A guide to camping in Iceland

Iceland is the most beautiful place in the world, that's a fact. There’s nowhere else I’ve been that even comes close to holding a candle to that statement. To experience Iceland’s sheer spectacular surroundings and connect with nature- you need to pitch a tent and camp while you’re here. I recently traveled to Iceland for a couple weeks during the off-season in the end of October into early November. For 13 days I drove around the entire country exploring this country’s ultra-impressive collection of natural ‘wow’ spots in an effort to connect more with nature. On the way, I stopped at many small fishing villages that dot the Fjords, developed towns and two of Iceland’s biggest cities- Reykjavik and Akureyri.

I like to travel on a budget, a tight one, saving as much as I can in accommodation so I can put it towards gas, the rental car and a few delicious meals or a cup of coffee. Plus this dirtbag-ish way is loads more enjoyable. There’s not this pressing time constraint binding you- you can come and go whenever, not have to worry about checking-in or out, cook your own food, get up in the middle of the night to watch the Northern Lights dance in the sky above and you meet some crazy-inspiring, awesome people traveling around with your exact same mindset. That makes for stove-top meals together and laughing with beers in hand under each other's headlamps under the stars. So obviously, camping is always the way to go. Especially in Iceland.

What the vibe is like.
True fact- you can pretty much camp anywhere in Iceland for free as long as it’s not on someone’s private land or marked with signage prohibiting it (you’ll see red and yellow signs saying "No Overnight Camping"). This could change, as the waves of tourists flock to Iceland. Do your research ahead of time to confirm. Most established campsites have hot water showers, spotless clean bathrooms, and even WiFi. More developed, larger ones will have a common kitchen area or lounge along with electrical hook-ups for campervans and RVs. Speaking of the prior, renting campervans is an exploding trend right now and a clever way to explore the sprawling island. Places like GoIceland Car-Rental, Kuku Campers, CampEasy and Happy Campers rent campervans that sleep two and sometimes up to six. Some even have kitchen sinks in them while most have a pull-out stove, WiFi and heaters that keep your living area warm when the car is off.

I was so happy to see tons of other people my age in their 20s and 30s, camping out in tents, the backseat of their cars and rented campervans at nearly every campground. Even in late October and November. It’s way more fun of an environment than any 5-star hotel. When the sun goes down and it goes down very early, meet other travelers who love the camping ways. I met a lot of inspiring people in Iceland trekking around with their best friends or solo like myself. We all told stories, tried to solve the world’s problems over beer, ate dinner together and what’s the best….is you get to hear everyone’s suggestions and secret tips on where to explore. Let’s just say I got a lot of recommendations from fellow campers that weren’t otherwise listed in my guidebook. What was also cool was getting to see some of the same, familiar friends at the next region or town’s campsite again.

How much to budget for.
Iceland isn’t cheap, but it’s not at all as expensive as what people may exaggerate, especially during the off-season months. I found prices fairly comparable (apart from gas, which when converted equaled out to like $6 per gallon) to what I paid for during a somewhat normal week of travel in the United States. All the campgrounds and campsites accept credit cards, but bring coins ISK coins for shower and laundry at some facilities. Prices listed below are for one person per night. Some campsites only charge you by the night whereas others may charge per person camping. If you arrive after-hours at a paid campground and the office is closed or there’s not someone around to take your payment, be honest and pay in the morning- your dollars are what keep these campgrounds (and Iceland's national parks) afloat and maintained. Note, however, that some campgrounds may have literally zero way to pay for a night’s stay due to the possibility of it being closed for the winter off-season. This likely means key services like water, toilets, showers, could very well be shut-off as well. All-in-all I think I spent less than $100 on accommodations over the course of 13 days, including the hostel I stayed at my final night in the capital city of Reykjavik.

[Disclaimer: At the time of this post, written in November 2016, 1000 ISK = $9 USD. Obviously, prices listed below may change depending on when you visit. Some prices below also include a 100 ISK guest accommodation tax and some places may be closed or services shut-off in off-season.]

Tenting it or dirtbaging it.

Well, you can, but you have to, must have a reliable, all-weather tent. In some places of the country like along the southeast coast and near the western Snæfellsnes Peninsula- it can get seriously, aggressively windy, causing damage to a tent with not the strongest poles or fabric. I've got a solid three-season, Eureka Taron2 backpacking tent that fought the wind hard but it kept me dry and warm. Just make sure your tent is staked down well or weighted with nearby rocks and prepare for a gusty night. But wait there's more....it can also downpour heavily or snow at any time, so make sure your tent can fend off those elements as well. Iceland's weather can be vicious, rough and unexpected...changing completely within a few seconds. Do your homework, bring the right gear and study the weather. 

