Iceland 9: Hellnar & Arnarstapi

Top Tips
- Godafoss is an easy and beautiful day trip from Akureyi.
- Arnarstapi is in the west peninsula. You need a full day to explore this area properly. It was incredibly windy while we were there.
- If visiting Arnarstapi, be sure to drive the 54 on the south side of the peninsula, which is a paved road. We saw a fair portion of the north side of the 54, and it's a hole-filled unimproved road through farmland, it was not expressly scenic and very time consuming.

Hellnar

Saturday, September 7

This was a long day of driving. We drove along the north portion of the ring road back to Reykjavik. 

Godafoss

About an hour out of Myvatn area we stopped at Godafoss. We didn’t spend too long here because at this point, we’d seen a lot of waterfalls. Godafoss still has its own character and the landscape around it is lovely. At least worth stopping for a picture and a 10 minute walk around.

We drove through Akureyi briefly but decided not to stop and to just head back to Reykjavik, knowing we were in for a long drive. Most of this drive was through farmland and the scenery didn't change a whole lot, it was nothing like the drastically variable landscape of the east highlands.

Arnarstapi

Over half way back to Reykjavik, we decided to branch out to the peninsula towards Arnarstapi. We wanted to take the 586 but it was closed, so we took the 60 towards the north portion of the 54. The 60 was a stunning road and didn't take too long to drive. Unfortunately, it lead to the north portion of the 54 which is entirely a dirt track. Suddenly our time estimate of an additional 3 hours turned into and indefinite travel time to reach Arnarstapi. So when we hit the 55 we took it to the south portion of the 54, which is a well paved road (well, with one pot hole a few kilometres before Arnarstapi - quite a dangerous one too so watch out).

The potholey north side of the 54

The further west we drove, the more miserable the weather got. The skies became overcast, and the wind over the peninsula howled. This led to a brief stop in Hellnar and Arnarstapi after about an hour driving on the paved 54. We had to gear up with all the warm clothes we had to beat the wind, and even then my ears got sore from all of the wind pressure through my gortex hood. We discovered that at about 3-4pm the visitor's centre appeared to be closed.

Heading down the 55, close to the intersection with the 54. That enough numbers for ya?

So what's here? Well, the rock formations and cliffs are pretty impressive. I only wish the weather was better, it was so windy that we could barely step outside without blowing away. This shouldn't have been done as a side-trip, there's at least a whole day's worth of exploration in this region. It is worth the day if you have it, and there's better weather. Accommodation and food options appear limited as Arnarstapi looked pretty small.

We followed the 570 part way up towards the Snæfellsjökull Glacier, but our time became too limited to we had to head back to Reykjavik.

Reykjavik

We stayed at the Centrum Hotel. This hotel was superior to our first Reykjavik hotel. Breakfast was much better, the hotel was more central, the rooms were more comfortable, and above all that it was cheaper.

Even though we had tried to book a restaurant for tonight a day in advance, the places we wanted to visit were still full booked. So we went to a restaurant we knew would be a sure thing - the one at the Icelandair Hotel in Reykjavik. It was pretty solid, even though it involved a short drive to the local city airport. We tried the puffin.... I know, I know they're really cute. They're really tasty too.

Previous: Lake Myvatn

Iceland 8: Lake Myvatn

Top Tips:
- Lake Myvatn is the best place to visit in Iceland if you only have a few days. It showcases several iconic landscapes in a small land area, including crater lakes, mountains, pseudocraters, hot springs, lava fields of the hoodoo and rolling hill varieties, and geothermal regions.
- Dettifoss is a must-see attraction nearby Lake Myvatn (see Dettifoss).
- Be sure to visit the impressive Krafla Lava Fields.
- There are few restaurant options in the Lake Myvatn region, so I wouldn't recommend staying more than 2-3 nights.
- Myvatn Naturebaths are nowhere near as impressive (or as warm) as the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik.

