FIVE DAYS IN ICELAND

I’ve been fortunate to have been able to do my fair share of traveling during my 58 years on this planet and have many wonderful memories from time spent in distant lands, exploring other cultures and terrain. But nothing could have quite prepared me for the surprises that Iceland offered. We covered a lot of land in the short time we were there and I hope you have a feeling of this incredible land and the locals after reading my post.

Shortly before the holiday, at the request of a friend who’s from Iceland, we took her advice and decided to book a ticket for an adventure in Reykjavik and ring in the new year. Pack your virtual bags (with warm coats and boots!) and start humming the theme song to Game of Thrones, because I’m about to bring you on a virtual holiday as I recap my five-day adventure visiting this Nordic island nation known as Iceland.

Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland has some of the largest glaciers and most active volcanoes in Europe. Because of the country’s high latitude, going in the winter meant that we were afforded very few hours of daylight, but we didn’t let that stop us! We packed in everything we could during sun-up and, really, more hours of darkness made it easier to sleep in so it actually made dealing with the jet-lag easier!

Night 1

Taking an Easy Jet flight from the UK, we landed in Reykjavik, Iceland during the evening.

After checking into the 101 Hotel, where we spent two nights, we met our friends for a fun dinner at a home that was walking distance from our hotel. FYI - People from Iceland are so gracious!!

Day 2

We woke at 10 am and headed off to spend the day at the famed Blue Lagoon a luxury spa and one of Iceland’s most visited destinations. We had a 1 pm booking - reservations are a MUST - that would kick off our time at what National Geographic has named one of the top 25 Wonders of the World. And, being that it is listed as a top 10 must-visit spa on Conde Nast’s list, I couldn’t wait for a day of pampering and relaxation. So don’t forget your swimsuit!

Bathing in the warm 102-degree water is unlike anything else on earth. I was happy we were able to enjoy it during the daylight so we could easily see the beautiful blue water of the lagoon set against the black lava field that surrounds it. The mineral water is known to have a natural healing effect…fabulous! I’ll take it.

Shop the Blue Lagoon Beauty Products here

After an afternoon spent taking full advantage of this spa experience, masks and all…you know those that mask together stay together… we showered and headed to an Italian restaurant called Primo. While we enjoyed a great meal, we found another Italian restaurant later in the week that would win over our hearts.

After dinner, we walked to the Hallgrímskirkja Luthern Church. This iconic architectural beauty, with its stepped concrete facade, is designed as an ode to modernism and symbolic of the Icelandic landscape.

Day 3

Cliffs, geysers, and waterfalls - oh my! Today we drove the Golden Circle, a popular sight-seeing route with three unique and epic stops.

Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park. With its unique terrain and vegetation, this park lies on top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, with an enormous fissure stretching between the Eurasian and the North American continental plates that are almost 10,000 miles long! While there hasn’t been any modern-day volcanic activity, the park does contain several shield volcanoes.

After checking that off our list, we headed on to the geysers next! With boiling mud pits, and the bursting Strokkur geyser entertaining with a show shooting water 100 feet into the air every 10 to 15 minutes.

There was no shortage of delicious food and directly across from the entertaining geyser was Supa, which, you guessed it, serves soup! This soup cafe was just what we needed to warm up before heading to see the next stop on our list… the Gullfoss waterfall.

Gullfoss gets its name from the golden color that can be seen shining in its water. This beautiful glacial waterfall is unique to view because you are doing so from the top down instead of from the bottom up. Because of this perspective, it makes it look like it is actually going underground. Honestly, the photos don’t do it justice.

There is no more sagacious animal than the Icelandic horse. He is stopped by neither snow, nor storm, nor impassable roads, nor rocks, glaciers, or anything. He is courageous, sober, and surefooted.

Jules Verne

As an animal lover, we had to stop and say hello to some Icelandic horses before heading to check into our next hotel. Muscular and shorter than a regular horse (more like a pony), but don’t call them ponies! Icelandics are proud of their horses with their long fluffy fur and easy-going nature. Hey Buster… want a playmate! I could just see myself walking both of them down my street each morning, and they’ve got great hair!!

Fun Fact; The Icelandic 🐴 is as local to this volcanic land and like its people, It arrived here on the very first ships of the settlers and has remained a loyal friend and helper. The very first members of the breed arrived aboard the Viking ships of Norse settlers sometime between 860 and 935 AD.
it is one of the purest horse breeds in the world.
The average animal might live for up to 40 years, with the oldest reportedly reaching the ripe old age of 59.

The hotel Grimsborgir was our home for the night and we absolutely loved this place! This 5-star hotel opened the summer of 2009 and is surrounded by the most stunning landscape, mountain views and all the rooms come with a balcony or terrace and access to one of 29 geothermal hot tubs on-site, private or shared. Only a 45-minute drive from downtown Reykjavik. The hotel staff was generous and lovely, I highly recommend you check it out.