Don't have a tent? Places like Iceland Camping Equipment Rental rent tents (along with other gear too). Remember you can always try it and sleep in the back of your rental car if things become dicey. I rented an older red Suzuki Jimny, essentially Japan’s version of the Jeep Wrangler, for two-weeks at total cost a little under $600. This was with unlimited mileage, a manual transmission, and a proper four-wheel-drive setup off-road wandering which happened every day. When I couldn’t pitch a tent due to hurricane-strong winds or pouring rain, I tumbled the back seat, folded flat the passenger seat, then set my blow-up sleeping pad and 0-degree down sleeping bag on top. Boom, bed on-the-go. I’m 6’2 and had a surprising amount of room on frigid nights. The Jimny was both warm and comfortable mini RV that I could easily bomb down Iceland’s notorious F-Roads and any rocky detour endeavors off the Ring Road.

You could also splurge for a traditional camper van, which is glorious, but my budget hindered that aspiration. Common week-long camper van rentals ranged from about $700-$1,000 USD. An important downside, however, is that many of these campervans don’t have 4x4 capability. That would restrict you to any F-Roads, travels to The Highlands region of the country, or some of the tracks that carve deep into some of the national park’s interior.

Sourcing water, food, and cooking gas.
I brought a Nalgene bottle and three collapsible Sawyer water bags for filling. Almost all entrances to the natural attractions and national parks along with most gas stations, but not all (despite what you read) will have a water fill-up. Don’t be afraid to ask. The water that comes out of the tap in Iceland may smell a bit funky but it’s the cleanest, most-pure water you’ll ever drink. Leave all your filters at home and don’t be a goof who buys bottle water in Iceland. Sustainability folks! One last tip- bring a small cup or keep one handy, like reuse the free cup of coffee you get from Olis gas stations when you fill up. Some sinks in the gas station bathrooms aren’t nearly deep or wide enough to fill-up a tall Nalgene bottle or soft water bag.

Buy groceries at a local joint like Bonus, they’re in almost every medium to bigger town or city and their prices are cheap. Not to mention, healthy, not processed food is a big plus when you’re camping. Don’t be shy about gas station food. Almost all full-service gas stations have a kitchen where they cook up soups, sandwiches and of course Iceland’s famous hotdogs. For the love of god, you have to eat one or several. Load up on onions (underneath the hotdog like Icelanders do). I spent about $60 for two-weeks’ worth of food. Living off PB&J (the peanut butter here is SO good), fresh produce, dehydrated cups of beefy noodles, cookies, tea and cereal every morning. Plus since it’s cold like all the time, you don’t need to refrigerate any of the milk or juice you buy. Grab a cardboard box from the grocery store and make it your cupboard for your trip. But! With all the money you’re saving on accommodation by camping and buying your own food, treat yourself to a few local meals. Half the fun of traveling to a new country is trying their food. Iceland has some bomb lobster caught right off the shore by the way…. and a few legendary craft beers.

So I wrote in an earlier post and it still stands true, it’s illegal to bring a canister of cooking gas on a plane. Even in checked baggage. Fear not, every gas station I went to sold them. There are three main types of camping fuel canisters you can buy. The traditional screw-on ones that thread into your camping stove (like my Primus), the taller green Coleman ones that hook-up to a larger camping stove and these blue click-on canisters that only work with its accompanying stove. Know the difference so you don’t accidentally buy the wrong-fitting canister. And open-fires are a big no-no in Iceland.

  
Where to camp.

Public campsites in Skógar

• 1000 ISK per night.
• No WiFi but water and paid hot showers.
• Pay at the window nea rthe bathroom when open.
• Right at the base of the mesmerizingly-cool Skógafoss waterfall, which you'll hear at night.
• Close to the Solheimajokull glacier and Solheimasandur plane crash wreckage. 

Campsites at Vatnajökull National Park in Skafatell

• 1400 ISK per night.
• There's WiFI, water, paid hot shower and laundry.
• Support Iceland’s stunning national parks!
• Most car campers camp in the parking lot right in front of the visitor center, but there are grass patches for tent camping to the left behind the buildings.
• Close to the trailhead for all hiking trails in Vatnajökull National Park including the trail for the Svartifoss waterfall and Skaftafellsjökull glacier. 

Höfn Camping & Cottages in Höfn

• 1200 ISK per night.
• There's paid WiFi, free hot showers, water, plus electrical hookups.
• Less than 10 minutes from the Ring Road.
• Great community lounge and kitchen area.
• Tiny general store in the lobby sells beer, food, and camping supplies.
• Jaw-dropping campsites along the bay make for stellar sunrises.
• Across from an N1 full-service gas station.
• Within walking distance of downtown Höfn and its harbor. 

