Today definitely has the most stops of our entire trip! The typical “Golden Circle” that many tourists complete in Iceland includes stops at Gullfoss, Geysir, and Þingvellir. We went to Þingvellir early in the trip, so decided to add a few more sights to our version. It will be easiest to break this down by each stop.
7:30 AM – Collect boxed breakfast from kitchen fridge at Lindartún Guesthouse (Thank you, Kristin! It was really good.)
7:32 AM – Depart for our version of the Golden Circle.
8:10 AM – Spotted this crazy info sign.
How is anyone suppose to be able to read this while driving by!?!?
8:54 AM – Hjálparfoss. This is a really pretty double waterfall. The parking area and trails leading down to the falls are currently in the process of being upgraded with steps, wooden paths, and several viewing platforms. This will likely start to become a more sought after location but for now we got to enjoy the space by ourselves this morning.
9:32 AM – Stöng. This is the site of some Viking longhouse ruins. Meh.
9:47 AM – Gjáin. This is a fantastic canyon area with simple foot paths leading everywhere you could possibly want to go, several caves you can explore, and a stream you can stand in with multiple waterfalls. Before arriving, we really where not sure what to expect from this location, but it definitely exceeded anything that we could have imagined. Definitely one of Iceland’s best kept secrets!
The initial view as descending into the canyon.
One of several waterfalls formed by the river within the canyon.
One of two falls that fed water into the canyon.
11:50 AM – Lunch at Friðheimar Farm. This place is most widely known for their tomato greenhouses. 18% of all Iceland domestic tomatoes are produced here. They use hot spring water to warm the houses, clear glacial water to water the plants, pumice stone for soil, pump in CO2 to promote photosynthesis, and bring in boxes of bumble bees to pollinate. Also, since Iceland is so isolated they very few pests to manage and the pests that do exist are managed by introducing other egg eating bugs. They produce year round at a rate of nearly one ton of tomatoes per day. Friðheimar Restaurant offers a small tomato-centric menu. For lunch Carson had schnapps served in a hollow tomato and the tomato soup buffet. I had a Bloody Mary and cheese ravioli with red and pesto sauces. Then for desert, we split an ice cream with two types of tomato spreads on top and an apple & green tomato pie. So yummy!
All the tables for the restaurant were next to rows of tomato plants. That’s fresh basil growing on the table.
Each plant grows in pumice stone which is apparently easier than using soil. Each plant was draped low and then hung from poles near the ceiling, so they were at least 12 feet long.
1:52 PM – Gullfoss, the golden waterfall. This is a two tier, wide, massive waterfall. The most interesting thing about this one is that the river that flows out of it at the bottom is actually perpendicular to the flow of the falls.
3:09 PM – Geysir Hot Spring Area. Due in part to internal rock collapses and tourists tossing things inside, Geysir has not erupted with regularity in several decades and has not erupted at all in several years. However, Strokkur is an active geyser just a few feet from the namesake that generally erupts every 6-8 minutes.
This is actually a live photo that captured the beginning of the eruption. Once Carson figures out how to turn it into a GIF or video, we will post it.
4:02 PM – Arrive in the general area of Brúarfoss. We knew from the start of planning our trip that finding this waterfall might be a bit tricky. None of the driving directions we had found were very clear and all indications were that this might take some trial and error. We found the main road pretty easily but everything from there was unclear. We paced this road a few times before finally pulling up the waterfall on the Cachly geocaching app’s offline map and attempting to follow the roads and paths until we got as close to the falls as we could in a car. This actually worked! We found a small parking area with a footpath leading toward the sound of the falls. We followed it until we found the falls.
4:27 PM – Actually reach Brúarfoss. The journey here was well worth it. The waterfall flows over a long crevasse with water covering all edges. The water down the center of the falls and river was a brilliant blue. The pictures do not do it justice!
5:30 PM – Secret Lagoon. Here we enjoyed our first true Icelandic pool (it’s actually the oldest in the country). Before entering pools in Iceland, you must remove your shoes at the door, shower naked to wash all icky parts with soap, and then put on your suit and get in. If you are body image shy, then you might want to just skip these pools. But really, this was worth any possible embarrassment. This pool is hot spring fed and completely relaxing. And made even better with a glass of wine or beer.
7:16 PM – Burgers and ice cream at Efstidular II. There’s just something about a burger with an egg on it. Yum! This is called Efstidular II because the original farm was co-owned by two families who later decided to split it. Icelanders aren’t very creative when it comes to names.
9:32 PM – Check into Hotel Hilda in Reykjavik.