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After our stop in Vestmannaeyjar, we are travelling east along the south coast, which offers a lot of highlights. Skógar We spend a night very close to the Skógafoss, one of the most famous and highest waterfalls in Iceland. When following the hiking path further inland, there are some more waterfalls which are no less beautiful.   Vik The small village Vik is situated in the center of the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark. It is Iceland’s southernmost village on the mainland. Due to the sandy beaches and the rough sea, it remains the only village at the coast which has no harbour. As Vik is nestled between black sand beaches, mountains and white glaciers it offers many views and hikes which are very attractive.
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Before I start to write further about our Iceland trip, I think it is important to know some information about the weather conditions here: In contrast to middle Europe, spring in Iceland is very short and begins in mid-May. This means the conditions in April are often cold and can change very fast in a short time. Hveragerdi Hveragerdi is a small town in the southwest of Iceland, about half an hour from Reykjavik. It is often nicknamed as ‘the Earthquake Town’ or ‘the Hot Spring Town’, due to the active geological and geothermal forces in its region. We decided to visit this place on the way to the south coast. Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) The Westman Islands, or Vestmannaeyjar, are an archipelago consisting of 15 islands and 30 rock stacks at the south coast of Iceland. They are our second stop on our trip to the south. Apart from their incredible natural beauty, the islands have the world’s largest population of nesting puffins in summer (but they aren’t still there during our stay). Vestmannaeyjar is connected by a ferry to the mainland, the crossing lasts about half an hour. Reykjavik area part II Because we have so much time for our stay in Iceland, we decided to spend some more days exploring Reykjavik and its surroundings: Hallgrimskirkja, Mosfellsbær and Akranes. The old Akranes lighthouse is a particularly recommended place to visit. Golden Circle A very popular tour which is accessible in one single day all year round from Reykjavik is the so-called “Golden Circle''. It includes some of the most famous places on the island: Gullfoss, Faxi, Geysir and Þingvellir. Under normal circumstances, we are not looking first and foremost for popular and often crowded hot spots, but during pandemics we will not miss the chance to enjoy these beauties without a crowd around us. Furthermore, the weather was so beautiful during this day, that the decision to do this tour was absolutely worth it. Reykjanes Peninsula: Garður and Sandgerði After our quarantine stay in Keflavik we explored the region near Keflavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Garður is at the very tip of the peninsula and provides excellent views, two famous lighthouses (the oldest and the highest one) and a long, beautiful beach. Geldingadalur volcano During the time of writing this blog entry, Iceland is popular in the world news because of the eruption of the Geldingadalur volcano, which is a fabulous nature spectacle and has grown in a very short time to an extremely popular spot. We therefore quickly realized that we won’t miss this unique experience either (the eruption site is very easy to reach from Reykjavik and lies near Grindavik on the southern peninsula of Iceland). There are no more words needed than “WOW”! It is absolutely worth the hike, and easily understandable that this volcano is so popular with the local population and the few tourists in the country. If there were no COVID-19 pandemic, this spot would probably be overcrowded - by now it is only crowded ;-). There is also installed a livecam at the eruption site: New Webcam: Livestream of Fagradalsfjall Eruption - YouTube Reykjavik area Beside the eruption site, we spent a lot of time discovering the area around Reykjavik: Seltjarnarnes, Álftanes, the small but beautiful Kermóafoss and the (reforested) wood around Elliðavatn. Every single place can be absolutely recommended to visit and is very easy to reach from the main city. The idea We like to be on our way on foot, especially in the Swiss Alps and in the Swiss Jura. Being outdoors on small trails is fun and simple. The low speed of walking allows us to discover the landscapes and opens our senses. We can feel the season and the weather. Furthermore, it gives us the chance to see the moments that are ideal to be frozen in the form of a photo. Some years ago, the idea of hiking a long distance trail started to grow. But what about the distance, the time, the motivation and the luggage? Optimizing the function and weight of our gear became increasingly a time consuming hobby. And now, we feel well prepared for a longer thru-hike with lightweight gear. After some research, we thought that the northern part of the E1 European long distance path should be perfect for us (see Hiking Europe - European long distance path E1 (hiking-europe.eu) for more information about the E1): We will get on trails in Switzerland, discover the areas that are close to our hometowns and end up in the far north. And to solve the problem of time, we decided to take a sabbatical during 2021. The original plan was to start at our home in January 2021 and to walk north through Switzerland, Germany and Denmark. In later spring, we wanted to hike the south and middle part of Sweden and ideally, the northernmost part during the short Scandinavian summer. So, at the beginning of 2021, we are ready for our hiking experience. If there were no corona-pandemic. Searching for an alternative But wait a minute: Our route on the E1 goes through five countries, and by today - during the corona pandemic - most northern European countries have closed their borders for tourists from abroad. In the beginning of March 2021, we accept that our plans are not possible for the next months, probably until summer 2021. But giving up is not an option, so we discussed a lot of alternatives and decided to go to Iceland for about two to three months. We were not able to find a real alternative for our thru-hiking plans during winter and spring, but we have ideas for many beautiful shorter hiking trips in awesome volcanic landscapes instead. Quarantine and first days in Iceland At the end of March 2021, we are staying in a hotel in Keflavik for our mandatory 5-day-quarantine. We are allowed to do some short walks outdoors, so we can share our first impressions with you. |
