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Iceland—Land of Fire and Ice
  • Diane and Darryl
Jun – Jul 2025

Iceland—Land of Fire and Ice

A 15-day adventure by Diane Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 18, 2025
    Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Lots of mural art in Reykjavik
    Ice cave in the Perlan MuseumIce throneFrom the observation deck of the Perlan MuseumInteresting architecture here in Reykjavik (concert & event hall)Sculpture of 4 dancing musiciansBook arrangement at the Laundromat CafeThe Rainbow StreetHallgrimskirkja Lutheran churchOrgan in the church (5,275 pipes!)Art museumLots of pedestrian streetsThe Unknown Bureaucrat sculpture

    Colorful, Quirky Reykjavik

    Jun 19–20 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    We’ve started the Iceland portion of our travels now. Yesterday, after arriving from Dublin, we went to the Perlan Museum—a fantastic introduction to the geologic and natural history of the country. They even had a man-made ice cave to explore.

    Today, after getting breakfast and doing laundry at the Laundromat Cafe (what a great idea!), we met our tour group of 34 others (!) and went on a walking tour of Reykjavik. It’s very walkable city with lots of pedestrian streets, mural art and creative sculptures and architecture.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Thingvellir National Park
    Thingvellir National ParkThingvellir National ParkGullfoss waterfallGullfoss waterfall - in the mistGullfoss waterfallAt GeysirGeysirShowing how smooth the gait isSmall horses - don't call them ponies!Greenhouse tomato cultivation (~10 feet high)Pollinator bees for the greenhouse

    Sights Around the Golden Circle

    June 20 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Today began the bus portion of our trip, with a full day of some pretty impressive sights within reach of Reykjavik.

    First up was Thingvellir National Park, Iceland’s first national park. But aside from that, it is the original seat of government, where the world's longest-running parliament was established in 930 AD. Icelandic chieftains and leaders met in Thingvellir annually to discuss laws and governance until around 1800, when parliament was moved in Reykjavik.

    Thingvellir National Park is in a rift valley where the tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia are separating at a rate of around 2 centimeters a year, and are currently about 4-5 miles apart. So we literally walked between two continents!

    Next stop was for a light lunch at a dairy farm that has been continuously operated by the same family for seven generations. The ice cream was heavenly! We got to walk off our meal at our visit to Gullfoss waterfall where you can get pretty wet standing near the spray from this massive waterfall (but not even close to Iceland’s largest).

    Then it was on to Geysir, a geothermal area with one active geyser that erupted every 5-10 minutes.

    Finally, we had a demonstration of Icelandic horses at another family farm, Fridheimar greenhouses and horse farm. Icelandic horses were brought from Norway around the year 1000, and are the only breed of horses in the country. They are on the small side and are known for their unique gaits and surefootedness. They can perform the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop, as well as two additional gaits: tölt and flying pace. The tölt is a very smooth gait, which they demonstrated by riding a lap with a full glass of beer in one hand.

    In combination with their horse demo, the farm invited us into one of their nine tomato greenhouses to learn about their hydroponic-like cultivation process and to sample their delicious tomato soup (and very tasty bread!).

    Our tour guide, Arna (pronounced “agna”) did a great job of explaining some of Iceland’s geology, as well as cultural beliefs (elves & trolls!). She said the belief in elves (“hidden folk,” Huldufólk) is not just folklore; it has influenced environmental activism, with some using the concept to protect natural landscapes. Bad things can happen if you disrupt the elves.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Hraunfossar Waterfalls
    Akranes LighthouseAkranes Lighthouse lensOld Akranes LighthouseShoreline near Akranes LighthouseFish-drying racks at AkranesLava scenery1Lupines!Deildartunguhver hot springsMoss growing at the hot springsDeildartunguhver hot springsDeildartunguhver hot springsAt Hraunfossar WaterfallsHraunfossar WaterfallsArch created by the waterHraunfossar Waterfalls

    Hot and Cold Running Water

    June 21 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    We’ve left the “big” city to explore smaller villages and points of interest. First up was a visit to the fishing village of Akranes and its picturesque lighthouses (the old and new). The older one was built in 1918. The larger, more recent lighthouse, built in 1947, is open to the public and offers panoramic views, which we enjoyed despite the bracing wind.

