Wednesday 24 July 2013

A Guide to Iceland's South Coast


Welcome to Iceland the beautiful home of glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls and hotdogs, where even the prime minister is addressed on a first name basis. Iceland has a variety of travel experiences to suit any budget.  A five star hotel, you will not find here; however, a close fit can be found with Kristinn and Porunn’s apartment in the city of Reykjavik.  The host and hostess will welcome you with open arms and provide a quick overview of the island and its many sights and adventures.  You will not want to miss: The Harpa Theatre, The Free Walking Tour and the Hallgrimskirkja. 

Free Walking Tour of Reykjavik
The back of the Hallgrimskirkja.
Piping and dancing on top of 'The Pearl'
Be sure to taste the mouth watering cuisine of…hotdogs, dripping in sweet mustard and mayonnaise with a fried onion crunch.  The cheapest taste of Iceland comes in at a mere $3.00 each, quite a bargain on the island. 
The girls loved the crispy fried onions added to the bun!
After a day or two in the city you must set out on the Ring Road, the main highway that travels around the perimeter of the island.  There are a variety of transportation and accommodation options to suit your needs from rental vehicles, Happy Campers, Excursion trucks, to a cot on a cab! The south provides: breathtaking views of the countryside, a visit to the Blue Lagoon, Glacier walks, spectacular waterfalls and Puffins.
Coolest tent ever!!!

Not my idea of a Happy Camper - we passed on this campsite!

The countryside is vast and diverse; in parts it resembles Mars with the abundance of volcanic rock and little vegetation, allowing the traveller to see for miles. In other areas the mountains are speckled with sheep roaming free in the green grass and rocky slopes.  Trees are few and far between, the oldest tree on the island dates back to 1880 (a baby really) and can be found in Reykjavik, the capital city, of all places.





The Blue Lagoon, one of the 25 wonders of the world is located just outside of Reykjavik. Guests can renew their relationship with nature, soak up the scenic beauty and breathe the clean, fresh air while relaxing in the warm geothermal seawater. Experience a silica mud facial where science and nature work in harmony resulting in a natural source of healing power. The water and its minerals do wonders for the skin but are a hairstylist’s nightmare.  Three showers later and your hair will resemble a drier, more matted version of itself.
 
Look at those models, appearing in this travel broucher!

Just another day at the SPA!

There are many glaciers along the south coast that offer breathtaking views. Iceland is known for its four major glaciers.  Myrdalsjokull produces huge waterfalls pouring down in all directions and its peak reaches 1493 metres.  A unique campsite is nestled into the base of Skogafoss, the plunging 60 metre waterfall. If you are one of the lucky travellers you may be treated to a performance by a loan piper perched atop of the spur, jutting out from the natural wonder. Mist and spray may soak you to the bone, but a very worthwhile experience when Axel, one of Iceland’s ‘real’ Viking descendants, compliments you on your playing and offers you a job.  
A treat for the tourists!
Vatnajokull is the largest glacier in Europe and produces many glacial tongues creeping down towards the sea.  You may encounter a Geography teacher in the midst of a lesson on glacial morphology (glacier parts) along your stroll to the snout. Iceberg Lagoon (Jokulsarlon) featured in the James Bond series is magnificent and offers a unique photo opportunity for visitors. Be sure to check out both sides of the road for incoming and outgoing icebergs. Low tide presents a unique opportunity to witness stranded icebergs grounded on the warm, black, volcanic sand beach.
 
Geography 101

Breathtaking and WARM finally!!!!

So cool....

The sand was warm even though it was covered in icebergs.

If you venture as far as Hofn, treat yourself to a feed of sweet succulent local lobster, best enjoyed from a picnic table with a view of the sea. Also pick up some fresh, smooth black licorice made in the local licorice factory.
 
Yum Yum!
Just outside Hofn you will find Arnanes, the home of Willy an Icelandic horse. For $6000 isk/hour you can enjoy a relaxing horseback riding adventure into the mountains and through glacier runoff streams.  The Icelandic horse is best known for the tolt, which is a floating, comfortable gait, where the horse moves softly over the land as if it were crouching down.
 
Ally and Willy
The South of Iceland is unique and is by far the part of the island most frequented by travellers.  Everything that makes Iceland interesting can be found in the south.  There are just some places in the world that must be experienced and Iceland is certainly one of them.

