The Road to Fjaðrárgljúfur
On our first day heading into the countryside of Iceland, we didn’t know what to expect.Daniela, Diana and I had looked at the spots we plotted out on the map before the trip, but I was hoping we’d find some random cool spots along the way. We were in for some good surprises.
Heading out on highway 1, our destination for the day was Fjaðrárgljúfur—a pretty surreal canyon near the southern coast of Iceland. There was a bunch of places to stop at and explore, and we ended up heading to Seljalandsfoss for our first Icelandic waterfall. You can actually see a bit of it from the highway, and as you get closer you’re left with a magnificent view of the full span of the falls.
Along the Southern Coast
We headed further along the highway, getting our first glimpses of black sand beaches and misty mountains. So many of the little towns along the country roads in Iceland have that charming look to them too.
Skógafoss
Two epic waterfalls in one day! We stopped to see Skógafoss, and spent some time to hike up the side for a view of the top of the falls and the valley below. You can get pretty close to the falls when you’re at the bottom—just be prepared to get wet pretty quickly!
Dyrhólaey
On the last stretch to Fjaðrárgljúfur, we stumbled onto Dyrhólaey—a little peninsula that juts out onto the coast. There’s a little lighthouse here, and if you’re there on a rainy day like we were—howling winds from all directions.
Walking to the edge of the cliffs, you can see the iconic arch with a few other cool rock formations surrounding it. You also get incredible views of the black sand coastline to the east/west, and the mountains and cliffs carved from the landscape to the north.
Fjaðrárgljúfur
After a 4-hour drive, we finally got to the spot we planned for. Like many other landmarks we’d later see on the trip, the roads leading up to the spot gradually introduce you to the landscape you’ll be wowed by. But it’s not until you can get out and walk up to the openings of these canyons—that you’ll truly appreciate the beautiful scenes before you. The rocks start to look astonishingly like faces here, and it became pretty obvious as to why there’s beliefs of trolls and elves in the country.
The countryside has no shortage of horses and sheep. We were lucky enough to find a spot near the canyons with a group of friendly horses, calmly grazing in a field beneath a waterfall. A few were nice enough to let us pet them and spend a few moments with them in the pouring rain.
Laufskálavarða
On the way back to Reykjavík, we stopped at Laufskálavarða—a lava ridge where you can stack rocks in pyramids to ensure safe travels for other travelers.
As we got closer to Reykjavík, sunset was just starting to break through the clouds at 10pm—a perfect ending to our first long day in Iceland.