Friday, September 6

Lake Myvatn and the pseudo-craters

Pseudocraters

Today was spent exploring the area around Lake Myvatn. We started with some walks near the lake – to Höfði trail is a short walk to a viewpoint of the lake, and Skútustaðir trail leads you around the pseudo-craters in the lake. Yesterday we drove past these areas and they were much prettier with the sunny blue sky than they were on the overcast morning. With the grey sky and the winds disturbing the lake, the walk didn’t capture the serenity of the scenery we had seen yesterday.

Lake Myvatn

Höfði trail

Skútustaðir trail

Dimmuborgir

A short 4WD track nearby Dimmuborgir

After this we walked through the Dimmuborgir lava formations. These formations are like hoodoos made of volcanic rock. The lava has settled in unique formations, some even forming large arches – like the one we saw on the way to the Hverfjall mountain. We started down this trail with the intention of climbing Hverfjall, but decided to turn back when we realized we’d be walking a few kilometers just to reach the mountain and we had too many other things to see that day.

We returned to the hotel for lunch, eating at the Gamli Bistro beside the hotel. We ordered the sandwiches, all of which were delicious and not at all greasy (like our impression from yesterday). My dad got the local specialty of the geysir bread with smoked arctic char. The geysir bread is like a rye bread that is cooked with the geothermal heat of the hot springs. We were happy enough with lunch that we ordered dessert – which was geysir bread pudding with whipped cream.

View from Gamli Bistro

Ordinarily I wouldn’t eat a single component of this concoction – rye bread, cinnamon and spices, or citrus inclusions, but these flavors mélanged together to make something pretty tasty. It wasn’t a pudding like your regular bread and butter pudding, but more of a dessert pudding.

Dimmuborgir

Krafla and Viti

It was a short drive up to the Krafla lava fields, where we met an exciting scene. We parked just outside of the Viti Crater Lake, and saw this poor guy throwing his belongings out of his car; his car’s hood was sparking. Some folks had called the emergency number already and the guy was looking for his fire extinguisher, but by the time he had found it the fire had already formed, and it eventually engulfed the entire car.

All of the tourists couldn’t help but get distracted by the spectacle – it’s not often you see a car catch fire. Even the guy who owned the car ended up standing back and taking a few photos of it with his camera phone. Being in the middle of nowhere, there was a heavy delay for the fire brigade to arrive, and by the time they did the car was long lost. We all learnt that gas tanks don’t explode.

The aftermath

Anyway… the Viti crater lake was beautiful, with crystal blue water. You can walk along the top of the crater.

Viti Crater Lake

Just a few hundred meters away is the Leirhnjúker lava fields, which was my favorite area near Lake Myvatn. Here you can find geothermally active areas with bubbling pools in the ground, as well as smooth black lava fields, the complete opposite to the Dimmuborgir hoodoo formations.

Throughout the trail there are areas of steam escaping from the cracks in the lava rocks, and the signs request you stay on the trails to avoid accidentally stepping in a burning hot zone. The view from the parking lot doesn’t do this attraction justice; it’s about a 500 meter walk to get to the lava fields that are blocked from the parking lot’s view by a hill.

Myvatn Naturebaths

After our long day of seeing the variety of natural wonders available in this area – with plenty more attractions that we missed due to time constraints – we went to Jarðböðin to relax at the Myvatn Naturebaths hot springs. Admission is about $35 and the facilites weren’t quite as nice as at the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik but it was much cheaper. The view from the pool was amazing; with the pool extending right to the edge of the hillside you can see the lake and pseudocraters in the distance. The downside is that the pool was an uncomfortable and uneven temperature – I clearly wasn’t the only one who felt cold because almost everyone in the pools were crowding near the heat sources. The temperature was so polarized that you could be standing in a hot and cold patch at the same time. I wouldn’t have returned to these hot springs even if it were free, but it was nice to experience once just for the view.

For dinner we went to the Vogafjós Restaurant. This restaurant is set next to a cow shed, but the smell from the shed doesn’t affect the restaurant itself. We had a great meal of the lamb, except for Mike who discovered mushrooms in his meatballs sauce and in the lamb dish. So if you don’t like mushrooms you’ll need to ask about this before ordering.

