Iceland was one of the most epic yet peaceful road trips of my life. You couldn’t quite figure out where you were half the time... an odd mixture of Mars and Ireland with a dash of Scandinavia. During summer the sun barely sets (around midnight and rising at 3am) which led to extended days of adventuring, ending in slaphappy giggles. There was a surprise around every corner, whether it was a herd of galloping ponies, a waterfall or a goat planting a kiss on your lips... you never were sure what was about to happen next. The one thing I knew for sure was it would be the next greatest thing to happen to us on this journey into southern Iceland. We started in Reykjavik at Kvosin hotel before heading south on Ring road to take in every site and sound possible. The waterfalls aren’t far from the road, including just a short one mile hike to Seljavallalaug (a thermal hidden pool in a valley) which I highly recommend. We saw Gullfoss, Skogafoss and Svartifoss (attempt to say without giggling) and numerous ponies waiting for pets and pics along the way. Arriving at our halfway point in Vik we made it just in time for a sunset picnic... 11pm... at Reynisfjara aka the Black Beach. It was magical and breathtaking sitting there beneath the black columns of stone while the waves pounded near our feet. We stayed at Icelandair hotel, which you will find what lacks in accommodations and food is made up for 10 fold in scenery. We set out the following day for more adventures at the Jokulsarlon glacier and Diamond beach (the majestic black sand beach with large glaciers washed ashore that resemble diamonds). Don’t forget to stop for a quick hike up Svinafellsjokull to see the glacier and another stop to see the Solheimasandur plane crash... which sadly we missed due to intense wind/cold and traveling with a 4 year old. The next leg of our journey was heading inland to an amazing airbnb in the golden circle where we could ride horses, relax in the hot tub and eat fresh bread and tomato soup at a local greenhouse. They also had plenty of hot springs nearby and goat/sheep farms where the goats are more than friendly (see above). We never wanted the sun and fun to end... but alas... we needed to sleep!
Gulfoss and Geysir luxury cabin
P.S. we did the free stopover on our way to Europe... be sure to book bags or prepare to pay the price. Also... save ur sheckles for overpriced apples and hotdogs.