Þingvellir, Geysir & Kerið | Iceland

I've finally reached the end of our road trip through Iceland! It took a while, but we finally made it friends. On our last day, Markus and I packed in a ton of spots and places and drove through the popular tourist route, the Golden Circle. First we stopped at at Þingvellir, then Geysir and finished the day at Kerið. I think by the end, we were ready to stay put in one place and stop living out of a tiny car. I will say that the I didn't regret one minute of our road trip. At first, we were a bit hesitant to do it, but in the end, we knew it would be an unforgettable experience. If you ever make it to Iceland, I recommend that you drive around the whole country and not stick to Reykjavik. Iceland is a beautiful country that is meant to be explored. 

Þingvellir is one of the most significant places to visit in Iceland. It's known for being a historical, geological and cultural site and is one of the most popular. It's been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The world's oldest existing parliament can be found here as well as the canyon that separates two tectonic plates, which Markus and I dove through later in the week. 

About 60 km west of Þingvellir is Geysir or sometimes known as The Great Geysir. After seeing a million waterfalls, it was cool to see water coming from a different direction. 

Another popular spot on the Golden Circle tour is Kerið, a volcanic crater. There are several craters in the area and it has been dubbed Iceland's Western Volcanic Zone. It was an incredible thing to see and the perfect end to our road trip! 

Icelandic Horses & Hraunfossar| Húsafell, Iceland

Before Markus and I headed over to Hraunfossar, we took an unexpected detour. As we were driving on Route 1 toward Reykjavik, there was a portion that was unpaved and really rough. We decided to take another road that ran parallel with Route 1. Not really sure why we thought this was a good idea, but in the end it was. The road was higher up on a mountain. While we were driving we came across a team of Icelandic horses. Iceland is well known for their smaller pony sized horses. I ran out of the car immediately to get a close up. I wanted to pet one, but being allergic to all animals, I kept my distance. After spending some time squealing over their cuteness, we continued on our tour of West Iceland.

After we left those adorable little horses we continued on Route 1 toward Hraunfossar waterfall. I have to admit that by this time, I was kinda over waterfalls. Iceland is covered with them and it felt like we saw every kind of waterfall that existed. Despite this, it was still very beautiful and not like the others. Hraunfossar, sometimes called Lava waterfalls, is a series of smaller waterfalls that cascade into the Hvita River. The water of Hvita River was so bright blue and almost looked artificial. It was such a stunning contrast to the rock formations and purplish fauna.

Djúpalónssandur and Dritvik Part 4 | Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

In my previous posts about Djúpalónssandur, I wrote about it's past as a fishing village and the remnants of a British shipwreck. I saved the best for last. The most amazing part about Djúpalónssandur is the atmosphere and the landscape. Most of the rock formations on the beach are from lava flows from past eruptions. The large rock fissures were created from years of waves crashing on the rocks. I kept reading reports that Djúpalónssandur was haunted and that there was an elf church somewhere near the beach. Unfortunately, we were unable to find the elf church or see any ghosts. It could've been a great end to our time at Djúpalónssandur, but it still didn't take away from it's beauty and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there. 

Djúpalónssandur and Dritvik Part 3 | Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Djúpalónssandur beach is definitley one of those magical places that you stumble upon in Iceland. When you walk down the steps to the black pebbled beach it's an incredible site. The pebbles on the beach are called Djúpalónsperlur or the Pearls of Djúpalón. In its heyday, the bay used to house sixty fishing boats and was once one of the most fruitful fishing villages in Iceland. Today the bay us uninhabited and is one of the most beautiful places on the Snaefellsnes peninsula.  

Djúpalónssandur and Dritvik Part 2 | Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Djupalonssandur is a stunning black pebbled beach. Along the shore, there are a series of rock formations and columns. On the beach leading to the shore, there are remnants of a British shipwreck. On March 13, 1948, the Epine GY7, a British vessel, wrecked near Dritvik. Of the 19 crew members, 14 perished, and five were rescued. We walked around for a bit and explored the different rusted remains of the ship that are scattered around the beach. It's very cool that the wreckage was never removed and serves as a reminder for those that visit Djupalonssandur and Dritvik.