Iceland - Route 1 and Beyond

31/12/2024

Iceland is famous for celebrating New Year’s Eve (Gamlárskvöld) with enormous fireworks displays and bonfires lighting up the skies all around the country.

The capital’s display is so impressive that thousands visit the country to enjoy the spectacle, and it’s streamed live worldwide on YouTube.

And there’s something else that you might want to watch before the fireworks start to fly at midnight.

Almost every Icelander will sit down at 10.25pm to watch a TV show called “Áramótaskaup”, an annual satirical review of the year.

Judging the viewership as a percentage of the population, “Áramótaskaup” might be the most-watched TV programme in the world!

There’s an English-subtitled version on RÚV2.

https://www.ruv.is/sjonvarp/beint/ruv2

You probably won’t get all the jokes, but it’s always entertaining!

PS – you can skip the request to log in to watch copyrighted material.

Sjónvarp

26/12/2024

Ah, that’s a nice thing to see, my interview with the always excellent “Stuck in Iceland” travel magazine was one of its most popular reads this year.

https://www.stuckiniceland.com/stuck-in-iceland-travel-magazine-2024/

If you’re looking for top tips for a trip to the Land of Fire and Ice in 2025, this is a great place to start!

Stuck in Iceland Travel magazine had a wonderful year in 2024. Heartfelt thanks to my readers, my partners, reviewers, and subscribers.

24/12/2024

Gleðileg Jól to you all!

20/12/2024

If you’re visiting Iceland for the first time, you should add Sky Lagoon to your itinerary.

And even if you’ve been to Sky Lagoon before, you should think about going again.

Here’s why.

Close to the capital in Kópavogur, it’s easily the most convenient geothermal spa to visit from your base in the city.

That means you can enjoy a relaxing soak at Sky after a daytime Golden Circle or whale watching trip and still fit in a Northern Lights tour or a raucous Reykjavík night out.

So Sky Lagoon is the ideal choice if you’re on a short trip to Iceland, making the most of your time without long transfer trips.

That’s just one of the reasons Sky has become one of Iceland’s most popular geothermal spa experiences since it opened in 2021.

I’ve sampled its delights on three previous trips, and it is the perfect place to relax after a Ring Road trip, soothing your body and soul after exploring the Land of Fire and Ice.

But even after those previous visits, I was still bowled over by the splendid upgrades that Sky has unveiled since my last trip.

The 7-Step Ritual is now accessible to everyone who visits Sky Lagoon, and there’s so much more space for everyone to enjoy the Skjól Ritual.

This unforgettable opportunity to sample authentic Icelandic bathing culture now features two spectacular sauna rooms with breathtaking ocean views, gazing through the largest windows in Iceland.

That’s just a couple of the elements of the Skjól Ritual, inspired by a thousand years of Icelandic bathing heritage, and you can take your time to soak it all up for as long as you want.

Each of those seven steps has its own meaning, delivering a unique geothermal spa experience.

All you need to decide is when to visit and which changing room experience you’d prefer - the Sér option offers greater privacy and enhanced guest support.

Once you’ve revelled in the warming waters of Sky Lagoon, you can continue a deeper dive into Icelandic culture with delicious dishes and drinks from Keimur Café, Smakk Bar and Gelmir Bar, with mouthwatering menus carefully curated by expert chefs and featuring local ingredients.

Sky Lagoon - it's so much more than a geothermal spa, and the time spent here will live long in your memory.

(NB - some photos supplied by Sky Lagoon)

16/12/2024

Seyðisfjörður’s Blue Church (Seyðisfjarðarkirkja) has become the iconic symbol of the Eastfjords village with its photogenic rainbow path.

But that’s just one of many reasons to add this gorgeous village to your itinerary, with its colourful wooden and ironclad houses, cascading waterfalls, spectacular snow-capped mountains, and thrilling hiking trails.

It’s also a vibrant and quirky artistic community, with pop-up festivals and cultural showcases throughout the year.

Seyðisfjörður is also an international port, welcoming Smyril ferries from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and larger cruise ships.

If you want to time your arrival in between the cruise ships, you can check the sailing schedule for Seyðisfjörður, Djúpivogur and Borgarfjörður eystri in advance.

https://portsofmulathing.is/cruise-ship-arrivals/

Hotel Aldan offers high-quality accommodation, fine food, excellent breakfasts and unique house cocktails featuring local Icelandic ingredients.

The hotel also houses Norð Austur, which specialises in sushi dishes.

Just over the road, Kaffi Lára is a popular choice to stop for a beer or coffee, sit on the wooden benches outside and soak up the views.

Twisted girders stand near the Blue Church, a monument to an avalanche that hit the town in 1996.

More recently, a landslide destroyed several buildings on the eastern side of the fjord, a reminder of the dangers of living in the shadow of these mighty mountains.

