Icy Iceland: Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice

Ready to roam the bitter cold
"Golden Circle" in Iceland

Iceland’s moniker, the Land of Fire and Ice, is well deserved. This little island is home to 130 volcanoes (the fire) and enough glaciers to the cover 12% of the country (the ice). Iceland is one of the most active volcanic areas on earth with a volcanic eruption about every 5 years.

Iceland also has more than its share of earthquakes with 150-400 (tiny) earthquakes each week! Larger earthquakes occur a couple times a year but seldom cause serious damage.

The mountainous, snowy interior of Iceland

Living in such an unstable environment doesn’t seem to worry the laid back residents. Although a guide told us a story about a family who was watching television at home one night when a hot spring suddenly opened up in the center of their living room!

As much as we were enjoying Reykjavik, it was time to get out of the city and check out more of this wondrous place.

The Golden Circle

One of the most popular day tours out of Reykjavik is the “Golden Circle” tour, and now we know why. This tour includes three of Iceland’s most popular sights: the largest waterfall in Europe (at 62 meters or about 200 feet), the world’s original geyser (aptly named “Geysir”), and a geological marvel called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (the meeting of two tectonic plates).

Barren snow-capped mountains and frigid temperatures

As we headed out of Reykjavik, the landscape became whiter and whiter with snow covering the ground and enveloping the magnificent volcanoes that rose all around us. Cows and sheep are kept indoors because of the cold (wouldn’t want to have to clean those stalls all winter long!). So the only animals we saw were the small, hardy Icelandic horses commonly called “Volcano Horses.” The horses are short in stature but very hardy; we were told to never call them ponies or they and their owners will be quite offended! Our guide told us that in the cities of Iceland there are no subways and no trains. Icelanders rely on their cars and their good highways. But out here in the wilderness, they would never have survived in this unforgiving land without these trusty steeds.

"Geysir" erupts about every 5 minutes

Our first stop was to see “Geysir” which is actually the name given to Iceland’s first geyser; a name that all geysers of the world now use. The site was quite “hot” with steam vents, boiling pools of water, and of course “Geysir” itself which blew its top about every 5 minutes. We watched it erupt to approximately 50 feet in the air several times. This site is so beloved by Icelanders that our guide told us it was known as Iceland’s Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty.

Lovely "Gullfoss" Waterfall in southwest Iceland

Next up was Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall. We were blown away (almost literally, as the wind was so strong) by this magnificent falls. The water cascades down dramatically in two stages ending in a narrow canyon. One of the biggest and best waterfalls we have ever seen.

At "Thingvellir", Anne walks in one of the lava
crevices where two tectonic plates are in motion

Our last stop was Thingvellir, a site with historic significance as the location of Iceland’s first Parliament held in 930 AD and a natural wonder in the form of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. On the ridge, we were able to see the lava-filled rift between two major tectonic plates: the North American and the Eurasian. These two plates are actually drifting apart at this very point, and as a result, Iceland grows in size about an inch a year. Our guide joked that “obviously Iceland will someday take over the world!” This was an amazing place to see the evolution of the earth in action!

Wonders of Southern Iceland

A second day tour took us along the South Coast following the National Ring Road which encircles the outskirts of the island (the center is uninhabitable). Once again, we were amazed by the treasure trove of scenery on this little island.

Skogafoss Waterfall (tallest in Europe)

Our first stop was at the Skogafoss Waterfall. This powerful and wide waterfall drops over 62 thundering meters (about 200 feet). A “cool” aspect of this one is that the base of the falls was covered with ice chips! This falls is the highest falls in all of Europe.

Black sand beach with unusual basalt flutes protruding

We drove through a frozen wasteland with virtually no traffic to the famous Black Sand Beach. The sand here was a fine, but strangely dark sand from the ever-present volcanic ash; very different from the brown sand we normally see on other beaches. We also made a stop nearby at a black pebble beach with a scenic rock arch on one side and a mountainside of fluted basalt columns on the other.

The "Solheimajokull Glacier"

As we headed back toward civilization, we stopped to see a glacier tongue called Solheimajokull. It wasn’t the prettiest glacier; it had picked up lava sediment and debris as it slid its way down. But it was quite an invigorating hike against strong, cold wind to see the icy tongue of the glacier. Speaking of the wind, Iceland has some of the purest, freshest air. Sometimes it’s an effort to walk into the wind, but it’s a joy to breathe (even when the wind is practically knocking you over!).

Anne catches a rainbow at "Seljalandsfoss Waterfall"

Our last stop was another gorgeous waterfall, Seljalandsfoss. This falls is a little shorter than the previous one measuring 60 meters (197 feet) high. You can actually walk behind it for a different perspective. Another added bonus was an afternoon sun that created rainbows in the falling water. Absolutely gorgeous!

Our two excursions into the countryside have convinced us that we need to come back to see more. For such a small island, Iceland packs quite a punch!