On day 2, the itinerary was travelling again with BusTravel Iceland to explore the southern coast of Iceland—a place remnant of Game of Thrones fans. The South Coast of Iceland has most of the attractions seen on the internet: waterfalls, Beaches, Mountains and much more.
We started like the previous day, picking up people and hitting the ring road.
The spectacular Skógafoss Waterfall
Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, with a drop of some 60 meters and a width of 25 meters. You can walk right up to it but be prepared to be drenched. It is overwhelming standing next to it. Steps lead up to an observation platform above Skógafoss, i.e. if one is up for it, as there are some 527 steps, depending on where you start. Skógafoss is only one of the waterfalls in the Skógá River, as per our guide there are 30+ other waterfalls in this river above Skógafoss. Skógafoss waterfall is some 154 km away from Reykjavík by ring-road 1, making it a pleasant day trip away from Reykjavík.
Be prepared to get drenched if you like to walk close to the waterfall. When I travelled in December, the pebbles were frozen up and they were mostly covered in snow making it very slippery. As you get closer to the waterfall, you get drenched and since the temperature is low, water soon turns into small crystals. My camera was completely covered in small water crystals (Luckily the camera unit was water resistant).
After spending some time, we started to our next location, a glacier walk.
Sólheimajökull glacier
As part of Katla Geopark, the glacier is 11km and originated from the southwestern part of Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Mýrdalsjökull has many other outlet glaciers; overall, it is the fourth-largest ice cap in Iceland. Beneath its thick surface is one of the country’s most infamous volcanoes, Katla. Sólheimajökull has undergone many changes mostly due to climate changes. Pictures at the entrance and guides explain the effects of climate change. The glacier is very slippery and it is recommended to wear crampons to avoid falling.
Our tour didn’t have Glacier hiking as part of the trip. One can book glacier hiking as a separate itinerary. Another famous hike in the area is to explore the Katla caves.
Southernmost Village
Before heading to the black sand beach, we stopped at mainland Iceland’s southernmost village- Vik. Its stretch of black basalt sand is one of the wettest places in Iceland. The cliffs west of the beach are home to many seabirds, most notably puffins which burrow into the shallow soils during the nesting season. The tour paused here to have our lunch and also explore the surrounding village.
One can see Víkurkirkja church in the distance.
The black sand beach
The much-awaited attraction in the whole trip. the ever-famous Reynisfjara Black sand beach. With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves, and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches. In 1991, National Geographic voted Reynisfjara as one of the Top 10 non-tropical beaches to visit on the planet.
The basalt stones are an attraction here at the beach. travellers will immediately observe rocky sea stacks sitting off the shoreline, known as Reynisdrangar. According to local folklore, these large basalt columns were once trolls trying to pull ships from the ocean to shore. However, these trolls were dim and went out too late in the night; dawn broke on the horizon, turning the trolls into solid stone.
Never turn your back to the waters.
Potential Dangers
As we enter the beach, there is a display which gives tourists some knowledge of the black beach geology. At the bottom, you can see the text Dangerous Sneaker waves. Yes, the waves are dangerous. They might look like normal waves but once they reach near the shore the force increases and pulls you inward to the ocean. After walking a few more metres, you will notice an interesting board with traffic lights which indicate the hazardous level of the waves on that day.
Though it was a medium hazard, we were able to witness a few people falling and getting completely drenched. Never turn your back against the waves.
Seljalandsfoss waterfall
Our last stop was the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall. The waterfall drops 60 m (197 ft) and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull. What makes this waterfall interesting is that visitors can walk behind the falls into a small cave during summer. This waterfall has been a prominent shooting location for movies, series and songs. the path gets slippery during winter.
After having some time at the waterfall, it was time to head back to Reykjavik and get ready for a second try to witness the Northern Lights.
Northern Lights
Second day to get a glimpse of northern lights. Like the previous day, we were picked up at our respective locations and driven to the outskirts. The forecast for the day was promising. The guide set up a campfire and handed over hot chocolates for refreshment. Those who wanted to stay away from the cold could step into the guest house. I began adjusting my camera to the required setting to capture the northern lights and captured some light trails from the cars passing down the road. After almost 2hrs, we heard a loud shout from our guide as the northern lights decided to show up in the distance. It lasted for around 30 minutes and I would recommend tourists to check for tours that offer re-visits if northern lights were not visible on the first try.
Adios and see you on the last day of my tour.
South Coast Waterfalls, Glacier & Black Sand Beach Tour – BusTravel Iceland
Best camera settings to capture the Northern Lights – Adobe
How to capture the northern lights on your smartphone – upday News