Public campsites in Egilsstaðir

• 1200 ISK per night. 
• WiFi, hot shower, water fill-up, kitchen, lounge, laundry ($), electrical hookups.
• Right next to and managed by the Egilsstaðir tourist information center.
• Super friendly and knowledgeable staff, offered me complimentary coffee and WiFi during the off-season.
• I saw the Northern Lights here!
• Nearby grocery stores.
• Crossroads location for continuing on the Ring Road or venturing into the gorgeous East Fjords. 

Campsites at Vatnajökull National Park, Asbyrgi

• 1600 ISK per night.
• Hot shower ($), water fill-up, laundry ($), electrical hookups.
• Support Iceland’s stunning National Parks!
• Big campground with many secluded tent and RV/campervan sites.
• Pay at the visitor center or when a park ranger comes makes rounds.
• I saw a sky full of Northern Lights here!
• Close to the trailhead for all hiking trails in Vatnajökull National Park including the trail for the Eyjan outcropping which you can climb to see views of the forested canyon.
• Close to Dettifoss waterfall and northernmost point in Iceland, Hraunhafnartangi. 

Hlíð ferðaþjónusta campsites in Reykjahlio

• 1400 ISK per night.
• WiFi but no running water fill-up, toilets, or showers.
• Tons of options for accommodation from tent camping to cabin rentals.
• All services were winterized/not working. Maybe the campground was closed?
• Close to the Mývatn Lake, Krafla geothermal area, Mývatn Nature Baths.
• Hard to find but uphill from the famous church, on the right. 

Public campsites in Borgarnes

• 750 ISK (check if payment required when you arrive). 
• No running water fill-up, toilets or showers, no electrical hookups.
• All services were winterized/not working in off-season.
• Cool views of the fjord and marshy shoreline in front of the campsite.
• Crossroads location for if you want to continue on Ring Road toward Reykjavík or venture off into the nearby, incredible Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Tröð Forestry entrance area in Hellissandur

• Free.
• No running water fill-up, toilets, or showers.
• Not an official campsite, main campground in town was closed for the year in off-season.
• Large grassy area near entrance to a forest preserve.
• Located right across the street from the N1 gas station which has water.
• Nearest bathrooms, water fill-up and food store is at the neighboring gas station.
• Very close to Snæfellsjökull National Park!
• Right next to fun hiking trails right behind the camping area.
• Leave no trace, please respect the fact this is free public land available for us to camp on.

Public campsites in Stykkishólmur

• 1000 ISK per night (possibly free in off-season). 
• WiFi but no running water fill-up, toilets, or showers as services were winterized/not working.
• Can get very, very, very windy.
• The campground area and whole town of Stykkishólmur has WiFi.
• Plenty of restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations just down the road.
• Stykkishólmur is a cool little town to wander around. 

Campsites at Pingvellir National Park

• 1400 ISK per night.
• Hot showers, water fill-up, laundry ($).
• Support Iceland’s stunning national parks!
• Pay at the visitor center or when a park ranger comes makes rounds.
• Close to many hiking trails and Almannagjá riff, where the tectonic plates meet.
• Camp either in the campground down the road towards the Oxararfoss waterfall in the front parking lot of the visitor center, or in the grass campground near the bathroom and shower building.
• The visitor center has a café attached to it for a quick bite to eat.
• Located right along the main Golden Circle route.
• Awesome view of the snowy mountains when you wake up. 

So with that, please, get over to Iceland and admire this surreal land. Respect the fragile outdoors you’ll eagerly explore and have a blast. 

Cheers,
Robby

Iceland: Departure from Keflavik

 

Today's my final day in Iceland. I felt fully recharged this morning after a restful, solid night’s sleep and hot shower in the hostel. After tent and car camping for the past two weeks throughout the country, this was surely a treat and chance to spoil myself a bit. My flight today was at 4:30pm but per the airport’s regulations, you have to be there I believe 2.5-hours ahead of time, which worked out because the rental car was due back at noon. I had a quick breakfast in the hostel lobby and chatted with an American ex-pat, Thomas, now living in Iceland on the island of Hrisey in the northern part of the country along the Trollaskagi Peninsula, above Akureyri. He taught me a few helpful sayings in Icelandic and we talked about a mutual desire for winter backpacking and our favorite gear as he was seeking out recommendations on his next tent purchase. 