    Iceland in June is still a gray and chilly place. The locals talk about “chasing the sun” — check the weather for the weekend and drive wherever it will be sunniest.

    To get to Akranes, we drove through a 3.5-mile long tunnel under Iceland’s largest fjord. The tunnel was completed in 1998; before that people had to drive around an extra 2 hours or so.

    After the lighthouse we checked out Deildartunguhver hot spring, the most powerful hot spring in Europe with a flow rate of 50 gallons of water per second at a piping hot 200°F. It just keeps flowing out of the ground—no waiting around for eruptions. The hot water then travels by carbon steel pipe to supply hot water to the surrounding towns, and it doesn’t lose much heat over its 40 miles of travel. Another tomato-growing greenhouse is located nearby, taking advantage of the heated water.

    Lastly, we got to spend an hour walking around the pathways along the amazing Hraunfossar Waterfalls. The name comes from the Icelandic word for lava (hraun) and the word for waterfalls (fossar). Surface water and meltwater from surrounding glaciers combine to flow underground through the layers of a huge lava field until it reaches an impermeable layer. It then emerges mid cliff to form the falls, which are about 1 kilometer wide. The glacial blue waters were so striking against the dark lava rock.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Kirkjufell (Church Mountain)
    Volcanic crater at a roadside stopLupines help prevent erosionKirkjufell (Church Mountain)Kirkjufell reflected in a lakeKirkjufellfoss (foss=falls)Looking back at Arna's villageChurch in Ólafsvík lunch spotIn Ólafsvík, our lunch spotSuiting up for whale watchingGlacial mountain at the tip of Snæfellsnes PeninsulaMinke whale as we saw itMinke whale as we wished we'd seen itOrca similar to how we saw it from the boat

    Snæfellsnes Peninsula & Whale Watching

    June 22 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    After a 2-hour drive from our lodgings in Reykholt, we arrived at the village where our guide, Arna, grew up—Grundarfjörður. She said she didn’t really appreciate it until she left. In her time, in the 1980s, she viewed it as a boring place. It is still a quiet fishing village—in a stunning setting. Kirkjufell (Church Mountain) and its nearby waterfall are said to be the most photographed mountain in Iceland.

    In the afternoon, we got suited up in waterproof thermal jumpsuits for a whale-watching excursion in the fairly rough waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Dramamine helped a lot! Because the whales were elusive, the company kept us out over an hour longer than planned, which was not that pleasant, bouncing around and getting the occasional splash of salt water.

    Still, we did see one minke whale, some puffins and arctic terns, and finally toward the end we had some orcas breaching around the ship. It really made the journey worthwhile! Any of you who have tried to photograph whales know it’s impossible to know where and when they will make an appearance, so we’re sharing a couple of web photos as examples of the wildlife we saw while out on the ocean.

    Do you know about Arctic Terns? They spend most of their life flying between the Arctic and Antarctic (chasing the sun!) and only stop for a short period to rest or incubate eggs. It is estimated that the tern flies a distance equal to about three times to the moon and back during its lifespan.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Walking behind Seljalandsfoss
    At the geothermal plantGeothermal pipelinesCross-section of a Geothermal pipeline (rock-wool insulation)Lunchtime at a food hallWalking around Selfoss after lunchChurch at SelfossCarved wood at SelfossSeljalandsfoss waterfallSeljalandsfoss waterfallBehind Seljalandsfoss waterfallEyjafjöll glacier behind our hotel

    Learning about Lava & Geothermal Energy

    June 23 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Today we visited the Hellisheiồi Power Plant, the largest geothermal power plant in Iceland (and second largest in the world after the Geysers complex in California—near Calistoga). There was a lot to learn!

