Reykjavík Grapevine - nov. 2021, Side 30

Iceland loves its circle tours: Golden
Circle, Diamond Circle, Silver Circle,
and of course circling the entire coun-
try. But one autumnal Saturday, we
discovered a day trip which shaped up
to be a great way to get to know plenty
about Iceland’s lava. From its journey
from the centre of the earth, to its
power of geothermal energy, and what
it becomes when it reaches the sea.
The best part is, you can do all this in a
single day, and can complete the circle
either clockwise or counterclockwise.
This, however, is the journey we
took.
Into the lava
We headed out of Reykjavík going east
on Route 1, and taking the southbound
exit to Ölfus. This took us to Raufar-
hólshellir, site of the famed Lava Tun-
nel.
For the unfamiliar, the tunnel in
question is a lava tube, formed by the
Leitahraun eruption, which set off just
east of the Bláfjöll mountains some
5,200 years ago. As Kallia, our guide,
explained, lava tunnels are formed
due to the top-down cooling effect of
flowing lava; the top layer cools quick-
ly, but the lava underneath continues
flowing. Once the eruption slows, so
too does the lava flow, until it stops
altogether, leaving a tunnel behind.
It’s difficult to put into words just
how awe inspiring it is to stand within
a cavity where lava once flowed around
the time the pyramids were being
built in Egypt. Natural “skylights”
formed by parts of the roof collapsing
into the tunnel let the sunlight reveal
deep reds from iron oxide splashed
across rippling layers of lava, swirls
and spirals of currents frozen in time.
The whole effect gives a strong
impression of the sheer power of the
forces beneath our feet. We wanted to
stay longer, but we had a schedule to
keep, so off we went.
If you see a dead whale,
avoid it
From Raufarhólshellir we went south,
to !orlákshöfn. As it so happened,
there was an enormous beached fin
whale a couple minutes east of us, and
so we opted to check that out before
continuing the circle. A small detour
from this themed tour in order to see
an entire whale up close.
I regret to report that the experi-
ence was both sad and repugnant.
The carcass, surrounded by families
with little kids cavorting around, was
a week old at this point. Even from
a dozen metres away, the smell was
overpowering, and uncannily resem-
bled the smell of a human cadaver.
On closer inspection, the whale bore
signs that someone had sawed off
some of its baleen. We didn’t linger.
History’s march to the
sea
Heading west from !orlákshöfn along
the coastal Route 427, we were treated
to expanses of lava fields unseen by
those who stick to the Ring Road. Much
of this area is relatively “young lava,” a
mere few centuries old, and still bears
the contours of freshly erupted waves
making their slow march to the sea.
The road winds through a patchwork
of sea green, silver, and ochre moss
that accentuates their shapes.
This took us to Grindavík. In need
of a good stretch and much needed
nourishment, we paid a visit to Bryg-
gjan, a nondescript café by the har-
bour. The nautical decor—fishing
ropes and nets hung from the ceil-
ing—is charmingly corny, but the real
treat here is the soup. Whether you get
lobster or vegetable, you serve your-
self, the refills are endless, the bread
is free, and the effect is both satiating
and wholesome.
How Iceland keeps the
lights on
There are several lookout points along
this route and further west, where you
can see the lava meeting the crashing
waves. We pressed on to Gunnuhver,
part of the same geothermal system
that feeds into the Blue Lagoon and
provides power to a good portion of
the country.
Walking the wooden decks around
the plumes of powerful steam, it’s a
stark reminder of how the same forces
that have wreaked so much havoc on
this island over the centuries are the
same ones that also provide Icelandic
homes with heat and a good portion of
their electricity.
Completely wiped out by this point,
we got back on the road for Reykja-
vík—tired, sure, but also thoroughly
satisfied with this newfound circle
tour.
Travel distance
from Reykjavík:
180 km
Tour provided by:
thelavatunnel.is
Car provided by:
gocarrental.is
Around The
World In A Day
Experience Iceland’s lava—from the
earth to the sea—in this day trip
Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: Art Bicnick
Travel
Red hot lava (lamps)
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A steamy encounter