Iceland: A dream trip
The trip began with a flight from Toronto, Canada, to Keflavik, Iceland lasting six hours.
Although it was a bit planned trip, everything turned out very well, as, in any journey, you learn new things.
We arrived around 6:00 am in Keflavik, Iceland. The wind was extreme, and there was a light storm outside the airport. The hotel staff in Keflavik respected us for early check-in, and they were very attentive :).
The hotel's architecture impressed me; it was very cosy and made us feel at home; I think there were very few guests during the season, and we felt very safe and comfortable at all times. (We slept all day due to jetlag and flight fatigue). Although they always recommend staying awake until nightfall to avoid jetlag if you arrive in Europe during the day. We decided to save energy to enjoy the following days to the fullest. The sun rose about 11:00 a.m. and hid at 4:30 p.m., concisely the days. For this, I recommend that if you travel in winter, take into account the schedule and plan your activities very well, that if you organise yourself, everything is fine.
After a full day of rest at the hotel and planning the next few days, we pick up our rental car very close to the airport. I was happy because I found the vehicle we needed for the road trip: diesel, roomy, comfortable to drive and stable on the road: Land Rover Discovery Sport.
First stop, Blue Lagoon, Iceland. I was amazed at the beautiful drive to get there, and it was about a 25-minute drive from Keflavik. The geothermal Blue Lagoon is one of the most visited attractions in the country, where the steamy waters are part of a lava formation.
The experience was unforgettable, and it was a lot of fun to meet people from many parts of the world inside the place. They gave us an exhibition on the history of Blue Lagoon, which they do approximately once a day; I highly recommend it to learn about the exciting history of the place, and most importantly: enjoy the moment. I recommend arriving early to enjoy the site quietly and book the package that includes three masks that are absolutely worth it.
Later, we decided to drive to the city of Reykjavik, where we toured the town and had dinner in an exciting restaurant in front of the Hallgrimskirkja church, which we found spectacular and exciting. I remember sharing some photos on my Instagram, and the positive comments were many.
The following day, we saw cloudy weather. I recommend downloading the "SafeTravel - Iceland" app; it works very well and shows you the areas where there could be phenomena such as blizzards, rain, etc.
We went to a supermarket to buy snacks for the road trip, and although it was not a very good idea, we started towards the southeast of the island. I mentioned that it was not a good idea, because we had a phenomenon called “blizzard” on the way, which lasted approximately 20 minutes, but I promise you, I felt a lot of pressure; I wish I had checked the weather in detail before starting the journey.
Along the way, we stopped at Seljalandsfoss waterfall on our way to Vík. The views on the road were spectacular.
Just arrived in Vík, and we headed to our hotel, and it was VERY WINDY in the small town. The friendly staff suggested parking the vehicle safely to protect it from the storm that was in the place.
A fascinating place to visit in Vík was Reyisfjara Beach. The views were spectacular, the beautiful stones and the unique nature. The weather was beautiful, and I loved seeing the other tourists excited by the beauty of the place.
On the way back to Reykjavik, I recommend visiting the Skófagoss waterfall, which is worth visiting.
Solheimasandur is an exciting place to visit, the well-known abandoned plane.
We arrived at the location on the way to Reykjavik and very close to Skógafoss waterfall, only when we arrived at the place did we realise that to get there you had to walk from the parking place and if it was enough kilometres. Between the snow and the rain, we decided to let it go. If you ask me, summer is a good season to go on the excursion.
In Reykjavik, we went straight to perform PCR tests to be able to travel to Canada, they were delivered very quickly, and the process was very attentive.
We had a delicious dinner in the city. We tried gastronomy from different countries. I recommend you to visit Garðastræti street and Vesturgata e Reykjavík to walk, find excellent restaurants, cafes and find some shopping. As for highlights, I can say that Ramen Momo (Tryggvagata 16, 101 Reykjavík) and other locations that I forgot to save.
Iceland was spectacular; even the Icelandair airline had an excellent treatment and service with us; it was pretty comfortable from the check-in process to the flight.
Yuja Tea was my favorite drink during the trip!
Essential information:
Keflavik
BLUE LAGOON ICELAND | https://www.bluelagoon.com | If you visit in winter, you can probably book directly on site. In general, I recommend making your reservation in advance.
Hotel Berg
Reykjanes Art Museum
Blue Car Rental
Keflavík Airport (to buy wines)
Reykjavik
Hallgrimskirkja Church, 101 Reykjavik.
Cafe Loki (Lokastígur 28)
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center
Garðastræti and Vesturgata (Remarkable street)
Laugavegur (Remarkable street)
Ramen Momo (Tryggvagata 16, 101 Reykjavik)
Vík
Hotel Kría (Slettuvegur, Vik)
Seljalandsfoss
Skogafoss
Reynisfjara Beach
Kerid Crater
Dyrhólaey Lighthouse