Waterfalls and Black Beaches - Three Days in Iceland
I was always an Iceland skeptic. It seemed overhyped and over-touristed and I just never really got the appeal. However, due to some serious work-related burn-out, I ended up going to Iceland for a four-day long-weekend trip two weeks ago. And you know what? It was AWESOME. I had a fantastic time and the trip was exactly what I needed. Iceland is absolutely beautiful and worth the trip. It’s also only a 6-hour flight from DC.
Since it was a short trip, I based myself in Reykjavik and took day tours to other parts of the country. This gave me an opportunity to explore Reykjavik (day 1) and see Iceland’s natural beauty and famous sites on the other two days. I took three tours in all: A boat tour to see the puffins in Reykjavik’s nearby islands, an afternoon bus tour to see the Golden Circle, and a full-day bus tour to see the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This combination allowed me to cover all my bases and it gave me a really solid trip.
The trip overall was fantastic (and did send me back to work refreshed!) but here are the standout amazing things and the few downsides I encountered on my trip.
The Amazing
Gullfoss
Gullfoss, or the Golden Falls, is one of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland and it’s completely deserved. The falls are interesting because its sort of a triangle on top with one end that drops straight down into a narrow gorge. There are two paths – that takes you higher above the falls and one of which takes you right next the falls drop into the gorge. It’s stunning. My only word of warning is to be very careful when walking that path. There is a lot of spray so it is wet and slippery and Iceland does not believe in safety railing. There is a thin rope at the edge and that’s it. The entire Golden Circle circuit is a top thing to do for very good reasons, but Gullfoss was my absolute favorite.
Djúpalónssandur Beach
If any place looks like it’s out of mythic song and story, it’s this beach. Djúpalónssandur is a black pebble beach on the very outside corner of the Snaefellsnes. And it is absolutely gorgeous. Not just the beach, but walking down the beach takes you past and through these tall rock formation that have been weathered down and are covered in plants and moss. Some look kind of like faces and in a place like that if really does feel like they could be trolls that turned to stone. My pictures and words cannot do it justice. It was hands down my favorite stop on the Peninsula.
Puffins!
Puffins were actually the impetus for this trip. When I discovered that most puffins nest in Iceland and July was a perfect time to see them, that tipped me over into choosing Iceland for this trip. I did a one-hour boat tour out of Reykjavik in a fairly small boat that got us fairly close to shore. Puffins are small but so cute! You could see them fly (they are super fast) and come out of their little dens in the ground. It was a lot of fun and very easy to do. There are other locations with puffins in Iceland, but this is definitely the most convenient. If you’re interested in cute animals, it is definitely worth doing the puffin tour. (Also please remember that puffins are endangered and you shouldn’t eat them).
For the Museum People
National Museum of Iceland
I only had time to go to a couple museums in Reykjavik, but the National Museum of Iceland is a truly excellent museum for history people like myself. The museum is largely spread across two floors covering the history of Iceland from the first settlements through independence from Denmark in the 1940s. The flow was largely good and the informational placards were all in English and very informative. My favorite objects were the medieval carved doors and beams from churches. There were also a few other exhibits, including a photography museum and a special exhibit on the role of cats and dogs in Iceland over the centuries. Definitely worth a visit if you like museums.
The Downsides
Saga Museum
This was the weirdest museum I have been to and not in a good way. I stopped by the Saga Museum because I had some time between the puffin and Golden Circle tours. The Saga Museum was a series of dioramas and information (with both placards and an audio tour) on famous stories and figures in Iceland’s history – so far so good. However, the diorama figures were gruesome – I’m talking realistic stabbings and worse. The disconnect between the interesting guide and the upsetting dioramas was a lot. To make matters worse, for verisimilitude they decided to make the place smell like it would have in those times as well. Seriously – skip this one.
Iceland Really is that Expensive
While flying to Iceland can be far cheaper than expected, being in Iceland is decidedly not. Because it’s pretty small, very popular, and you know, an isolated island everything is pretty expensive. I will admit my hotel room might have been pricier more to the last-minute nature of booking it than anything else. But food is pretty pricy as well. And if you drink – all that stuff you see on the internet warning you about alcohol prices are 100% true. I love craft beer and had some really good ones – particularly red ales – while I was there. But it’s like $12 a pint.
Conclusion
As I said at the start – I had a fantastic trip. It was interesting, beautiful, and rejuvenating. I also think that 3-4 days is the right amount of time in Iceland. That gives you enough time to get an idea of the country and see a decent amount. The only reason to stay longer is if you want to get out on the Ring Road and see the more isolated parts of Iceland – or if you want to do some serious hiking. But for someone like me, it was a perfect long weekend getaway.