Speaking of tents….I had to compile all my outdoor gear on the floor in my hostel room and attempt to fold it all up compactly in my Gregory Baltoro 65l pack. No problem. But the tent and part of my down sleeping bag (!) were still soakkkkking wet from the past few day’s non-stop showers. Anyone outdoorsy should know, down + water = not a ideal mixture. I left the hostel around 11:20am and headed straight for the airport in Keflavik. Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik is about an hour or so from the main airport. So you know what’s been an interesting surprise over here? The music. Iceland’s music is killer and sooo good. From addicting house and dubstep, to trap and even rap. The diversity of tunes from around the world they continually play on the radio stations is sick too. From UK Rapper Fekky, our own Santigold to German DJ, Coeo. Curious? Read this article from FACT Magazine about the fast-rising rap scene in Iceland. Scroll to the bottom of this post....you'll hear Icelandic rapper Emmsjé Gauti with his new hit that came out a few weeks ago, flooding the radio waves. I for sure downloaded this at the hostel after hearing it. Digging it, the beat is on fire. 

Security was an absolute breeze at the Keflavik International Airport, way less stress than what you’d get in the land of red, white and blue. You don’t have to take your shoes off (because in the USA, apparently wearing a pair of Converse in an airport labels you a terrorist threat in the eyes of an over-paranoid TSA worker)...and there’s only a metal detector. Not some privacy invasive, unnecessary body scan or air-puffer tube you stand in. I caught up with a friend I met, another awesome and inspiring solo-traveler, in Stykkisholmur a few days ago and we both grabbed a quick bite to eat together before she flew out to Boston and later connecting to Atlanta. Now I’m on a plane called Grímsvötn (named after Iceland's most active volcano, with some sixty eruptions in the past 800 years, the most recent spurt in 2011), 36,022 ft over the North Atlantic heading west towards Greenland. If all goes well, I’ll be landing in Chicago around 6:15pm and back in Wisconsin by 9pm. By the way...THIS AIRPLANE HAS THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN IT! How cool is that? Look up at the plane cabin's ceiling. Only on Icelandair will you see a realistic imitation of the dancing Aurora Borealis in-flight. Amazing.

I’m going to miss Iceland tremendously. It’s been the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. The people are friendly and fun, the lands are quiet, desolate, stunning and wild. Every day, from late sunrise to early sunset has been just this on-going adventure. It was like time stopped over here and I could relax and feel at peace. I could connect with nature, every, single, second of the day. And that’s so important to me. Driving to the airport was very hard. I fell in love with this country. It was one of those trips that change you for the better. It opened up my eyes and mind to a lot of new things and seriously helped me reconsider a lot of things going on in my current life that I need to change. This place does magic and shapes you. Plus, I’m stoked to be able to proudly add my guidebook to my growing collection on my bookshelf. But I beg you, I beg you….please go to this small island in the North Atlantic and explore this incredible country that is Iceland. I know I sure as heck will be back here very, very, very soon. Especially with how cheap, quick and easy it is to get to there.

So that begs the question then...where to next? Well I plan to keep checking off as many of our incredible national parks in my home country, like Yellowstone, Big Bend, Grand Teton and gosh I’ve got to get up to the Pac Northwest at some point. One of my bucket list items is to visit EVERY single national park in America. I’ve also had my eyes on a trip to Alaska for quite some time, especially after reading Jon Krakauer’s "Into the Wild" a handful of times. But let’s look abroad- we live on this huge, diverse planet with tons of lands to set foot-in and explore. I’ll have to save up for a while post-Iceland, but I’m hoping to do another global adventure sometime next fall or winter, maybe spring of 2018. As far as adding stamps to the passport, my two top countries I’ve been aching to visit are Nepal and Laos. Something about South East Asia is calling me towards there. I’ve got a best friend in South Korea teaching English I could visit and I’ve been missing Vietnam every, single, day since I left some five years ago. I’d fly back there in a heartbeat, it’s like a second home to me. Back-up travel ideas also include Greenland, Malaysia (ohhhh what I’ve heard about Kuala Lumpur), Japan for a longer time and Russia. I’ve been toying for the past year or so with the idea of spending a lengthened time abroad, either volunteering, working a paid job or just leaving my current job and living out of a backpack for a few months. Oh that’d be a dream. The most expensive part of worldwide travel, and it’s not even deathly costly (airfare continues to drop!) if you know how to book tickets right, are the flights. The rest is cheap and easy, as I’d rather have fun and travel humbly on a low-budget than flourish in expensive hotels and fill a secondary suitcase with souvenirs. We shall see, we shall see.  

Takk fyrir, Iceland, takk fyrir.

Cheers,
Robby

Iceland: Stykkisholmur to Reykjavík

Well, it felt like I woke up in a hurricane, and the not favorable weather stuck around day which slowed down driving times tremendously due to the raucous wind and rain.My tent survived the overnight but I’m sure there may be a pole or two bent due to the insane wind gusts all throughout the night and early morning. Not to mention, it’s completely soaked cabin and rain tarp as take-down this morning occurred in a downpour. But...when in Iceland! You can’t let foul conditions ruin your quest for adventuring. I headed into town which was still dark and waking up at 9am and topped off with gas. Pre-reading and researching Iceland before arriving led to some worry about gas being insanely expensive. Sure, it’s not cheap but it’s not going to break my wallet either considering how much driving and off-roading I’ve done. 

