Iceland megathread

crosstownk · 21-06-2017 11:16am

mmg0305 wrote:

IMHO, blue lagoon isn't worth the price. I went a few years ago because it was included in the package but I think I would have been a bit underwhelmed if I had to pay for it. I went on a different (hiking) trip last year and some folks were asking about it. Our guide said she would advise going to a regular public swimming pool - all the thermal goodness at a fraction of the cost.

Agreed.

Last year, we went to the Secret Lagoon near Fludir. I can't remember the price but I know it was a fraction of the cost of the Blue Lagoon (which we also went to). Facilities at the Secret Lagoon weren't as fancy as the Blue Lagoon but they were more than adequate - food, bar, immaculately clean changing areas. Most importantly it had hot thermal water and was a lot less packed than the Blue Lagoon.

Fludir is a good distance from Reykjavik but if you have a car and plan to visit Geysir then the Secret Lagoon is only a few kms diversion. The scenery on the drive from Reykjavik is spectacular which is a welcome bonus.

BailMeOut · 21-06-2017 2:40pm

Hector Savage wrote: »

WE are going for a week in September (4-11) .. because its short we were thinking of Golden Circle/Blue lagoon + a trip to Jokulsarlon to see the glacier there.

Should we stay in a few different places along the Golden circle route or can you use one place as your base there ?
obviously we would stay in a place close to Jokulsarlon for that part of the trip ...

You can base yourself in Reykjavik and easily do day trips around Golden Circle or out to the Blue Lagoon. Many people do Blue Lagoon on way to or from airport as is on the main airport road so can save you a trip.

Hammer Archer · 21-06-2017 3:07pm

The Blue Lagoon is far too expensive to be really worthwhile. I'd say it's absolutely jammed during the summer/early autumn too. I was there in December and it was very busy then.
Golden Circle is easy to do in one day when based in/near Reykjavik.

Hector Savage · 22-06-2017 10:32am

Accomodation seems crazy expensive in the Hella or Vic areas, only budget places I see are in Reykjavic or really far up north or north west which we can't really go to.

Hector Savage · 22-06-2017 10:36am

Looks like we could be sleeping in the car ...

BailMeOut · 22-06-2017 11:45am

do not book a car or any accomodation and just get a campervan.

http://www.campervaniceland.com/

Hector Savage · 22-06-2017 1:49pm

Too late we allready booked the 4x4

But looking at booking.com and using map view there are some places outside of Hella and Vic that are cheaper ..

Das Kitty · 22-06-2017 2:22pm

Try Airbnb.

If it came to it you could always give couch surfing a go.

cdeb · 22-06-2017 3:18pm

Are tents an option?

I'd also keep a close eye on the weather forecasts. If it's to be rainy one day and sunny the next, use the rainy day to explore Reykjavik (if you're going to), and do, say, the Golden Circle on the sunny day. You'd just about manage the latter on the day of arrival if needs be, assuming you're getting the 11:55 flight.

Mr.Prodston · 22-06-2017 6:32pm

Hector Savage wrote: »

WE are going for a week in September (4-11) .. because its short we were thinking of Golden Circle/Blue lagoon + a trip to Jokulsarlon to see the glacier there.

Should we stay in a few different places along the Golden circle route or can you use one place as your base there ?
obviously we would stay in a place close to Jokulsarlon for that part of the trip ...

A few of us stayed in Hof 1 back in 2015. I don't know what prices are like but it's in a great location if you're set on Jokulsarlon, albeit right in the middle of nowhere. It's only about 10 minutes past the Skaftafell Glacier too.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/is/hof-1-hotel.html

Just a name anyway if you're looking for somewhere.

I'd stock up on a few snacks etc too if you're heading past Vik, shops weren't exactly plentiful, nor restaurants/cafes.

We went for a week spent 2 nights in Reykavik, 1 in Selfoss, 2 in Hof, 1 in Vik and back to Reykjavik for our last night. It kind of broke up the travelling and made sure we were able to stop in places.

bren2001 · 03-07-2017 9:21am

Heading to Iceland next week and flicked through the thread. I'm just wondering about bringing ISK, while I understand Iceland is pretty much a plastic culture, are there not crazy charges for using your debit card constantly? or are you better off using a credit card?

crosstownk · 03-07-2017 9:35am

bren2001 wrote: »

Heading to Iceland next week and flicked through the thread. I'm just wondering about bringing ISK, while I understand Iceland is pretty much a plastic culture, are there not crazy charges for using your debit card constantly? or are you better off using a credit card?

I was there for a week last year. No need for cash. I used both credit and debit cards (mostly credit) and don't recall any charges.

The only charge I incurred was for withdrawing cash on the debit card at the airport. I still had most of this cash left at the end of the week and used it for refilling the rental car and food just to get rid of it.

