Svartifoss, Fjadrargljufur Canyon, Hjorleifshofdi Cave, Reynisfjara Beach, Dryholaey, Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui 

Before this day even began we knew we were in trouble as far as time was concerned. We had a lot of ground to make up from not being able to do everything yesterday. From the lagoon to the next location is an hour just in itself! Waking up so close to the lagoon, we of course checked it out again. A quick visit mind you but it still took about 30 min. There are birds that nest on the ground RIGHT beside the parking lot, and they are very aggressive. I was walking along the path, minding my own business when out of nowhere I feel this “thing” hit my head! I turned around and this mama bird was in my face! If you go here in June, be careful of the birds! Stay as far away from the nests as possible. Anyone walking close is considered a threat and they aren’t afraid to attack.

We left the lagoon around 12pm to our next destination; Svartifoss. Along the way we came across a few other tourist locations and they weren’t terribly too far off the road so we thought “why not?!”, the one was another glacier lagoon called Fjallsárlón, and the second was called Svínafellsjökull and was more glacier and less lagoon. Both were a great addition to our day. I particularly liked the second location because of the hilarious, horrendous ride there. It was as bad as the F-roads. There is a little parking lot before the craziness begins, but if you don’t mind a bumpy ride and you feel comfortable maneuvering around pot holes, it’ll surely add a little bit of fun to the whole stop.

My husband and I couldn’t stop laughing by how much we were flailing about in our vehicle.

After all that ice, we went on to look at some more greenery and waterfalls just around the corner at Skaftafell. Except that when we got there, we realized it was quite the hike to the actual waterfall. Roughly an hour. We hummed and hawed, but ultimately decided that we’d rather spend the 3hrs elsewhere. We left Skaftafell for the canyon which is another hour away, but to break that up, we stopped part way through and watched some low hanging clouds engulf a green mountainside. The flies were noticeable at this particular location likely because of the marsh land that was nearby and while it did make our time here slightly less enjoyable,  coming from someone who hates those “pesty” insects, I am glad we did. It was a beautiful spot and a few others pulled over to enjoy it as well.

To get to Fjadrargljufur canyon you take a smaller gravel road off of the main route 1, there’s signs and only one option so it’s quite easy. You drive up the winding road, enjoy some stunning views along the way and then it plateaus out to a parking lot.

Wow this canyon is absolutely breathtaking! If only Iceland’s tourism wasn’t wreaking havoc on the natural landscapes. I would have loved to have been able to explore along the ravine that separates the canyon walls but there were signs everywhere indicating to people to stay on the official pathway. You could see where, in the past, people felt no fear in walking onto the teeny ledges from all the dirt paths that have killed the grass and moss. These “sub” paths were all off limits to allow for the grass to grow again. It’s sad when things get ruined which is why they now are making adjustments to these popular locations. Even with the more “touristy” vibe, this place was a favourite. We stayed and ventured around this rich area for 2 whole hours! (See, it’s a good think we opted out of Svartifoss). We left the canyon around 8pm for the cave that was another hour away.

Shortly after the beautiful morning at the lagoon, it clouded over and began raining, and it was not letting up.

Now, the rain in Iceland (at least all the rain that we had) was a very light rain. So for adventuring it wasn’t the end of the world. But it was constant and it can easily soak through your jacket if it’s not waterproof. What was terribly annoying was for the photography aspects of it. It has been almost non stop misting out, multiple days in a row….. I was beginning to get a little concerned for my weather sealed gear. Just HOW weather sealed is weather sealing anyway? I already had 2 intense fogging mishaps; one in my lens and the second in my viewfinder, both of which lingered for at least an hour. I REALLY didn’t want to deal with replacing gear when I returned. Thankfully all was ok, but if you experience similar weather, and happen to not have weather sealed equipment, you’ll want to look into those bags you can get to cover your camera while you shoot with it. It won’t help droplets on the lens but at least it will stop the water from soaking into all the cracks and crevices. Because it will.

We made it to the cave remarkably on time! Not too many stops along the road this time. I knew coming to this place, that we wouldn’t stay long and I had guessed correctly. The cave itself is quite small, you go in, have a peak around and then leave. If you’re super interested you could spend 10 min inside.

Was it worth it to come here?

If it’s along the way absolutely. The drive up to the cave is worth it in itself and then the entrance to the cave has an interesting shape that is worth seeing with your own eyes. Get that photo, and then move on to the next destination.

At this time my husband was exhausted and ready for bed. We decided to make it a shorter night and just eat and check out Reynisfjara 30 min away in the next town over. We found a restaurant that seemed like a decent choice and ordered the local char and lamb chops. It was a great meal and we really appreciated having the variety. We got to the beach for about 11pm and with it still raining we spent only about 30 min there. It was amazing to be able to see the basalt columns up so close, and walk in a cave that was made by them. It would have been nice to get to spend more time than what we did, but the rain mixed with lack of sleep lowered our ambitions. We had plans on visiting the Dryholaey look out point “right” beside the beach so we went back to Vik, the town where we had our meal, and slept there.