    Geothermal energy accounts for 30% of Iceland's electricity generation, and nearly 70% comes from hydropower.

    Iceland is a major producer of aluminum, contributing to around 2% of global production, due to their cheap and clean energy source used for this energy-intensive manufacturing process.

    The Iceland Deep Drilling Project is an international research collaboration to extract heat from much deeper geothermal wells. If it is successful, it will expand the power output of geothermal plants from around 5 MW today to 30-50 MW per well.

    They are also successfully capturing the CO2 emissions from geothermal energy production and binding them into stone to store underground.

    Later, at the Lava Center museum, they had a great exhibit on the hot spots in Iceland, and the different kinds of eruptions that occur. The eruption in 2010 that disabled air traffic in Europe for a week resulted from a volcano that erupted beneath a glacier. The temperature difference makes for very explosive eruptions, sending lots of ash and particles into the air, in addition to lava flows. There are 130 volcanoes in Iceland—and the country is the same size as Kentucky. Most of the biggest volcanoes are under glaciers, so flooding is a bigger concern than lava.

    At the end of the day, we got to walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall (and got much wetter than our walk behind the waterfall at Silver Falls in Oregon!).    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Puffins!
    Black sand beach & basalt columnsBasalt columnsDyrhólaey peninsula (translates to "door hole rock"Climb to the top of Skogafoss waterfallTop of SkogafossAnother waterfall above SkogafossSkogafossTurf housesTurf workshopsInside one of the more spacious turf housesFishing boat at the folk museumSólheimajökull glacierPuffins on Dyrhólaey peninsula

    A Big Day in South Iceland

    June 24 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 50 °F

    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

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon
    Our amphibious boatIn Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon1,000 year old iceDiamond BeachIce sculptureDriving by Vatnajökull glacierStill driving by Vatnajökull glacierRoadside sceneryMargaritas on glacier ice

    Among the Icebergs

    June 25 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 46 °F

    Wednesday was our rainiest day, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. We took a long drive along the south coast toward the largest of Iceland’s 200 glaciers—Vatnajökull. The glacier covers 15% of Iceland’s land mass and has seven active volcanoes underneath.

    The Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon formed in the 1930s from one of the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, and this is where we took an amphibian boat ride among the icebergs. With a cloudy (rainy) day, the icebergs show off their pretty blue color better than a sunny day, so that was some consolation. A couple of the James Bond movies were filmed in this lagoon—“Die Another Day” and “License to Kill.”

    Nearby the lagoon is “Diamond Beach,” a black sand beach where icebergs have floated out to sea from glacier, through the lagoon, then are washed back onto shore. It really does look like giant crystals sitting on the beach.

    While out on the lagoon, Arna got a big piece of crystal clear ice to bring back to our hotel. That 1,000 year old ice tasted just fine in our margaritas!    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Naturally-dyed wool for sale
    Yarn in dye potsWool-dying demonstrationNational Park visitor centerTwo Sisters waterfallsRoadside sceneryEvery house should have a waterfallHow did that get there?Arna's musical friend with traditional Icelandic string instrument

    Back to Reykjavik

    June 26 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    For our last day with the Collette group, we broke up the long drive back to Reykjavik with a stop for a natural wool-dying demonstration. It’s a one-woman operation, that she started after doing a Master’s degree on the science of natural dyes and it just kind of took over her life. She has a nice demo area with shop, but it’s also her home, so we watched her talk about the dyes from her kitchen, complete with cereal boxes on the shelf behind her.