We shared the dessert. One was the chocolate lava cakes, which was like a nut-based biscuit covered in molten chocolate. The other dessert was a rhubarb cake – we saw most places tend to serve a rhubarb inspired dessert so I’m inclined to think it’s an Icelandic flavor. The rhubarb cake was amazing and moist, served with delicious fresh whipped cream. We spent another night at Hotel Reynihlid.

Previous: Aurora Borealis   Next: Hellnar & Arnarstapi

Iceland 7: Aurora Borealis

Thursday, September 5

Of course we had hoped to see the Aurora Borealis during our trip to Iceland. We were lucky to witness these lights on one night of our 9 day trip, but it did take some planning and good luck. I had arranged to travel during this week for some specific reasons. 

Here are the things I considered:

1)    Month – I chose September thinking it would be as warm as possible, yet the nights would still get dark for long enough to see the lights. During summer the sun barely sets, and obviously it needs to get dark to appreciate the night lights. In early September we had to wait until past midnight for the sky to get dark enough to appreciate the lights.

2)    Day – I chose this particular week as it would be the week of a new moon, where the sky could be its darkest. September 5 was the exact day of the new moon, so we got really lucky there.

3)    Location – I liked the idea of being in the north for the night of the new moon, although I doubt now that the location within Iceland would make much difference. If in a big city like Reykjavik or Akureyi you may have to drive 15-20 minutes out of town to get away from the city lights which can obstruct your ability to see the lights. From a small town you will still want to drive or walk a short way away to avoid light interference.

4)    Weather – Okay, so I can’t control this. But you can check the forcast at this website up to a week in advance. The most important forecast is really about the cloud coverage. We found it tough staying up to midnight waiting for the sun to fully set each night, with the amount of activity we were packing in to each day. We planned to go looking for the lights on the clearest night of our trip. And even if you’re not in luck, it’s always great just to observe the starry night sky without the light pollution of a city. The website also gives estimates for the activity level of the lights.

These photos don't capture the movement of the lights. For us, the lights appeared mainly to be a white glow painting strokes against the night sky, yet on a long shutter photo the light appears green. You just have to see them.

Previous: Dettifoss & Hverir   Next: Lake Myvatn

Iceland 6: Dettifoss & Hverir

Top Tips:

- It's a long drive from Skaftafell to Myvatn. If 6 hours in the car is too much for one day, you can stop in Egilsstaðir in the east highlands for overnight. We found the drive manageable for one day.

- Dettifoss is an attraction worth driving across Iceland for. 

- Lake Myvatn is a major tourist attraction, yet is under-serviced for hotels and restaurant options.

- Lake Myvatn is the perfect destination for those with a short time (less than 3 days) to see Iceland. You could fly into Akureyri and drive there in an hour. Myvatn has the greatest variety of attractions in a small area, showcasing a diverse range of lava types, pseudocraters, volcanos, geothermally active areas, and hot springs.

Hverir

Thursday, September 5

Today was a long day in the car – driving a good 6 hours to Lake Myvatn. The route started along the 1 highway heading east along the coastline. Soon the landscape changed from the glacier sprawling from inland and farming territory by the coast, to a rugged cliffside drive beside the crashing ocean waves. It was like an Iceland version of the Aussie Great Ocean Road, except the road spent only a few kilometers at the edge of the coastline.

We couldn’t help but stop to enjoy this scenery, which was about an hour from Skalafell. After the coastal drive there was a short tunnel, where our GPS lost reception and never quite recovered for most of drive today.

Egilsstaðir

From here the landscape changes again into more farmland, and we eventually left the coast to drive north on the 939 shortcut, towards Egilsstaðir. Most of this portion of the drive – for a few hours past Egilsstaðir – was dominated by farms and rolling hills, and this was the plainest scenery relative to the rest of the journey. We stopped in the town Egilsstaðir, which harboured several hotels but from its surroundings it didn’t appear to be a summer tourist destination. We grabbed lunch near the gas station and pressed on towards Myvatn.

