Iceland - Land of Fire and Ice

Part 2 - Golden Circle to Diamond Beach

"Perhaps, that is the secret, it's not what we do, so much as why we do it" Tyrion Lannister

It's 6:30am, when the alarm goes off. I finish packing and check out of the hostel, grab a muffin and head to the meeting point to catch the van. Fourteen strangers meeting for the first time to spend the next 6 days travelling around the ring road of Iceland. Ring Road Adventure | 6 Day Iceland Tour | Arctic Adventures.

Day 1 - The first stop is Pingvellir National Park, Iceland's oldest national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the coolest things to do in Thingvellir National Park is to walk between the tectonic plates in Iceland. The Almannagja gorge marks the end of the North American tectonic plate and on the other side of the gorge is the Eurasian tectonic plate. There is a paved path where you can walk between the plates. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can actually see the tectonic plates sticking out of the Earth’s crust.

Located in Southwest Iceland in the Hvítá river canyon, approximately 70 miles northeast of Reykjavik, the Gullfoss Waterfall or Golden Falls is one of Iceland's best-known and most dramatic waterfalls. It's also one of the highlights along the 190-mile-long Golden Circle sightseeing drive. This iconic and majestic waterfall has two tiers, with the first drop measuring 36 feet in height and the second cascade thundering down 69 feet into the 230-foot-tall Gullfossgjúfur canyon.

Along the Haukadalur Valley lies one of the most active geothermal areas in Iceland, home to a number of geysers. This includes one called Geysir, which is where the English word originally comes from. Strokkur, the most active geyser erupts every few minutes.

We drive through amazing scenery and villages

To get to our next two waterfalls Seljalandsfoss. The 200-foot-tall cascading falls are fed by waters from the glacier-capped Eyjafjallajökull volcano and are part of the river Seljalandsá. There is a path where you can walk behind.

And Skogafoss.. The water cascades onto black stones that are surrounded by green slopes in summer and snow in winter. Mountain glaciers and volcanoes tower above this part of the coastline. In fact, it may look familiar as one of the waterfalls in Iceland in Game of Thrones. It’s also one of the best places to see a rainbow.

We stopped in Vik, the southernmost village, famous for its black sand beaches, high cliffs and Reynisfjara Beach Local folklore suggests that dark elves crafted the Hálsanefshellir cave and that the Reynisdrangar sea stacks visible from the shore are petrified trolls who were attempting to drag a boat ashore. They were turned to stone when caught by the morning sun.

Day 2 - The day started early to journey across the Eldhraun lava field.  Eldhraun, translating to 'fire lava', was formed by a mighty flow of fire-red glowing magma. Situated along Iceland’s south coast, it is a must-visit because of its historic and geologic importance. It was created in one of the greatest recorded eruptions, . The fire lava field is spread over an area of 565 square kilometers. Moreover, the lava field consists of one of the greatest lava tube systems in the country. In 1969, the Apollo 11 crew practiced for their imminent moonwalk at Eldhraun for its similarity to the surface of the moon.

Next up we strapped on boots and crampons for our glacier hike onto the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajokull, covering eight percent of Iceland’s landmass. The glacier boasts over 30 outlet glaciers that flow out of the main ice caps but remain constrained on the sides of the valley. It was a slow climb to the glacier and evidence of ice receding due to climate change was astonishing. Once on the ice, our tour guide explained its ice formations and unique features

The last stop for the day was Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. The large icebergs calve off the receding glacier. They float along the lagoon towards Diamond beach and the Atlantic Ocean. At the Diamond Beach, the icebergs that fill the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon wash up on shore, creating a stark contrast with the volcanic black sand.