To play it safe and allow for curious driving excursions to places off the Route 1 I fill up the Suzuki at every half-tank only has cost me about $16-$30 for each half-tank or about 10-13 liters a fill-up. Not as bad as I had expected. The other convenient thing with fill-ups, is that every single gas pump, even the ones in the middle of dark no-where up in northern Iceland where there’s just a sole light illuminating a pump along the side of the road….take credit card. It’s easy, but per all financial transactions you have to have a pin for your credit card otherwise you are wayyyyyy out of luck. Just to give you an idea on recent costs when I filled up this afternoon, one liter of regular petrol 95 octane cost around 196 ISK where as one liter of diesel petrol cost 184 ISK. You also have to actually stand there and pump it, there’s no handle-lock where you set it, get back in your car, and get out when it clicks full. Many of the gas stations here also have free coffee and wifi, along with free car washing supplies.

Iceland: Hellissandur to Stykkishólmur

 

After a fun night in our makeshift campground, I got an early start to the day before the run rose at 9am. Turns out, last night we actually camped out at the entrance to an ‘Open Forest Project’ for recreating and conservation in the village of Hellissandur. This meant early-morning hike was mandatory through this small patch of hilly forest, right behind our tents. Getting to see the sun rise over Snæfellsjökull Glacier was brilliant.

So I’m like immensely drawn to this part of the country, more particularly Snæfellsjökull National Park. Something about the broad coastlines, raging tall mountains, rough intense lava fields carpeted in moss and the mountains surrounding the huge ice capped active volcano that is Snæfellsjökull. I had such an amazing time hiking and exploring the park yesterday that I wanted to set aside a whole second day to continue doing it. Tent taken down, I hopped in the Suzuki and headed towards the park. (Last night we all camped out about five minutes outside of the boundaries). Referring to my guidebook, there were a few places along the coast of the peninsula I wanted to check out. First was the Ondveroarnes point, where there’s a lighthouse and also an old stone well dug into the side of a hill by the early Icelandic. Rumor has it you could get holy water, ale and fresh water from there. I crawled into the entrance way  found the mysterious well in the dark. What I like about Snæfellsjökull is that it preserves many historical sites and archaeological ruins inside the national park. For example. At a beach just down the road called Skarosvik, the remains of a Viking, his sword and shield were found there in the 1960s. That beach was gorgeous, different than most of the other black Iceland beaches I’ve tracked around in because this one had gold sand, calmer waves and cubes of basalt along the high edges of it. And the weather was so nice it was almost tempting to go for a swim in those trademark deep blue waters.

Iceland: Borgarnes to Hellissandur

Can I just say really quickly how nice it is to wake up to Bob Marley on the radio?

So yeah, last night was a late one. I got into the town of Borgarnes at around midnight and found the town's campsite, where a few other travelers also had called it home for the night.While I was eating breakfast in the back of the Jimny "Is This Love” came on one of the local radio stations, 98.9 Bycglan FM. I immediately blasted it, smiled, and got way excited. After Nirvana, Bob Marley Is my second favorite music artist to listen to. Speaking of music, last night I did a victory drive, where I loaded up on coffee and drove deep into the night until I was too tired to shift gears anymore. For about ten minutes, one of the radio stations played what sounded like this chilling, absurdly scary soundtrack to either a gory slasher horror movie or a nightmare ridden haunted house. It was soooo freaky, especially driving alone at night with no other headlights in sight. Speaking of which, happy Halloween! It’s my favorite holiday. It’s not really celebrate much here in Iceland, apart from one grocery store near the airport having a crate of pumpkins, but fear not...I carved a pumpkin before I left and overdosed on candy corn. Today’s plan was to head west to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula to explore that part of the country I had yet to see. Snæfellsjökull National Park was also there and being the national park geek that I am, I had to go hiking there. And what an afternoon of hiking it was. I couldn’t even make it to the park without pulling over several times to take photos of the western shoreline of the chilly North Atlantic and lofty mountains everywhere.

Iceland 2016: Reykjahlíð to Borgarnes

 

Ahhhh, Sunday. I started off this morning driving south along the Myvatn Lake area, an area that’s been vastly different in terms of topography. These patches of land in northern Iceland have had their fair share of weathering and exposure to Iceland’s fierce volcanic activity, as mentioned in yesterday’s post. 