If you’re visiting in February, you might want to check out the List í Ljósi festival, which celebrates the return of the sun after the long winter nights.

The Skaftfell Centre For The Visual Arts is the primary visual art centre for East Iceland, located in a timber-frame house built by Norwegian fishermen in 1907. Pop in to explore its year-round arts programme and gallery exhibitions, which change throughout the year — it’s free to enter! There’s a café-bistro-bar offering pizzas and local beers.

Just above the town stands Tvísöngur, a space-age sound sculpture created by German artist Lukas Kühne.

Interconnected concrete domes create a natural amplifier that converts voice or sounds into a five-tone harmony.

And there’s even a reminder of Iceland’s wartime role, with a dive wreck (the El Grillo) and an old naval gun guarding the entrance to the port.

Visiting the Blue Church is just the start of your time in Seyðisfjörður!

13/12/2024

As if seeing the summer puffins at Hafnarhólmi isn’t a good enough reason to take Route 94 to Borgarfjörður Eystri, the drive to get there will live long in your memory, too.

It’s a 150km round-trip from Egilsstaðir, but with astounding views over Héraðsflói Bay from the top of the mountain pass, it’s well worth exploring this corner of Austurland.

Along the way, you’ll find a little hut used by the renowned Icelandic painter Jóhannes Kjarval, a memorial to a mythological monster called Naddi, and the sweetest self-service snack stop in Iceland.

Route 94 is fully paved, but it’s advisable to check with Umferdin.is or SafeTravel.is in advance to be sure it’s passable.

More tips on things to see and do in the Eastfjords can be found here:

https://a.co/d/2iR6Jgw

12/12/2024

Route 93 from Egilsstaðir to Seyðisfjörður is one of the country’s most spectacular stretches of road.

Ascending quickly by winding hairpins that offer splendid views over Egilsstaðir, the route courses over Fjarðarheiði.

The road comes close to the gushing river Fjarðará, with Gufufoss just a short walk from a parking area on the right as the route descends towards Seyðisfjörður.

There’s a monument nearby to Þorbjörn Arnoddsson, who used his tracked snowplough to carve out this mountain pass in the 1950s, ending Seyðisfjörður’s winter isolation.

If you’re coming this way in the winter, be sure to say “takk fyrir” for his successors’ hard work in keeping this road clear.

07/12/2024

Festive scenes in 101 😁

07/12/2024

Iceland trip #22
Sigur Rós gig #14

Well worth the 4am start!

06/12/2024

Sixteen scenes on Route 1 from Reyðarfjörður to Djúpivogur.

05/12/2024

Reyðarfjörður is one of the largest settlements in East Iceland, with more than a thousand residents.

It has a fascinating place in Iceland’s history, first as home to Norwegian whaling stations and then for its vital wartime role.

During the Second World War, Reyðarfjörður became a substantial military base, protecting the Allied convoys across the Atlantic.

Around four thousand Allied soldiers were stationed in the town from 1940 until 1943, the greatest proportion of soldiers to local residents anywhere in Iceland during the war.

The story of Iceland’s involvement in the global conflict is thrillingly told at the Wartime Museum, perched high on a hill overlooking the fjord.

That includes a special feature on Þorsteinn Elton Jónsson, the only Icelandic pilot to serve as a volunteer with the Royal Air Force in World War II.

“Tony Jonsson” flew Hurricanes, Spitfires and Mustangs, and shot down as many as 12 enemy planes, making him Iceland’s only flying “ace”!

The museum also focuses on the effects of World War 2 on the local population, including a film about a dramatic rescue mission involving the villagers.

Many Icelanders talk about the “Blessed War”, because of the transformational effects World War 2 had on Iceland’s economy and infrastructure.

There’s more intriguing military history like this all around Iceland!

http://stridsarasafn.fjardabyggd.is/english/page.asp?ID=43

04/12/2024

Lovely Lagarfljót

When exploring East Iceland, it’s easy to enter and exit the hub town of Egilsstaðir without looking long at the lovely river it lines.

After all, once you’ve filled up and grabbed something to eat, you’re probably keen to get to Stuðlagil, Vök Baths, or other Austurland attractions.

If you’ve got time to spare, a 75-kilometre circuit of Lagarfljót on fully paved Route 931 offers heavenly views of Hengifoss and Hallormsstaður.

Hallormsstaður is Iceland’s largest forest, with as many as 70 species of trees. It’s a haven for berry and mushroom pickers in the late summer.

Keep your eyes peeled as you circle the area. Folklore tells of a poison-spitting Loch Ness-type monster called the Lagarfljótsormurinn lurking in these waters!

Hengifoss (Hanging Falls) is Iceland’s third tallest waterfall, tumbling 128 metres over marvellous multilayered cliffs. The red clay strata patterns are caused by sediments from trees consumed by lava.