Our fourth day had us driving to the city of Vik to explore. The Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach was our first stop. It’s ranked as one of the top 21 black sand beaches in the world, but don’t worry if you forgot your bikini, the rustic terrain is beautiful to behold but not one you’d want to sunbathe on…or dip your toe in even in the summer. Known as one of the most dangerous beaches due to “sneaker waves” the temperature and the undercurrent along with the 30 ft. dropoff (you can’t see) the minute you walk in….just don’t walk in!

At our next stop, I felt like I was on the set of a Hollywood movie. The black sand terrain was the perfect backdrop to film a classic plane crash scene. But it seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie with a plane crashed on the surface of the moon. The cause of this Navy plane crashing is unclear but many theories are surrounding the disaster. I love a good mystery! It had my imagination turning! The good news, everyone survived and as you can see it’s become a popular tourist attraction. Located 2 miles from the main road, just hop on the bus or enjoy the walk (just bundle up)

For the most part, the weather wasn’t as cold as I had thought it would be. Each day it rained a bit, but we also had sunshine too. Today, however, it began to pour the minute we left the plane wreck so attempting to make our way back to Reykjavik we had to pull over and find a local hotel to stay the night. It was so dark, rainy and windy we luckily found rooms at the Stracta hotel. Simple, clean and modern, it was the perfect place to crash for the night.

Because we only had 4 hours of sunlight a day, we would hop in the car at sunrise to make all of our stops. Another day, another waterfall! The perfect way to start our New Year's Eve day was with a trip to one of the biggest and most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland, Skogafoss. We stopped there on our way back to Reykjavik. Unlike Gullfoss earlier in our week, this one is best viewed from the base of the falls. Bottoms up! In fact, you can walk right up to the wall of water, although it’s solid ice so go slow. My favorite fact: because of the huge amount of rain-like spray, every time the sun shines at least one rainbow is visible.

We stopped for lunch at the unforgettable award-winning Ion hotel. Less than an hour’s drive from downtown Reykjavík and feels like you’ve been dropped in the middle of nowhere. It’s where the tectonic plates are drifting apart, and you’re surrounded by power. It’s also known as one of the best locations to see the northern lights. I loved the modern architecture of this sustainable hotel. Set in such a remote location, it felt like an oasis. It incorporates many natural features of Iceland into its design and sustainability practices. All the restaurant's food is also organic and fair-trade and the tables and chairs are made from recycled materials.

There is actually a green thermal generating plant next to the hotel. Fun fact- did you know Iceland is the only country in the world that obtains 100% of its electricity and heat from renewable sources? And, 87% of its electricity comes from hydro-power, and the remaining 13% from geothermal power! Are you taking notes, USA?

Last stop in 2019 / Port9 Located in the top left of this photo.

Our New Year's Eve was about to begin so we headed back to Reykjavik to check in to our final hotel- The Residence. After cleaning up, the three of us stopped for dinner at one of the oldest Italian restaurants in Iceland, Italia before meeting our friends. This cozy spot run by Italians had us enjoying great pasta, pizza and vino - the perfect way to begin ushering in the new decade. After dinner, we made a quick stop to check out The Thingholt hotel designed by our friend Gulla Jonsdottir, if you live here in L.A. you’re probably familiar with her locations here. La Peer - The Mayfair

The grand finale of our trip was incredible fireworks show back a the Hallgrímskirkja Luthern Church followed by a night-cap with friends at the Port9 wine bar.

I took away so much from this trip - the beauty of the landscape, the history, the country’s commitment to the land and sustainability; but the people and their wonderful hospitality also stand out in my mind. No matter what the difficulties have been living in such a harsh but beautiful terrain and climate, the Icelandic people love their country and they’re so present…. There is an Icelandic phrase or motto which is, Þetta reddast. “Þetta reddast” is translated to “it will all work out okay”. I have taken that one home with me, and I affirm it daily.

As we ride off into the sunset, we’d like to thank you for your hospitality Iceland; to Gulla, and our new friends at Port 9! What a great place to ring in the new decade!

Thank you for reading and let me know if you’re planning a trip to Iceland!

xo, Janet

Currency - The currency in Iceland is the Icelandic króna, but many places will also accept the Euro and the US Dollar. 1 USD is equivalent to about 124.34 Icelandic Króna

Safety - It’s incredibly safe for my female travelers

Plugs - I recommend buying a universal adapter

Credit Cards - Most people use credit cards not cash / No need to tip, you’ll find gratuity is included.

Expensive - Yes, things can be costly, mostly the cabs, make sure to do your math!

Rent a car - FYI - ACE rent a car was a great company and very helpful.

Packing - If you are there for the winter it’s fairly casual, you want to stay warm and comfortable for touring around. Warm coat / gloves / water-resistant shoes / warm socks / turtle neck / cashmere sweater / beanie / tote / jeans / leggings /warm scarf / rain hat / carry-on luggage /