(Day 4)
After the epicness of yesterday, our bodies needed a little rest before we began the long journey back west toward Selfoss and the Golden Circle. It is IMPOSSIBLE to drive in Iceland without constantly yearning to stop and enjoy the marvel surrounding you.
Hours and hours and hours in the car, led us to the quaint town of Selfoss for dinner. As we are enjoying dinner at a local food hall, our aurora stalking brings us to a decision. KPs are high, really high, and clouds are covering the western half of the island. Should we drive 2.5 hours back the EXACT same way we just came for the opportunity to see THE lights? Yep, we did! Well, no regrets, it just didn’t give us the story book ending of another night of green raining down on us. So, an extra 5 hours in the car wasn’t wasted, just a shot we had to take while we were exploring this beautiful land.
Trekking back west led us through icy, dark roads past midnight, to a quaint cabin located just 20 minutes from some epic stops on the Golden Circle to enjoy in the morning.
Day 5 – Golden Circle, Reykavik, Blue Lagoon
Waking up in this little cabin on the hill was perfect! We were just a few minutes drive from
many of the popular stops on the Golden Circle. Bonus, it was also really nice to be able to see where we were since we arrived late and night in total darkness.
Getting an early start this time of year is basically pointless. Since the sun doesn’t rise till after
10 am, we opted for a slow start, still hoping to beat the busloads of people who frequent the
Golden Circle. First stop, the geyser. The Great Geysir, as it is often referred, is located in the
Haukadalur geothermal area, and has been active for more than 1,000 years! Many geysers are active in this area, including the most active one called Strokkur. Strokkur isn’t quite as
impressive, usually reaching a height of 10 meters compared to a top height of 170 meters of the less frequent occurring, more impressive geyser.
With weather not being too friendly and time moving too fast, we opt out of the rest of the
official stops of the Golden Circle and enjoy the scenic ride through Thingvellir National Park on our way back to Reykjavik for the afternoon. Don’t get us wrong, the Golden Circle is great, just a little more touristy and we had bigger plans for our day.
BUT… first stop on our way back, COVID test. Yup, good ol’ traveling these days requires a
COVID test to and from your destination within 72 hours of departure. Love getting oversized Q tips stuck up our nose! Thankfully, all negative and we could carry on with our journey.
Reykjavik is a vibrant city with a quaint feel full of inviting shops and restaurants. The capital
city of Iceland, is one of the most expensive cities in Europe (6 th ) and the world (14 th ). The city is the hub for almost everything, as its population of the greater Reykjavik area is about 216,000. Almost 60% of Icelands entire population live in this area. In fact, Iceland is so remote, it averages about 3 people per kilometer! Maybe this is why we love exploring this incredible country so much. We hang in town for a couple of hours, knowing we have a special check-in waiting for us.
THE Blue Lagoon is a legendary, world famous, obligatory stop when traveling to Iceland. Blue
Lagoon is a geothermal seawater spa located in the lava fields of Grindavik. The milky blue
lagoon water, enriched with silica, algae, and minerals, is one of National Geographic’s 25
Wonders of the World!
And since this journey included 2 newbies, we wanted to make this stop a little extra special.
We checked into the swanky Silica Hotel late afternoon, just in time to enjoy our own private
slice of the Blue Lagoon. Set off to the side of the lagoon, away from the popular area of the
main entrance to the Blue Lagoon, is a perfect hotel for those looking to splurge a little and get away from the crowds of people who flock to see the natural, geothermal waters of the lagoon.
Day 6 – Blue Lagoon
Bookending our Iceland first with the Sky Lagoon, and now ending with the Blue Lagoon is a
pretty spectacular way to travel. Sandwich in Earth’s natural beauty at its best for 4 days, and it is planned itinerary to get the best Iceland has to offer in November’s volatile climate.
Painful to type this, but our Iceland adventure stops here. We have been fortunate to travel to a lot of places in life, but only a few have merited a second trip. Not only is Iceland that special of a place, we also talked about how we would like to explore it for a THIRD time!
Most importantly, we are quite fortunate to be on the move again. Our world has been battling a pandemic the past two years, grounding most people from international travel and simplifying life. Thankfully, with the world beginning to open up, our wanderlust is back!
Two Wayfaring Wanderers 