After a little sleep in to recover from our nocturnal waterfall expedition we were heading down the same road again toward the south coast.
As we passed Seljalandsfoss an hour later we counted at least 5 tour buses in the nearly full car park and decided it was definitely worth the late night.
We stopped to photograph a bit of horseplay. I’m already a huge fan of these stoic little ponies, short of stature but with huge personalities!
We missed and then drove back to Eyjafjallajökull Info Point. Whilst you may struggle to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull, for anyone who was travelling mid year in 2010 it will probably ring a bell.. This is the volcano that was responsible for the huge clouds of glass rich volcanic ash that ended up revolving around the earth for an extended period disrupting the travel plans of over 10 million people.
It covered the farm pictured in the header photo above as well as the nearby buildings where the bakery serving the famous cinnamon rolls now sits. We tried the rolls (nice) and spent a little while reading the interpretive boards detailing this massive event and again admired the Icelandic fortitude.
Next big name on the route was the very impressive Skógafoss. Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s biggest waterfalls with a width of 25 metres and a drop of 60 metres. There were hordes of people there (there is a hotel/cafe/restaurant on site as well) but not all of them prepared to get a little damp for the right shot 😉
A little further around from Skogafoss is the often missed Kvernufoss. Tucked into a little canyon it took only a gentle walk to reveal its green splendour.
By now we were not far from the actual coast and so we headed toward the Dyrholaey Peninsula. This area is famous for its staggering views of the coast, a stunning rock arch, a historic lighthouse, and a wealth of birdlife and we had some blue sky as a bonus!
One thing we’ve noticed is a distinct lack of picnic tables in Iceland. Despite a large carpark and toilet facilities, there was no seating so we ate our lunch and drank our cuppa in the car before heading off to explore what Dyrholaey had to offer.
It didn’t take long before we encountered the most popular residents…
Could have watched them for hours.
This was also our first close up view of the Icelandic black sand beaches.
Our next stop was the infamous Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. Characterised by the dramatic black sand it also has fascinating geology, with tall basalt columns and caves along the coast. It is also well known for its dangerous ‘sneaker waves’ (the equivalent of Aussie king waves) that have surprised many unsuspecting (or ignorant) tourists. At least five people have lost their lives here in the last seven years despite the warning system in place….
We spent some time exploring the beach before driving on to the small town of Vik.
Vik is a charming village located on the south coast and ideally placed to visit the many waterfalls, black sand beach and birdlife nearby. It is also well known for its picturesque church and its black crust pizzas and we saw both 😉
“Our signature black pizzas are inspired by the Black Sand Beaches located on the south coast of Iceland. We use activated charcoal to make our dough the color of volcanic ash, and we do it all in-house.”
They were doing a roaring trade when we arrived and ordered the ‘Number 1’ – (langoustine, truffle infused cream cheese, red onion, arugula, rosemary, chili, balsamic glaze and parmesan) – and it was delicious!
Hunger pangs suitably satiated we continued on the last stretch of today’s drive toward our home for the next two nights, the Fosshotel Eastfjords.
Tomorrow we would explore the nearby glacial lagoons and the famous Diamond Beach.