Reykjavík Grapevine - May 2021, Page 30

Northern Iceland—where landscape,
sea and sky converge just south of the
Arctic Circle—is as far north as many
of us will ever get to travel.
I recently based myself in the north-
ern coastal town of Húsavík for a few
days, exploring the surrounding area
as winter gave way to summer. I found
that the sparse local population—and
Iceland’s current lack of tourists—cre-
ated the perfect conditions for a travel-
ler seeking solitude.
Waiting for whales
On the day I joined Húsavík whale-
watching company North Sailing, the
massive mammals apparently had bet-
ter things to do than come to greet
us. But the puffins and northern gan-
nets that also live in Skjálfandi Bay
showed up, swooping around the boat
and bobbing around in the ocean. And
although North Sailing can’t be ex-
pected to make nature perform on cue,
the company kindly offered customers
a free trip if they wanted to try their
luck again.
Solitude score: Pretty good. The punt-
ers aboard the 90-capacity boat num-
bered no more than 15, so there was
no fighting for elbow room among
photographers seeking that perfect
puffin shot.
Getting into hot water
A warmer way to view the bay is pro-
vided by GeoSea, a clifftop complex of
outdoor pools just outside Húsavík.
It boasts a choice of hot pots at dif-
ferent temperatures, with steaming
brine drawn from nearby boreholes.
However it’s the view of the moun-
tains as you soak that raises GeoSea
a notch above the average geothermal
baths.
Solitude score: High, with only a hand-
ful of visitors in the water.
Game Of Thrones jiggy cave
There was more getting into hot wa-
ter—or not—an hour’s drive south of
Húsavík, near lake M!vatn. There, the
gorgeous Grjótagjá cave nestles in a
lava field, housing the warm pool used
to film the love scene between Jon and
Ygritte in “Game Of Thrones”.
On entering the cave, I found two
Speedo-clad tourist boys noisily taking
a dip in the hot water, despite the sign
asking people not to do so. Thankfully
I didn‘t walk in on a re-enactment of
the Johnny and Yggy get jiggy scene,
but nonetheless withdrew discreetly
to grant my fellow visitors a little time
to themselves. But Grjótagjá is so en-
chanting that I went back the next day
to find myself the only soul in the cave.

Solitude score: First day not so good,
(unless you’re one of the Speedo-clad
tourist boys). Second day—perfect.
The power beneath
A short drive north from the Grjótagjá
cave brought me to the geothermal
power station and dormant volcano
at Krafla. You can wander the station
compound freely and marvel at the
huge clouds of water vapour billow-
ing from the plant at ground level and
crossing the valley.
I took a hike up the snow-covered
volcano, from where the valley views
are spectacular. I recommend you leave
your car at the plant and use a bit of leg
power.

Solitude score: Very high—eerily there
was not a single soul to be seen at the
power station. On the hike to the crater
the only other humans were those two
tourist boys from Grjótagjá, (this time
wearing more than their Speedos).
Bubbling mud and
steaming stones
A short distance south of Krafla I found
Hverir, a stark volcanic plain where
rock pyramids hiss over geothermal
vents, and hot mud pools gloop lazily.
It’s worth spending a while here just to
soak up the lunar feel of the land and
allow your inner geo-geek to wonder.

Solitude score: Pretty high. I was joined
by a lorry driver taking a break in his
journey and—yet again— the Speedo-
clad Tourist Boys Of Grjótagjá.
Some falls to fall for
The well-known waterfalls of Go"a-
foss, Dettifoss and Selfoss are all with-
in easy striking distance of Húsavík,
and I spent time at all of them. Each
one is stunning and unique and de-
serving of a visit. But the greatest
recognition is due to Aldeyjarfoss, a
waterfall hidden further into the high-
lands, which has a much lower public
profile than its cousins elsewhere in
the region.
Rather than a wide curtain of wa-
ter—a common format for Icelandic
falls—Aldeyjarfoss presents itself as
a narrow powerful cascade, plunging
into a deep pool at the bottom of a
dramatic gorge. Basalt columns frame
the falls and bank the Skjálfandafljót
river, which carries the water onwards.
When I visited, snow and ice clung to
the columns, perfectly framing the
tumbling torrent of water.

Solitude score: Top marks. For the hour
or so spent at the falls, I was the only
one there. On the 5km round-trip hike
from road to gorge I encountered only
two other people; quite possibly the
Speedo-clad Tourist Boys Of Grjótagjá,
but it was hard to tell underneath all
those layers.
Travel distance
from Reykjavík:
462 km
Accommodation
provided by:
islandshotel.is
Whale-watching
provided by:
northsailing.is
Geothermal baths
provided by:
geosea.is
Isolated Iceland
Findin! the splendid solitude of the North
Words & Photos: John Pearson
Travel
GeoSea rocks
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A lonely stroll up Krafla