Welcome back! I hope you’re ready for more epic adventures, because today we travel to the South of Iceland where there are SO many waterfalls!
I packed everything into my car this morning around 9 am. It was a rainy morning, which I think helped me sleep much better! Hence, the “late” start. I had originally planned to leave at 7am so that I could beat the crowds at the most popular places, but I decided to just deal with it and sleep longer instead. Much needed.
I tried another new energy drink called “Collab”, and it was really good! Apparently, it contains collagen, which is supposed to be beneficial for your skin. I wish we had these in the US!!! I was already thinking today about how I can bring a few back with me…
Okay, now for the good stuff: waterfalls! I visited four very popular waterfalls today: Seljalansfoss, Gljúfrabúi, Skógafoss, and Kvernufoss. As I mentioned, my later start meant that these locations were absolutely packed with other tourists. However, I felt that I could still fully enjoy the experience of each location. It was honestly a good mindfulness practice to drown everything out and focus my attention on the natural beauty. I took pictures, but I also spent a lot of time just wandering around without distractions.
Seljalansfoss & Gljúfrabúi
My first stop was about 2 hours outside of Reykjavík at the Seljalansfoss and Gljúfrabúi waterfalls. They are located right next to each other, but each is a completely different experience in my opinion. Seljalansfoss is the main star of the show — you cannot miss it from the highway. What I love about this waterfall is that there is a path where you can walk behind it!
It’s about a 5 minute walk to Gljúfrabúi from Seljalansfoss. This one is less obvious, because it is tucked away in a cave. The view from outside the cave is nice, but exploring the inside of the cave is even better To enter the cave, you have to balance carefully on pointy rocks and hug the wall a little bit. As I was making my way into the cave, I thought, “wow, this is actually pretty easy!” I think 6 months of pilates has really helped with my balance 😅
By the time I left, my pants were completely soaked. I was an idiot and didn’t wear my waterproof pants. The weather app said that it was only going to rain in the early morning, and to be honest, I didn’t expect the mist from the waterfalls to be as excessive as it was! Thankfully, I had everything in my car (I’m staying at a different hostel tonight!), so I just changed and went on with my day without any problems.
Kvernufoss
My next stop was Kvernufoss, which is a lesser-known waterfall that is right next to Skógafoss. This may have been my favorite waterfall so far! It’s not the biggest one by any means, but the cave behind it is incredible. The 10ish minute walk from the parking lot to the cave is so serene. There were sheep roaming around and bleating at each other.
Then, you see the waterfall and the moss-covered cave. Just like at Seljalansfoss, you can walk into the cave and behind the waterfall. However, there is even more space to roam around here!
On my walk back to the car, it started raining again. The sheep ran so close to me as they made their way into a cave for shelter!
Skógafoss
Next, I went to Skógafoss, which was the busiest waterfall yet. Probably because it is enormous!!! I actually cannot fathom how huge this waterfall is. Once again, you could walk closer to the waterfall if you risked it all (“it all” being your dry socks and shoes) and balanced on rocks. I was so lucky to have someone ask me if I wanted them to take my picture!!! Both my phone and camera lenses were wet, so this is the best one I have. I was so grateful to that lady because she also got soaked from the waterfall while taking my picture!
As I was walking out from the waterfall, someone said, “is it a little wet back there?!” I then realized that my face was completely drenched. I probably looked crazy with wet hair and water dripping down my face!
I made it back out to the entrance at about 2 pm. Vík —the town where I’m staying tonight— was only another 30 minute drive away. I debated leaving to go have a restful evening…
And then I trudged up hundreds of stairs to the top of the waterfall.
An unexpected (& truly spectacular) hike
When I reached the top of the waterfall, I was enamored by the views. I noticed a path that people were walking on, so I decided to follow along. As I went, there were more and more waterfalls! The path was mostly flat and guarded by ropes, so it was a relatively easy hike. However, there were a few spots where I used my rock climbing skills (thanks St. Olaf!) to strategize my hand and foot placement. Oh, and there was one small section where it was a complete dropoff, no ropes, and I had to repeat don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down in my head.
I couldn’t stop myself from continuing along the path. I don’t know how many times I said, “I’ll just go to the next waterfall, and then I’ll turn around”.
TWO HOURS LATER I was like: “Okay, I actually need to go back now”.
I got into the car and made my way down the road to Vík. My legs were so tired that they shook every time I touched the gas!
I am so happy that I spontaneously went on that hike. It reminded me of the hikes I used to do in Scotland! I just feel so at peace out when I’m out there exploring.
Reynisfjara Beach
I made it to Vík at around 7 pm, went grocery shopping at Krónan, and then checked into my hostel called “The Barn”. I wish I was staying here longer because WOW it is a nice hostel! It’s connected to a luxury suite place, so it is just naturally very comfortable. The beds have curtains, the showers are really nice, and the kitchen is huge. Thank you to my mom for convincing me to stay here!
After I showered and put on some normal clothes, I went to Reynisfjara Beach, which is known for its black sand. It was beautful but kind of frightening at the same time. I have heard that this beach has “sneaky waves” that have pulled people into the sea before. There are caves and basalt columns along the beach, which I explored… but not too thoroughly. I didn’t want to get trapped inside! Maybe that’s an irrational fear, but I’ll err on the side of caution.
I had brought my binoculars with me, just in case I saw any sea creatures from the beach. That was not the case, BUT I did see a seagull eat a crab that was nearly the size of it!
Views of Vík
After the beach, I made my way to the town church. I read online that the church has the best view of Vík, so I thought I would see for myself. It’s true! There were purple flowers, green mountains, and the black sand beach off in the distance. The church itself is beautiful, too!
Alas, it is time for me to retire for the evening. I have a HUGE day tomorrow. And, no, it’s not the race 😉
Until tomorrow!
Clara