Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2018, Síða 46

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2018
46
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BEST BURGER
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T OF REYKJAVÍK
2018
REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE
T H E
“You’ll need snow tyres and a sense of ad-
venture, but going it alone enables you to
take your destiny into your own hands.”
ACTIVITIES GUIDE
Into The Wild
What to do with your day in the Icelandic wilderness
Words: John Rogers Photos: Art Bicnick & Tim Lambrecq
So, you’ve got just one day for
a trip out of Reykjavík and into
the countryside. But what to
do with it? Should you just hire
a car and hit the road? Should
you book a bus trip around
the Golden Circle? Should you
go all-in and blow the family
fortune on a Super Jeep ex-
cursion into some far flung
corner of the Highlands? You
could have fun doing any of
these things, but to help you
narrow it down, here are some
day trips that we can heartily
recommend.
Road Trippin’
The most liberating way to trav-
el in Iceland is by car. You’ll need
snow tyres, a steady hand, and a
sense of adventure, but going it
alone enables you to take your
destiny into your own hands.
You could do the Golden Cir-
cle at your own speed, stopping
for hot soup at the Fríðheimar
greenhouse, drive the ‘forgot-
ten fjord’ of Hvalfjörður, and
hike to the Glymur waterfall, or
hit Route One South and take
in the spectacular waterfalls of
Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss,
as well as the black beach views
from the Dyrhólaey headland.
Or you could make a full day of
it and head for the stunning
and varied landscape of the fa-
mous Snæfellsnes peninsula.
You could even get the ferry to
the Westman Islands and go to
the Eldheimar volcano museum,
then hike up the Eldfell volcano.
Pro tips: pack snacks, drive safe,
take your swimming stuff in
case you find any pools (which
you will)—and be careful not to
become a Grapevine news story
by getting stuck on an off-limits
F-road.
Life In The Coach Lane
Coach trips might not be the
most glamorous way to see
Iceland, but they’re affordable
and hassle-free, and they have
regular, frequent departures to
various destinations. The Gold-
en Circle is often sniffed at as a
well-trodden, basic Iceland tour,
but to be honest, it’s nothing
short of spectacular—Þingvel-
lir, Gullfoss and Geysir are es-
pecially majestic in the snowy
season. There are also quieter
routes around the magnificent
Reykjanes peninsula with its
vast mountains, placid lakes,
the Krýsuvík geothermal area,
and the coastal cliffs around
the Reykjanesviti lighthouse. If
you don’t mind spending much
of your day on a bus, and see-
ing Iceland through a window,
you could simply traverse right
across the south coast to the
Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, and
the crystalline ice caves of Vat-
najökull.
Gettin’ Fancy
If money isn’t an object and
you wanna see something re-
ally remote and spectacular,
there are some great options
available. Our best suggestion
would be to book a Super Jeep
tour. These monstrous vehi-
cles are equipped for the rough
weather, and come with a driver
who’s seen everything. There are
group tours to the inaccessible
and beautiful Þórsmörk valley,
which is flanked by volcanoes
and glaciers that seem within
touching-distance. Or you can
drive up onto the blue ice of the
famous Eyjafjallajökull glacier.
Private super jeep trips are also
available, and allow you to de-
sign your own route. Finally, a
helicopter tour from Reykjavík’s
domestic airport can zip you
quickly to a remote mountain
spot, and the pilot will even pop
open a champagne bottle while
you’re there.
Look out for a free copy our Best of
Iceland sister magazine for more
destinations, excursions, and trip
ideas.
Go say hi to a glacier sometime, it's fun