    In the afternoon, we went to Sky Lagoon , a geothermal pool and spa. We did the “seven rituals,” which included a cold-water plunge, a sauna, steam room and other things. It was fun and we felt very relaxed ahead of our farewell dinner. Arna arranged for a friend of hers to play some music at the restaurant while we waited for dinner, and it was so much more—really more like a comedy show, with many humorous self-deprecating remarks about Icelanders. Small-country syndrome: they say they are the best/largest, etc. at something (per capita).    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Goðafoss waterfall
    Church at AkureyriStop lights in AkureyriAkureyri pedestrian streetAkureyri cultural centerAkureyri architectureAkureyri street sceneKnitted trash can in AkureyriGoðafossGoðafossGoðafossAt GoðafossTypes of eggs from the variety of birds at Lake MývatnOne of many duck species at Lake Mývatn"Rootless cones" at Lake MývatnAerial photo of rootless cones at Lake MývatnMidges everywhere!Dimmuborgir lava fieldDimmuborgir lava fieldDimmuborgir lava fieldTwo trolls caught after the sun came up?

    Onward to North Iceland

    June 27 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    This morning we left Reykjavík on a flight to the second-largest city in Iceland, Akureyri. We will do our own explorations from here for a few days.

    Akureyri is a university town, with its own charm: heart-shaped red lights, a rainbow street and a church with basalt-column motifs like in Reykjavik.

    Akureyri is a good launching point for sights along what has been named the “Diamond Circle.” Just trying to compete with the Golden Circle, we suppose.

    After walking around town a bit—and getting a hot dog from the chain of stands that Bill Clinton said was the best hot dog he had ever had (the bun was great, the hot dog pretty normal), we drove off for Goðafoss. It was a rare sunny day, so we spent some time exploring this beautiful arc-shaped waterfall.

    Next, we drove on to Lake Mývatn, a volcanic lake that is actually named for the pests around it—“midge lake.” We had our head nets, so they didn’t bother us (and they don’t bite). There are a number of “rootless cones” around this area—craters that formed when fast-flowing lava covered over a wetland. The water trapped beneath the lava boils and expands until it eventually bursts through the lava as steam, leaving a crater. It looks a bit like a golf course with green sand traps.

    Before dinner we tried some birdwatching at the lake, but didn’t see a lot of variety. Lots of ducklings, though.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Hverir geothermal area
    Strange growth patterns in the geothermal areaGrjótagjá lava cave & hot springGrjótagjá blue spring waterAbove the Grjótagjá lava caveDettifossDettifoss waterfallDettifossSelfoss waterfallSelfossLake at the end of Asbrygi CanyonOn the floor of Asbrygi CanyonOn top of Asbrygi Canyon "island"Asbrygi Canyon aerial viewCountry music night at the restaurant

    Bubbling Mud, Raging Water, Lava Canyon

    June 28 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Leaving Lake Mývatn, we headed out to see a nearby lava cave, Grjótagjá, with a geothermal spring. Until the 1970s Grjótagjá was a popular soaking site. But during eruptions from 1975 to 1984 the temperature of the water rose to unsafe levels.

    Next down the road is Hverir geothermal area. It’s a mini-Yellowstone, minus the geysers. Then it was on to Dettifoss waterfall, the most powerful—by water volume—in Iceland. It is impressive, although with the gray skies and the gray color of the water because of all the volcanic debris it must be carrying, we liked Goðafoss better. The Selfoss waterfall is within walking distance of Dettifoss, so we did get the two for one stop deal.

    In the afternoon, we arrived at Asbrygi Canyon, where we planned a couple of hikes. Despite the rain, we checked out the lake at the canyon floor, then took a longer hike on top of a kind of island in the middle of the canyon (see our aerial photo from the web). By then, the rain had ended, so we had a nice view around us. It is presumed that this canyon formed from a massive glacial flood that quickly swept away much of the landscape in a river pattern—hence the “island” left where the flow split.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Our whale watching vessel (RIB boat)White-beaked dolphinComing back into Husavik harborWooden churchHusavik has its own rainbow street

    Whale Tails in Husavik

    June 29 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    We’d heard that the town of Húsavík is the whale watching capital of Iceland, so we thought we’d give it a try. That was a good call. We went out in a high-speed RIB (rigid inflatable boat), like a large Zodiac boat, but with more comfortable seating. The trip included a stop at Puffin Island, where there were hundreds (thousands?) of puffins on the land, in the sea and flying overhead. That was impressive, but we didn’t get the close-up views like we did at Dyrhólaey.

