A Big Day in South Iceland

We packed a lot into one day, all within easy driving distance from our hotel near Vik in South Iceland.

First up was Reynisfjara, a black sand beach with basalt columns formed by past eruptions of the Katla volcano.

Then we got to see Skogafoss Waterfall, from below and above (after climbing 466 steps). We were rewarded at the top with a second waterfall (we’re not tired of them yet!).

Next was the folk museum Scógasafn, with a little bit of everything—focusing on preserving the cultural heritage of the region.There was also an outdoor section showing the old turf homes, some of which were used as late as the 1970s.

Then it was on to take a hike/walk to the lake at the terminus of Sólheimajökull Glacier. Our guide, Arna, showed us the point where she had seen the face of the glacier 14 years before, and how it has receded by more than one mile since 2011. Iceland’s glaciers didn’t survive the last ice age because of all the volcanic activity. So there are no glaciers in the country older than 5,000 years.

And then, saving the best for last, was a visit to the Dyrhólaey peninsula and all the nesting puffins! Arna said she had never seen so many there before, and they were right beside the trail—10 or 15 feet away. We heard that about 60% of the world’s Atlantic puffins nest in Iceland. They can live up to 20 years, they generally mate for life and have a single chick.

It was so fun to watch them hop, hover, pop into burrows, dive into the ocean to feed, and fly with wings flapping like crazy (up to 400 times per minute).Read more