A short drive from there takes you to Skriðuklaustur, a grand Bavarian-style stone-built cultural centre, and Snæfellsstofa, a visitor centre for the Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland’s first BREEAM-certified building, which features a fascinating exhibition about Vatnajökull’s fauna and flora.

Even further inland lies the Wilderness Centre, which seeks to preserve the spirit of Iceland’s heritage with intriguing exhibitions, traditional accommodation options, and an excellent restaurant.

With all this to see, why not add a loop around Lagarfljót to your itinerary?

More tips on things to see and do in East Iceland can be found here: https://a.co/d/0yGbyZ7

03/12/2024

Heavenly Hvalnes

Halfway between Höfn and Djúpivogur, watch for a bright orange lighthouse standing guard just off the road.

This is the famous Hvalnes Lighthouse, and it’s worth pulling off the Ring Road for a closer look.

The views to the west over the nature reserve are astonishing, as are the looming mountains of Eystrahorn, Vikurfjall, and Krossanesfjall inland.

Eystra is Icelandic for “east”, while horn translates as “corner”.

So, this is the East Corner of Iceland!

More tips on things to see and do in the Eastfjords can be found here: https://a.co/d/0yGbyZ7

02/12/2024

In Iceland, even the clouds are epic...

29/11/2024

There are two fascinating features about Fáskrúðsfjörður, a pretty fishing village in the Eastfjords, just off Route 1 on Route 955.

Firstly, the road signs here are bilingual in a nod to the French fishermen who were frequent visitors to this fjord.

By 1903, the fishermen had their own hospital in a building which has been restored and converted into the beautiful Foss Hotel overlooking the fjord.

The French Museum tells the story of the still strong bonds between the two countries.

Secondly, you’ll find a Leeds United flag fluttering from the decking at Café Sumarlína - the owner, Oðin, is a fervent fan!

Pop in for a coffee, pizzas, burgers, fish dishes, or a tremendous slice of apple pie, and enjoy the splendid views.

More tips on things to see and do in the Eastfjords can be found here: https://a.co/d/0yGbyZ7

28/11/2024

There are some lovely sights to reward you when you explore the side roads from Route 1 in the Eastfjords.

Eskifjörður is just 15 kilometres away from Reyðarfjörður on Route 92.

Heading east past Reyðarfjörður’s enormous smelter plant, the fjord views are astonishing, particularly at the tip of the Hólmanes Peninsula.

Eskifjörður nestles alongside the fjord’s northern edge, enjoying magnificent views of Hólmatindur, the majestic mountain that dominates the skyline here.

Eskifjörður is a welcoming place, and the East Iceland Maritime Museum tells fascinating tales of its rich fishing history.

Between 1957-67, the Eastfjords experienced a golden period called the “Herring Adventure,” during which fish stocks were rich and the local economy boomed.

Many waterfalls tumble beautifully down the mountainsides above the town, constantly fed by glacial meltwater from the snow-capped peaks above.

Randulf’s Sea House is a former fishing landing station with a splendid restaurant serving traditional fare.

More tips on things to see and do in the Eastfjords can be found here: https://a.co/d/0yGbyZ7

27/11/2024

If you’re considering visiting Iceland in 2025, you’ll be delighted to hear of some exciting new options for your adventure in the Land of Fire and Ice.

The River Baths (Árböðin) will add to Iceland’s collection of glorious geothermal spas, making your Golden Circle trip even more memorable with an opportunity to relax in a brand-new luxury lagoon.

It's expected that the River Baths will open in the spring of 2025 in the little village of Laugarás.

If whale watching is your priority, Dalvík, Hauganes, Árskógssandur, Hjalteyri, and Akureyri will jostle with Húsavík as the prime cetacean-spotting location, with all five of these Eyjafjörður harbours offering daily whale watching trips in the summer.

Eyjafjörður is Iceland’s longest fjord and one of its narrowest, which means sailing times from the harbour to the best whale watching areas are often shorter than elsewhere in Iceland.

Stuðlagil Canyon will be more accessible in 2025, too, with new paths and improved facilities.

Mývatn Nature Baths (Jarðböðin) will also unveil its redevelopment with a newly expanded lagoon and fresh facilities.

And there’ll be a new Hilton hotel in Akureyri, adding to the capacity for Iceland’s Second City, with the Höfði Lodge expected to follow on the other side of the fjord later in 2025.

On the South Coast, the new 4-star Glacier Lagoon hotel has 120 rooms, improving the options in a busy area.

Friðheimar has also expanded with a wine bar in a new building, so even if you can’t get a table at one of Iceland’s most popular restaurants, you can still have a tomato-based experience there!

And as if that’s not enough, the Solar Maximum is predicted to peak during the winter of 2024-2025, setting off intense auroras in the high northern latitudes.

There are so many reasons to visit Iceland - these are just a few of them!