    From a distance we saw white-beaked dolphins jumping and spinning like the spinner dolphins we’ve seen in Hawaii. Alas, as we drew nearer, we disrupted their mating behavior and they were mostly only visible as fins floating on the surface.

    But soon, we spotted a blow spout and the boat zoomed over to let us watch a humpback whale feeding. We watched it surface and dive again a couple of times, then moved on in our circuit of the sea around Husavik’s bay. One more really good humpback sighting topped off a great experience!

    (Apologies for the photo quality—it’s hard to catch them at the right time!)    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    Ljótipollur craterLjótipollur crater

    Hiking in Iceland’s Colorful Highlands

    July 1 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    Much of the timing for our Iceland trip was based on when the Landmannalaugar highlands would be accessible and not covered in snow. Since getting there also requires fording several streams, it is necessary to wait until the flow rates are down.

    We traveled by 4x4 van with a day tour from Reykjavík. The 14 other passengers came from Spain, Italy, Argentina and France. Our tour guide did a fantastic job of juggling the languages in her descriptions.

    Landmannalaugar is a unique geothermal area located in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in Iceland’s southern highlands. The name translates to “The People’s Pools,” a nod to the natural hot springs that have been a gathering spot for travelers for centuries. This area is renowned for its multi-colored mountains, formed from rhyolite rock, and it is located within one of Iceland's largest and most active geothermal areas. A sign suggests that they could give you 30 to 90 minutes warning of an eruption and instructions on how to flee.

    The vibrant colors of the mountains—pink, red, yellow and olive green—result from the presence of minerals like sulfur, iron, silica and zinc. This dramatic landscape is the backdrop for relatively fresh black lava fields, clear rivers, bright green vegetation and cheery purple wild thyme flowers (like in Ireland!).

    On the way back we stopped at Ljótipollur crater lake.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylIceland—Land of Fire and IceDiane and Darryl
    View from our hotel.
    Vikings on the rooftopLine for "The best hotdog in the world "Typical streetSeafaring theme

    Our last day - some final thoughts

    July 2 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Iceland is an easy country to travel in. Everyone has been friendly and speaks English. However, they are concerned about losing their native tongue, and have become protective of the Icelandic language. It is descended from the old Norse language. Many Islandic people can still read the old Norse sagas because the language is so close. Instead of using English words for technology terms (computer, etc) a committee on the Icelandic language often coins new words for technology by combining or repurposing existing words, rather than adopting foreign terms. For example, "tölva" (computer) is a combination of "tala" (number) and "völva" (prophetess), literally meaning "number prophetess." Similarly, "sími" (telephone) uses an old word for "thread." Still, we’re glad they don’t mind communicating in English because it’s a hard language to learn!

    Mid-June was a great time to visit as flowers were in bloom everywhere (we found two native orchards) and we saw puffins and whales. Temperatures never got too cold, though expect wind, gray skies and some rain every day. It never got dark while we were there. Sunset was after midnight and sunrise was a couple of hours later. Most of our hotels had some type of darkening curtains, but they weren’t foolproof.

    Driving in Iceland was great (right side again, whew!), and the roads are well marked and in good condition (although there are very few paved roads to the interior). We saw lots of people, both foreigners and locals, camping. However biking would require a lot of travel on the major roads.

    You don’t need cash - every place accepts credit cards even for small amounts.

    The plaza outside the hotel where we stayed (three different times) was used by skateboarders (none very good) and motorcycle guys (apparently just gathering to chat). They all went home by 10 pm. Wish we had taken a picture of them.    Read more

    Trip end
    July 2, 2025
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