Conquering the Ring Road – Iceland, June 2018 (Part 1)

When I was in my teens, I loved to visit the library and browse through travel guides, imagining what it would be like to see the world. I was particularly intrigued by the Nordic countries, for their gorgeous landscapes, cool climate and their modern cities. Among these countries, Iceland topped the list, and I yearned to see the place with my own eyes. After our first road trip in Victoria, Australia in March 2018, I felt we were ready for the big one – Iceland. So in May 2018, we made the bookings. For a major trip, this was considered pretty last minute, but we went for it. It was finally happening – we were going to the Land of Fire & Ice!

Day 1

We kicked off our trip with The Golden Circle, a sightseeing route in the southwest Iceland, comprising three stunning locations: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and the Gullfoss waterfall.

Explorers of the Land of Fire and Ice, wondering what the Ring Road had in store for them

First up was Þingvellir National Park, which lies in a rift valley marking the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. One of the highlights was Öxarárfoss, the first waterfall checked off our waterfall chase.

The walk through Almannagjá canyon was truly a remarkable experience for the Geography nerd in me.

Walking through Almannagjá canyon, between the North American and Eurasian plates

A dainty little waterfall we came across while walking through the rift valley

Snorkelers in Silfra, the rift filled with exceptionally clear freshwater

Next up on The Golden Circle was the Geysir Geothermal Area. The geyser to see here isn’t Geysir, but Strokkur. The crowd cheered every time the geyser erupted and shot a jet of boiling water 40 metres into the air. It erupted every 6 – 10 minutes, and we spent some time crouching on the ground to get good shots and footage of the eruption. A true test of our reflexes, haha.

The final stop on The Golden Circle was Gullfoss. From the parking lot we could already see the mist generated by this waterfall. Walking down the steps to Gullfoss, we were not disappointed by what we saw.

Bright sunny day + eternal mist = giant rainbow

Gullfoss (Golden Falls) actually consists of two waterfalls. The first, shorter cascade is 11 metres, and the second drop (perpendicular to the first) is 21 metres.