Dettifoss

About a half hour south of Myvatn we reached the turn-off to Dettifoss. This landmark was on my list of attractions to see, and honestly by this point in the trip I couldn’t recall any specifics about what each attraction was, except that this was obviously a waterfall of some kind. Exhausted, we decided to rather drive the extra distance to Dettifoss today than to retrace our tracks to it tomorrow. We followed an unpaved road almost 20km into the grey desert, which was predominantly flat reaching towards distant mountains. The grey monotony of the scenery here felt surreal, like being on the moon. Actually, there’s plenty of places in Iceland where you could feel like you’re on another planet. After driving a fair way on the road, to see that the scenery was only getting more monotonously grey, we wondered how good could this waterfall possibly be in this dreary flat landscape that stretched out as far as we could see.

Driving on the ring road towards Dettifoss

Finally we saw a sign for Dettifoss, and followed the short road up a steep hill that was a bit bouncy with deep corrugations on both sides, leading to the parking lot. At the hilltop we could see the falls ahead, and even after all of my written hints to myself about the beauty of this place, I was in awe.

Mike’s first words were “It’s like the grand canyon!” - albeit a smaller version and with a large waterfall in it. We were inspired with an energy boost to take the trail into the canyon towards the waterfall.

Dettifoss is the largest and most powerful waterfall in the canyon, but you can continue to walk beside the river within the canyon to see some waterfalls further up, and walk along the top of the canyon to the smaller Hafragilfoss waterfall for some other canyon views.

Given the nature of the drive towards this attraction, what we found was an unexpected surprise and that’s what impressed me the most about this place.

Hafragilfoss

Standing at the edge of Dettifoss

The contrast of the bland, monotonous landscape with the hidden canyon oasis that harbours Dettifoss and Hafragilfoss

Hverir

We returned to the 1 highway and took a second small stop at Hverir, which is a geothermally active area with bubbling mud pots and smoke holes. Once you get past the sulphuric stench associated with the steam, it’s a beautiful place to take a short walk.

Accommodation

Finally, arriving around 6pm, with a GPS that still thought we were in a tunnel on the south coast, we checked into the Hotel Reynihlid, which is in Reykjahlið (not to be confused with Hotel Reykjahlið which is across the road). Lake Myvatn is a pretty large lake – it takes well over half an hour to drive around the whole lake. But the address for this hotel just said “Lake Myvatn”, so we kept following signs to the lake, which took us along the south border of the lake and directly away from our hotel that was on the east edge of the lake. This hotel was not the best experience for us. Having arrived in a hungry state and unfamiliar with the area, the concierge told us that the hotel’s restaurant is open but will not serve us, only large groups. So we can’t eat at the hotel, we will have to eat at the bistro next to it. When we asked him what our options were to eat in this town, he again just directed us to the bistro saying that most other restaurants are hotel associated and they will probably not accept guests from another hotel to eat there. That was just weird, and we were hungry. The bistro was packed and smelled greasy, serving predominantly American food like hamburgers and sandwiches (we did eat lunch there the next day though and it was actually a good place to eat).

Dinner - Daddi's Pizza

For dinner we drove up the road to a pizza place Mike had seen called Daddi’s Pizza. This was our cheapest meal of the trip as the four of us shared a large pizza. Everyone loved the pizza, it was a thin crust with puffy edges and the toppings were just right. My family is still raving about the pizza place, and I’m not sure if it’s just because we’d eaten junk food for that whole day and it felt amazing to eat something with some substance, but the pizza was good enough that my wheat-free-by-choice father wanted to go back the next day for lunch.

Icelandic horses on the south coast

Back to the hotel, the rooms were comfortable although the beds where a bit lumpy and the least comfortable compared to the rest of our hotels. We were irritated that the hotel restaurant would refuse us service. On both mornings for breakfast (one late and one early breakfast) there were things missing – like drinking water, cutlery, or during our late breakfast many of the foods weren’t being replenished.

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