For the non-official guide to 4x4 adventures inland Iceland, please check back in a few days!

20 comments:

  1. Ooooohhhh I am loving 'our' tour of Iceland, thanks sooooo much!!!
    It's great to read your post and see your pictures, happy faces all around.
    Travel safe,
    Karen

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    1. Hi Karen!
      It sure is spectacular, as you know! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment! We are off to the UK early tomorrow.
      xo

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  2. Gorgeous pictures and fascinating post! Love the fancy hotdogs. Sounds like your trip is off to a wonderful start. So exciting to live vicariously through your blog, Lisa! Happy travels!

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  3. Thanks Barb! Can you even believe we were eating hotdogs...not our usual food of choice. Thanks for commenting, we love to get comments.
    xo

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  4. Donna Goodfellow24 July 2013 at 18:02

    Loved your photos and the great travelog about Iceland - looks wonderful. Have a great time in the UK.

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    1. Thanks Donna, we can only imagine what adventures lay ahead!
      xo

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  5. So glad you are enjoying Iceland . An nice way to start your trip. The country is just so different and beautiful. Knew you would love the Blue Lagoon. Did you try some trout yet? Mark isn't Iceland a geography teachers dream? Looking forward to hearing more. Have fun.

    Auntie Marilyn

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    1. Hi Auntie Marilyn, no trout but lots of lobster and salmon! Mark is loving it here and has mentioned more than once that we will return!
      xo

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  6. Sounds amazing! Such wonderful pictures. Hugs to all of you!
    Xo
    Kristi

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  7. So enjoyed reading your blog over my morning coffee! Unfortunately I now want lobster and hot dogs with fried onions for breakfast! Your pictures are wonderful. Looking forward to your next destination. Love to all, A. Gail.

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    1. LOL Auntie Gail! I wouldn't recommend it for breakfast, but it sure made me giggle...my tummy is still recuperating...it is not really used to eating hotdogs but something you just HAVE to do while in Iceland! They even sell their signature toppings in the grocery stores, we have a bag of the crispy fried onions in our luggage now :)

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  8. Way to go, Mitchell Family! Sounds like an incredible start! We love the breathtaking photos, and the funny anecdotal comments. Thanks so much for sharing your adventure with us.

    :) Jeff and Heidi

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  9. Hello Mitchell family
    So far it looks like you are off to a wonderful start. Tummy trouble may become a trip standard
    but what is experiencing a new culture without the food part!?!?
    Great pictures....Mark my heart skipped a beat seeing you play your bagpipes in the highlighted
    locations. WOW!! Makes me want to practice/play:)

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    1. Hi Rosanna,
      Thanks for following our blog! Mark and the girls are planning to pipe and dance in every country we visit! So far we are off to a good start!
      xo

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  10. Ah, Niagara Falls will never look the same will it, after the sights of Iceland?? Looks amazing!! Did anyone tell you how they get their surnames in Iceland...if you are Harald's daughter, you would be Haraldsdottir and if you are his son, you would be Haraldson. So now Ally and Meg need to have new Icelandic surnames...Marksdottir!!

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    1. Hi Auntie Sue,
      We did learn how they name their children, neat eh!? You've got that right about Niagara Falls, when we were speaking to Axel, one of the 'real' vikings he mentioned visiting Niagara Falls and referred to it as boring :) I guess so compared to what they have in Iceland, but still pretty magnificent for us Canucks!
      xo

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  11. We are really enjoying following your incredible adventure. Are you still in England? I talked to my parents (they are both from England)about the Sunday evening pub issue, and they mentioned that you can order food for children and eat outside (most of the pubs have tables; weather permitting). I have a feeling that you will not encounter this problem again, but they wanted me to mention it. We were appalled that they would not serve your family :(

    Heidi :)

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  12. Thanks Heidi, we are here until Wednesday then we head off to Scotland, we will be back in England around Christmas time again. We hope to hit another pub before we leave, Ally has not got her fill of meat pies and mashed yet, I think we have gained a stone so far!

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Hi, we love to read your comments. It may take awhile for us to publish them so don't worry if they don't appear right away. Thanks for taking the time to read about our adventures!