Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.05.2018, Síða 14

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Iceland 2018
14
The Great
Escape
A luxurious winter getaway
at the Ion Adventure Hotel
Words John Rogers Photos Timothée Lambrecq
Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s biggest
lake, sits cradled in the snowy
tundra 45 kilometres east of
Reykjavík. Surrounded by moun-
tains and dotted with islands,
the shimmering water recedes
into the hazy distance, semi-fro-
zen in the depths of the Icelan-
dic winter. Shards of ice clink up
onto the pebbly shore like bro-
ken glass, and the cold radiating
upwards from the still surface
is tangible. It’s a huge, majestic
body of water that dominates the
area; a deep blue inkblot lurking
in the monochrome landscape.
Dicy drive
There are hundreds of tucked-
away cabins and summer hous-
es dotted around the shoreline,
meaning the narrow road down
the lake’s west coast is serviced
during the dark season. Even so,
the asphalt is iced over and thin-
ly dusted with snow. The route
passes a couple of farm build-
ings with flickering porch lights,
winding gradually downwards,
flanked by a steep forested cliff-
side on one side, and a precip-
itous drop to the water on the
other.
Into the valley
Not far from the lake’s southern
shore lies Nesjavellir, a geother-
mally active valley that’s home
to the Nesjavallavirkjun pow-
er station. It also contains the
Ion Adventure Hotel, our desti-
nation for the night. We circle
slowly up the long driveway to-
wards the main building, which
sits low and discreet in the
landscape, protruding from the
hillside supported by an array of
distinctive diagonal struts.

After checking in, we decide to
make the most of the remaining
daylight and head out to explore
the hiking paths that crisscross
the area. On the hillside outside
the hotel, a sign signals sever-
al short routes to viewpoints
over the valley. As we ascend
Distance from
Reykjavík:
45km
How to get there:
Route One North, then
routes 36 & 360
Accommodation: ioniceland.is
Car Rental: gocarrental.is South
“Columns of geothermal
steam catch the orange
evening sun, casting dancing
shadows over the plains.”