Destination: Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Following two organized day tours to parts of Iceland from Reykjavik, I took my third and final one to Snaefellsnes Peninsula, located north of the capital. With its stunning green landscapes, coastal views, and the famous Kirkjufell (“Church Mountain”), this peninsula contains some of the iconic sites that the country has to offer.

Compared with the southern coast and the Golden Circle, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is less-explored by tourists, as it’s further out and requires a longer drive. All the same, I wanted to go, especially for Kirkjufell, and so I booked my spot for a day tour on my fourth day in Reykjavik.

Likewise with the Golden Circle, I headed to the pickup location (Hlemmur Square) where I got into a tour van. Granted, I had to transfer at the “main meeting point,” which was somewhere outside the city center, but soon enough, we headed out to Snaefellsnes. The tour van was almost full, with plenty of tourists from the United States and Canada– all the same, we were all keen on checking out the peninsula, and seeing just how beautiful it was.

Our tour guide was a young man who kept us entertained on our almost two-hour ride over. Besides bombarding us with plenty of information on the country’s geography, history, and folklore, he also told some corny jokes, which were great for passing the time. Along the way, I was treated to gorgeous, snow-capped mountains from the window– we were also pretty lucky with the weather, as it was mostly sunny throughout the day.

First stop was at the coastline, just at the starting point of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. With its dark, jagged rocks and seals, it reminded me a lot of central California’s coast. Despite the crazy, chilly wind, the atmosphere was incredibly peaceful, and I enjoyed my short stroll along the coastline, all the while viewing the seals sleeping on the rocks!

Next up was a stop at Arnarstapi, a village by the coast with massive cliffs that remind me a bit of Étretat in France. We spent some time here strolling on top of the cliffs, where we got gorgeous views of the navy-blue sea, along with some cool, arched rock formations upon which people could even climb (at their own risk!). Really beautiful, and it certainly helped that it was bright and sunny.

Afterwards, we drove a short while towards Djupalónssandur, but not before stopping at a random vantage point for some photos of Snæfellsjökull, a strato-volcano that’s nearly covered by a massive glacier. One thing I did appreciated about this day tour was that our tour guide was really flexible when it came to stopping at certain areas– in fact, he stopped at points outside of the usual itinerary, so we could see more of the peninsula’s beauty. That’s what I call a really good tour!

We reached Djupalónssandur, which is a lava sand beach. It reminded me a lot of Vík with its ebony sand, and we had some time to explore the shoreline. Before that, we passed through a rocky mini canyon with plenty of towering, moss-covered volcanic rocks that looked like a different planet. Soon enough, we reached the black sand shores, with dark, jagged rocks and wild, foamy waves.

Sadly, I had an unfortunate experience there. I’ll spare you the details of what happened during and after the event, but basically, I lost my phone in Djupalónssandur. Considering that my phone had all of my photos, apps, and travel information on it, I was really upset, but all the same managed to figure out how to fix the situation. Long story short, I managed to recover most of my photos and apps (which is why I have photos in my previous posts). However, I lost photos from my day in Snaefellsness (with the exception of those from the seal beach)– fortunately, I ended up befriending an American couple on the tour, and they were kind enough to share their photos of Snaefellsness with me. That said, I’m giving credit to them (whom I’ll call “P.M.”) whenever I post their photos– considering that I really wanted to capture Kirkjufell that day, I’m ever grateful to them for their kindness and generosity!

Since I didn’t have a phone anymore, I ended up just staying in the van for the remainder of the tour (we had six more hours to go, at that point). I did, however, get to see Kirkjufell with my own eyes, which was absolutely stunning. Soon enough, we were on our way back to Reykjavik, and we arrived back sometime around 19:30 to 20:00. It’d been a long day in Snaefellsness Peninsula and, despite losing my phone, I still had a good time seeing the beauty of the region. Probably one of my favorite experiences in Iceland, and I do recommend checking it out if you have the time!

…and that concludes my time in Iceland! My week in the island-country was lovely, one that was different from what I’ve experienced otherwise in other European countries. I saw gorgeous scenery and met so many great people, locals and tourists alike. I got to see a lot of the country, although not nearly half of what it had to offer. Should I return some day, I’d love to venture more east to see places like Akureyri, perhaps even more of the southern coast with places like Hveragerði and Vestmannaeyjar (the latter known for its notable puffin population, which for a penguin lover like myself I’d absolutely love!). Of course, there’s also the Northern Lights in the winter, which would be the dream! There remains so much to see in Iceland, and I hope that one day I can return and spend more time, in the place known as “the land of fire and ice.”

While my recap of Iceland is done, there’s still so much to share with you, as I’d traveled for an additional two weeks following the country. Stay tuned for more content, as I got from the chilly Nordic nation to the warm, beach vibes of Croatia!

 

— Rebecca