Black, rough craggy lava fields are everywhere, rising from the ground above your head to create these fort-like sculptures and shapes. Flocks of birch trees fight for space, sprouting up where they can. It’s hypnotic just how much of a difference volcanic activity can make. Just fascinating. There’s the Hofoi Nature Park, which was the perfect way to start off the morning by doing some hiking. Trees everywhere! You know that certain feeling and sense in the air when you’re walking through a good forest? Yeah I got a much-needed exposure to it, something I appreciate in the land of little trees (both figuratively and literally). Climbing a hill, you get stellar views of the clear Myvatn Lake and a top-down view of all those strange rocky formations the lava field has created. 

Iceland 2016: Ásbyrgi to Reykjahlíð

 

It was cold last night! 

Even sleeping in the back of the Jimny, it was damn chilly in a down sleeping bag. There was ice all over the ground this morning. But hey, it’s Iceland, what do you expect. 

Before jumping into the daily recap- here’s a quick update on where I’m at. Use this map as a guide. When I flew into Keflavík near Reykjavík, the capital city in the southwest corner of the country, I got on Route 1 and headed east. Then, southeast towards the town of Höfn I then zig-zagged in and out of many of the East Fjords on the eastern side of the country, making my way towards Egilsstaðir, sort of in the middle of the eastern side of Iceland. From there I headed due north along the coast, passing a few more fjords, and ended up yesterday evening at the farthest, most northern point you can go in mainland Iceland near the Herring fishing village of Raufarhöfn (the northernmost and coldest community in Iceland). After walking out to the lighthouse and far shoreline, where the Arctic circle was only 3km north, I headed south and then west towards Ásbyrgi. The remaining six days will be spent heading north again into the Tröllaskagi Peninsula briefly before heading southwest and then due west towards Snæfellsjökull National Park. I’ll then drive east to do the famed ‘Golden Circle’ route for a few days and then spend a night in Reykjavík. True fact...I’ve been using a big paper map every single day when driving around Iceland. The country is phenomenally easy to navigate. It’s a lovely, now-wrinkled map that will be framed and proudly hung up in my apartment when I get back home.

Back to today. I woke up this morning once again in Iceland’s biggest national park: Votnajökull. Except for this time in the northern Jökulsárgljúfur unit near Ásbyrgi. Like previously mentioned, it’s a mega park, made up of both formerly Jökulsárgljúfur National Park in the north and Skaftafell National Park in the south, where I did some epic hiking the other day. Camping was just 1600 ISK for a night here in the northern unit. I chatted with a park ranger about national parks and state parks and how it’s crucial to support them, he gave me a few tips on his favorite places to hike and see some of the key highlights of the Jökulsárgljúfur area.

Iceland 2016: Höfn to Egilsstaðir

 

Today was a long day with lots of driving and lots of miles.

My goal was to make it to Egilsstaðir right after sundown, from there I’d head into the northern part of the country and make my way west. I was lucky this morning to catch the sunrise at around 8am, rising over the bay at Höfn. It was spectacular-reflecting off the water and damp black-sand topped with puffy white clouds in a golden sky above the mountains off on the horizon.

It was ridiculously windy last night and into the morning, but the mid-40s (already) temperatures were hinting at what would be a winning weather day. I walked into the campground’s lounge/cafeteria and Ivan the Spaniard I met the night before over beers excitedly told me the hot water was free. Yes! Finally, I can take a hot shower after about five mornings. Others rejoiced too, as it would normally cost about $4 USD to take a 5-minute hot shower.

Before leaving Höfn, I wanted to drive down to the harbor and see first-hand what keeps this town alive: lobster fishing and processing. At the harbor, I spotted many fishing trawlers docked up alongshore. Turning a corner, I started driving through the quiet neighborhood of Höfn. Gotta admit, European and in this case, Iceland’s houses are adorable. Höfn is such a sweet little town. Definitely worth a stop at as you’re traveling Route 1.

With my coffee full and Jimny gassed up, I hit the road. This leg of Route 1 follows the North Atlantic coastline for a few hours as you dip in and out of the East Fjords. The scenery was jaw-dropping. Big open shorelines, tall rocky jagged mountains on the north side of the road, waterfalls appearing out of just about every crack in the higher rock…and the weather was perfect. I didn’t even bother wearing my down puffy jacket. I’d guess the temps were in the high 40s maybe low 50s and the sun was shining bright.

Iceland 2016: Egilsstaðir to Ásbyrgi

 

Hey, it’s Friday!

