Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.01.2016, Side 26

26 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 1 — 2016TRAVEL
How to get there: Tours leave from BSÍ bus terminal. Car provided by hertz.is
Hotel provided by icelandairhotels.comSouth Iceland
❶ Rauðhólar & Heiðmörk: wild tracks and (just
about) unspoiled beauty
www.heidmork.is
One of the first sights to greet the hun-
gry eyes of most southbound travellers
is Rauðhólar, a series of red rocky out-
crops at the outer edge of the capital
area. These naturally formed volcanic
craters were mined for construction
materials during the 1900s, but what re-
mains is still impressive, jutting up out
of the ground dramatically. The rocks
now lie inside the protected area of the
Heiðmörk nature reserve, acting both
as a landmark and as a cautionary tale
to those who’d “develop” Iceland’s wild
places. If you’re looking for a short af-
ternoon drive to make the most of the
winter light, or have the time to spare on
your trip south, Heiðmörk also contains
forest walks, pools and lakes, and heath-
land criss-crossed with wild dirt roads.
❷ Hveragerði: Art, Food & Nature
www.hveragerdi.is
The first town you’ll encounter if you
take the southern ring road is Hver-
agerði. Like many Icelandic towns,
this unassuming place contains many
secrets for those who know where to
look. The town is most tourist-famous
for a mountain trail that leads to Reyk-
jadalur, a naturally hot stream that’s fit
for bathing. However, seeing as it’s win-
ter, the track is probably waist deep in
snow right now, so perhaps it’s better to
visit the airy Listasafn Árnesinga, which
hosts a year-round programme of visual
arts, or to have a snack at the town’s
well-regarded bakery or ice-cream par-
lour.
❸ Flúðir: the unlikely oasiswww.secretlagoon.is
The sleepy agricultural town of Flúðir
has some unexpected highlights, in-
cluding one of the most unlikely Ethio-
pian restaurants you’re likely to find.
It also has an IcelandAir hotel, with a
good restaurant, and hot pots that are
open all hours to guests and perfect for
aurora-spotting. On top of that, there’s
Gamla Laugin, or ‘The Secret Lagoon’—
a century-old outdoor swimming place
that lay in disrepair for years until it
was reopened in 2013, with water piped
in from a nearby hot spring. Despite a
modern changing room building, it’s
still pleasingly rough around the edges,
with a tumbledown shack on the far
shore and walls made from roughly-
hewn stone.
❹ Sólheimar & Friðheimar: farms full of character
www.solheimar.is
www.fridheimar.is
These places are both farms that grow
vegetables in greenhouses, but each has
a unique and distinctive culture sur-
rounding it. Sólheimar is a certified eco-
village and a community that teaches
skills to residents that include the dis-
abled, the infirm, former prisoners and
the long-term unemployed. The fruits
of the residents’ labour are for sale in
the shop, from arts and crafts to freshly
grown produce, and there’s a cafe where
you’ll get a warm welcome and a warm
meal. Friðheimar is a different kind
of farm, which also runs a stable, and
grows famously sweet tomatoes result-
ing in a super-fresh vine-to-table tomato
soup, served right there in the green-
house.
❺ Þjóðveldisbærinn: Recreated Vikingism
www.thjodveldisbaer.is
This recreated Viking settlement in-
cludes a turfed hall and a small church in
a jaw-dropping picturesque location. In
the summer, it’s a popular tourist stop,
with a programme of Viking-themed
events. When we visited, it was closed
for the winter, but we wandered around
the buildings taking in the vastness of
the surrounding plains and mountains.
If the roads are open—and be sure to
check in advance—it’s worth the drive
just to feel some off-the-beaten-track
remoteness.
By John Rogers
Reykjavik
Selfoss
Hvolsvöllur
Vík í Mýrdal
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Skaftafell
Höfn
Þorlákshöfn
Keflavík
Airport Hveragerði
Geysir
The majestic Route One ring road threads down through
the mountains from Reykjavík to Iceland's southern
coastline, passing an endless trove of natural wonders
along the way. From the famous "Golden Circle", to the
various vast lava fields, tumbling glacier tongues, tiny
picturesque towns, craggy gullies and canyons, endless
black beaches and beautiful iceberg lagoons, it’s an un-
forgettable experience, and one that bears repeating. Our
Mini South Iceland travel guide aims to point out a few
tucked away treasures you can find along the way—plac-
es to eat, sleep, or catch some local culture, for example—
and a few lesser-known spots, off the beaten track. In this
first of two installments, we venture from Reykjavík to
Sólheimajökull—part two will see us traversing from Vík
to Kirkjubæjarklaustur—exciting stuff, so look out for
that in a future issue.
Remember to be safe, respect the nature, check the
weather, dress well, and hire a 4x4 if you're thinking of
taking any of the many side-roads.
Most of all: have fun enjoying one of the most beautiful
places in Europe and, perhaps, the world.
❶
❷❿
❻
❼
❸ ❺
❹
❽
❾
Locations on the map
are approximate.
Please use accurate
maps, don't say we
didn't warn youVestmannaeyjar
Sólheima-
jökull:
a glacier
in retreat
As the dizzy heights of the Eyjafjalla-
jökull glacier come into view, most peo-
ple understandably feel a magnetic pull
to the otherworldly ice cap. The most ac-
cessible place to satisfy the urge get your
feet on the ice is Sólheimajökull.
Various tour companies offer short hikes
onto the glacier, which is accessible from
Route One via a short dirt road. They'll
supply crampons and experienced
guides, who can point out and educate
you about the glacier’s various features.
If you don’t fancy that, you can still get
a spectacular view over the jagged blue
ice—but don't go walking on there alone,
as the slippery glacier can be deadly to
the untrained.
Photo by Art Bicnick