr, pizzas, fish and chips, and seafood are plenty accessible and tasty.
• And finally, as is true anywhere you go, when traveling internationally don’t forget a SIM card! My daughter and I relied on Wi-Fi in the evenings, but my husband had a SIM so we could navigate and change plans on the fly.

Have you been to Iceland? What was your favorite part? Share in the comments. And if you like this post, please check out week one and Mt. Esja.