When I woke up this morning I looked at the map of Iceland and decided to try and make it to the northern-most point on the island. Let’s do it. The campground I stayed in last night in Egilsstaðir had a café and I spent a couple hours this morning having a coffee and finally uploading a few blog posts thanks to the free Wi-Fi the tourism official working the desk offered up to me. I talked with her about all things Iceland and got such a good perspective and learned a few things about life over here. Her kids, like all in Iceland, are still forced to learn Danish in schools, alongside English. Even though Iceland has been free, independent from Denmark for quite some time. She went on to tell me how she’s afraid kids in Iceland are going to lose the ability to speak and learn their native Icelandic language.

Tourism continues to be on the astronomically-high rise in Iceland and I agreed with her that there need to be two major concerns to be cautious of: damaging this precious environment by not teaching others how to respect it and the lingering question if Iceland’s infrastructure can handle the rush. I’ve said this for years- there’s a difference between a traveler and a tourist. A traveler is responsible, caring, courteous, eager to adapt and learn the new culture and ways of life they're exposed to. A tourist is one who is rude, not patient, lacks manners and appears completely oblivious to their surroundings as they refuse to accept and intermingle properly with the new culture and way of life they're currently exposed to. And there’s my morning thought haha. Blame it on the coffee.

After explaining to me how one of Iceland’s active volcanoes in the south of the country is longgggg overdue for an eruption, hilariously mimicking a pregnant woman about to pop, she gave me a few recommendations on where to go and then gave me a piece of advice. “What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest?” she asked me and then laughingly responded…. “Just stand up!” The reason being is are very few trees rooted in Iceland are smaller birches rising only a few feet high. Love it.

I hit the road and quickly took a detour through the wash area onto route 917, a precarious and adrenaline-rushed 73km dirt road that takes you towards the eastern coast and then up an ungodly tall mountain pass that scales 665m Hellisheioi. Like I mentioned I’m a sucker for good drives. The Suzuki 4x4 wasn’t keen to the wind, as having it in 2WD (two-wheel-drive), on a dirt road with 60 mph crosswinds knocked the car sideways and I almost lost control. I laughed and put it in 4WD for the rest of the trip for some added traction up front...hopefully. There was a 30-minute stint where I had the wheel cocked to the left towards 10 o’clock just to keep the little Japanese jeep going straight. Crazy crazy wind! But then the road went up, and up, and up into the mountains and it was spectacular.

Iceland 2016: Skaftafell to Hofn

So I was super stoked to wake up in Vatnajökull!

Covering 14% of the entire country, Vatnajökull National Park is not only the biggest national park in Iceland but in Europe as a whole. And today I’d be hiking the Skaftafell section of it. Created in 2008, Vatnajökull National Park is a grand combination of former Skaftafell and neighboring Jokulskargljufur National Parks. At 13,900 square kilometers it’s massive, look at any map of Iceland and find the big ice cap (it’s the world’s largest ice cap outside of the north/south poles encompassing some 8,100 sq km of the park’s size) in the southeastern part of the country. Vatnajökull is home to the tallest mountain in Iceland, Hvannadalshnúkur which stands at 2,110k km.

I hiked up to Svartifoss, one of Iceland’s most recognized waterfalls. It’s intimidating at first sight, surrounded by dark, wet basalt columns straddling either side of it. Super cool to finally see in person. To fill the itch for hiking, I continued east on the S6 Trail a few hours to reach the Sjonaenipa viewpoint of the Skaftafellsjökull glacier. Honestly, this was one of the most breathtaking hikes I’ve ever done. Not just because it was pure solitude, just me and wild Iceland, but because of the diverse terrain, all 360 degrees around.

Ascending the ridge, you look west and there’s a giant glacier that shines a bright blue glow visible from miles away. Look south and gaze across the black sandar towards the North Atlantic coastline, the sun reflecting off the dozens upon dozens of streams and rivers below. I look east and see snow-covered peaks thousands of feet above the trail. I just couldn’t believe it. It was just, perfect. Gives me the chills hours later thinking back on that hike. Then you reach this overlook (the photo at the top of this blog post), and the sprawling Skaftafellsjökull glacier appears. Again, my appreciation for nature skyrockets. Down below me, hundreds of feet sits the lagoon at the edge of the glacier, icebergs floating in the calm cold water.

Iceland: Skógar to Skaftafell

Last night was quite a ride inside the Suzuki.

While I got some quality cozy sleep, it was so windy and it was rocking the little SUV back and forth all night. At times I felt like it was going to tip over. After breakfast out the back (did you know Cheerios are about the only American cereal you can buy in a grocery store over here?) I suited up in rain gear and hit the road for the first stop of the day: Sólheimasandur. In 1973 a U.S. Navy Douglas DC-3 crash-landed on the black sand beach of Iceland. You can still visit the untouched plane’s hull and wreckage today, some 53 years later. The entrance path is just a few minutes east of Skógar and just past route 221, on the right side of Route 1 the Ring Road. I parked and hiked about 30 minutes out to the crash site.

