The Sun Voyager is a beautiful sculpture in the image of a Viking ship located by the ocean near the center of Reykjavik. It serves as a reminder of Iceland’s history and heritage, when the first Viking settlers came sailing to Iceland.
There are 7 geothermally heated pools in Reykjavik proper and 17 in the larger capital area. We visited the iconic Blue Lagoon, located in a lava field.
And, yes, it really is an exquisite milky blue! The mineral-rich hot water is pumped up from the depths of the earth and mixes with sea water to form a pool of water at the perfect temperature of 100 – 110 degrees F. The water is completely replenished every 40 hours, keeping it naturally clean. The spa’s features include a complimentary silica facial mask, a terrific waterfall, a sauna, a solarium, a swim-up bar, and dining facilities. It was the perfect way to spend our first day, overcoming jet lag and settling into the country.
To view some of Iceland’s best known sites, we took a full day Golden Circle Tour.
Thingvellir National Park is an historic and geologic marvel. Since 930, it is where Iceland’s parliament met. But it is also where the North American and Eur-Asian tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart to form cracks and crevices in the earth.
The rift between continents is clearly visible in the dramatic cliffs on either side of the valley–makes for stunning landscapes with cascading waterfalls, majestic cliffs and fissures filled with icy blue water!
Gullfoss is a thundering stream of water cascading down in two tiers before reaching the jagged canyon below. The name means “The Golden Waterfall”, and it’s from this waterfall that the Golden Circle gets its name.
Geysir, the original erupting hot spring, lends its name to all other geysers around the world–think Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park; it’s fairly quiet nowadays but its neighbor, Strokkur, ejects boiling water every 8 – 10 minutes.
The Icelandic horse has been bred in almost perfect isolation for over 1000 years. They are well-tempered and relatively small; you shouldn’t fall off but if you do, you won’t fall far! They are most famous for their unusual gait–the tolt. Tolt is a way of walking unique to the Icelandic horse; it keeps the rider stable while maneuvering easily over Iceland’s uneven landscape.
Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on earth, with more than 30 active volcanoes; eruptions occur every 4 – 5 years. As a result, much of the landscape is lava fields. The Volcano House has an interesting exhibit.
The Reykjavik area is home to 2/3 of Iceland’s population. The city is vibrant and full of artistic creativity
–there are lots of galleries and museums.
Its small population helps it to maintain its small town charm.
The old harbor area has been taken over by artists, designers, boutiques and restaurants. The new harbor is full of boats of all kinds, from fishing to wildlife watching to northern light tours. We saw two exceptional displays of the aurora borealis.
Traditional Icelandic food is centered around fish or lamb–some of the best you will ever taste! Icelandic Fish and Chips had the most delicious fish and chips I have ever had–straight off the boat in the harbor across the street. The plokkfiskur (fish and potato casserole) was also very tasty. The lobster soup at Segreifinn had loads of delicate lobster.
At Apotek Kitchen & Bar, we had a traditional Icelandic 8 course tasting menu; it included puffin, sea trout, lamb tartare, minke whale, lamb rump steak, plaice, ocean perch, and tuna. Icelandic yogurt is different and delicious! Our favorite bakery was housed in a nicely painted building.
The hydroponically grown tomatoes from Frioheimar greenhouse, with the aid of geothermal heat, are wonderful and are supplied throughout Iceland–they made for some delish bloody marys.
Iceland is an awesome destination!
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