On the hike, I met a nursing student from Arizona who also was exploring Iceland by herself and had also done her fair share of solo traveling. We clicked so well and shared the trek out to Sólheimasandur together. You hike through black-sand as far as the eye can see and then a shiny silver airplane appears just feet from the North Atlantic Ocean. Creepy is an understatement. I crawled inside, you can still see the oxygen tanks below where the cabin floor once was and heading towards the cockpit, wires still remain entangled in the metal plane’s frame. Super cool, but just eerie too. If you do this hike out to the crashed plane, make sure you have good rain and wind gear on. Not the kind of conditions you’d want to be caught in alone.

After thawing out in the car, I drove back to check out Sólheimajökull, a glacier that leads up to the massive Mýrdalsjökull Ice Cap. Wind still blowing strong and it absolutely pouring, I trekked out 15 minutes to the base of the glacier, which can be viewed from the shorelines of a lagoon with floating icebergs in it. Sólheimajökull is a glacier that both advances and retreats based on conditions, and oh it’s beautiful. Hike around the base of the glacial lagoon for even more wow views. Seriously guys, is like a high of adrenaline and wanderlust 24/7 in this fascinating country.

Iceland 2016: Keflavík to Skógar

Day one of exploring Iceland by Jimny is in the books.

 
By the way, I've loosely based the backbone of my route through this country off of an excellent itinerary posted by travel blogger Alex Cornell. The plan is to drive the Ring Road counter-clockwise, east to west, and deviate off it as much as possible. I picked up my rental car from GoIceland but my departure out of Keflavík was delayed by a few hours because they had to install a fresh set tires. But there is a plus side, the Suzuki Jimny 4x4 I have now has brand-new tires that are also spiked/studded for the upcoming winter season. Did you know the official start of winter in Iceland was only a few days ago?

After stopping and stocking up on a week’s worth of food at a Bonus, one of the chain grocery stores, I headed back out on to Route 41 which leads into Route 1, the Ring Road, when it gets near Reykjavik. Driving a manual transmission, in a European country, around a true round-about just feels cool. Iceland has roughly 350,000 or so people living within the entire country. About 200,000 residing in the capital city and biggest city of Reykjavik. The infamous 827-mile or so, Ring Road is Iceland’s sole road that laps the entire parameter of the island. That’s where I’ll be spending 95% of the next 13 days. Tonight’s final destination goal was in Vik, a town close to three-hours from Reykjavik. I had a whole list of places to stop and hike around. Within minutes of leaving the metro Reykjavik area, the road headed towards snowy mountains.

I hadn’t been driving in this country for even an hour and I was already climbing in altitude and driving through heavy snowfall. Yeah! This country is just amazingly scenic. I’m confident already in saying Iceland is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. It’s hard to focus on driving on this two-lane road because your head is on a constant swivel looking at the horizons. The shores of the North Atlantic, fields of roaming fuzzy fat sheep and horses running around free, rocky cliffs and tall towering peaks capped in snow. It was hard to resist the temptation to pull-over every few minutes, get out, and take a picture. But there are no shoulder lanes on the roads in Iceland so that’s why it’s strictly discouraged. The stops along the way to Vik made up for it. 

Iceland 2016: Landing in Keflavík

Well, I'm in Iceland!

The time is 7:45am and it's still completely pitch-black dark outside. It's also sleeting and guess who's rain gear is in their checked backpack? This guy. My flight out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was surprisingly quick, it only took about 5 hours and 24 minutes to arrive north, across the North Atlantic at Keflavík International Airport. Flying on Icelandair was a charm. You're handed a bottle of mineral water sourced from a glacier in Iceland as soon as you arrive onboard and the plane I flew on, a Boeing 757 was named after one of Iceland's volcanoes (just like the whole Icelandair fleet is).

Everything about this airline is like outdoor adventure-themed, and I love it. The whole in-flight safety video is done with animated graphics overlaying video clips of people hiking, kayaking, scaling a glacier in Iceland. For example, when the video is narrating how to evacuate the aircraft in a water emergency, it shows a video clip of people jumping off a cliff into a pool of water below. An animated inflatable slide that you'd find popping out of an airplane is overlayed over it so it looks like they're jumping down the slide. Random, but pretty sweet. Even the in-seat entertainment system's default screen shows the Icelandair logo on a photo of a tent in the backcountry. Super cool. This 757 sat 3-by-3 abreast and luckily I had a window seat and an entire row to myself to stretch out across. I attempted to catch a few hours of sleep, under the thick warm quilts the flight attendants gave us. Being 6'2, I did have generous amounts of legroom but perhaps my overall excitement kept me awake. I'm running on maybe 2 hours of sleep. Bring on the jetlag, haha.