Plastic all the way. Cards are accepted everywhere even remote places.

Alun · 03-07-2017 9:42am

crosstownk wrote: »

Plastic all the way. Cards are accepted everywhere even remote places.

Yes, plastic including contactless, or even Android Pay, are accepted everywhere. We even paid for our hotdogs at the famous stand in Reykjavik with it. In fact I don't think I saw anyone local use cash at all, I don't even know what the money looks like!

BailMeOut · 03-07-2017 10:54am

+1 on using plastic. I too took out cash at the airport when I arrived and had all of it still in my wallet when I departed.

cdeb · 03-07-2017 2:46pm

Be wary of tracking your expenses if you go the credit card route. It is quite expensive, and arguably handing over cash is the best way to keep that in mind. I paid E21 for a pint (singular!) - exceptional, granted, but it happens. Easy to get a big credit card bill if you just lash out the plastic.

Realtine · 04-08-2017 12:59pm

What was the average daily spend?
Im heading in november part of a party of four and our accommodation, tours and stuff is booked and paid for in advance but food and sundries, drinks and nights out aren't?
usually when we go away we have a kitty but it seems this isn't practical this time, partly due to the fact that we won't be able to get krona in advance - but we'll be there for 5 nights and I really don't have a clue what amount I should be aiming for.
Any suggestions anyone?
ta.

cdeb · 04-08-2017 1:25pm

It depends, is the predictable answer.

Plan on E12 a pint and keep an eye out for happy hours in Reykjavik, when it can go as low as 7 quid.

A chipper is about twenty quid. That's the cheapest option you'll find for dinner. A nice meal in a restaurant could start at fifty.

Self-catering in a Netto would save a lot. But it is pricey.

dmm82 · 04-08-2017 2:48pm

Realtine wrote: »

What was the average daily spend?
Im heading in november part of a party of four and our accommodation, tours and stuff is booked and paid for in advance but food and sundries, drinks and nights out aren't?
usually when we go away we have a kitty but it seems this isn't practical this time, partly due to the fact that we won't be able to get krona in advance - but we'll be there for 5 nights and I really don't have a clue what amount I should be aiming for.
Any suggestions anyone?
ta.

We managed to stick to our usual holiday budget of around €100 each a day. We brought some food over with us and did a little grocery shop in their budget supermarket "bonus" when we arrived and had breakfast everyday in our room. We then packed rolls and snacks to bring with us each day and ate out everynight. Just check the menus of restaurants before you go in so you know what prices to expect. We made good use of the happy hours too and had a few late nights out, some great pubs over there

Download the appy hour app it's dead handy. Like you, we had paid for all of our excursions before we went so all of our spending money was for food/ drink/ a little bit of shopping.
Oh and as a late night snack the icelandic hot dogs are lovely and only around a fiver each

Sorting our own breakfast and lunch helped a lot as we could treat ourselves each night then

Realtine · 04-08-2017 3:00pm

dmm82 wrote: »

We managed to stick to our usual holiday budget of around €100 each a day. We brought some food over with us and did a little grocery shop in their budget supermarket "bonus" when we arrived and had breakfast everyday in our room. We then packed rolls and snacks to bring with us each day and ate out everynight. Just check the menus of restaurants before you go in so you know what prices to expect. We made good use of the happy hours too and had a few late nights out, some great pubs over there Download the appy hour app it's dead handy. Like you, we had paid for all of our excursions before we went so all of our spending money was for food/ drink/ a little bit of shopping.
Oh and as a late night snack the icelandic hot dogs are lovely and only around a fiver each

Sorting our own breakfast and lunch helped a lot as we could treat ourselves each night then

BRILLIANT! Thats very helpful - thank you.

dmm82 · 04-08-2017 3:29pm

Realtine wrote: »

BRILLIANT! Thats very helpful - thank you.

No problem. Enjoy your trip, it's fantastic over there i would love to go again

_Dara_ · 02-09-2017 8:00pm

Hi all, I'm heading to Iceland this weekend.

We're giving the Blue Lagoon a miss but are trying to decide between the Secret Lagoon and the Fontana Geothermal Baths for our lil dip. We don't have time for both. Both have a 4.5 rating on Tripadvisor. Has anyone done both? If so, which one would you recommend?

Thanks!

sydthebeat · 03-09-2017 2:13pm

I haven't don't both but the fontana is such a luxurious treat, it was one of the highlights of our trip last November. That being said the darkness really adds to the relaxing atmosphere, and I don't know if you will have some when your there this weekend.

_Dara_ · 03-09-2017 6:52pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

I haven't don't both but the fontana is such a luxurious treat, it was one of the highlights of our trip last November. That being said the darkness really adds to the relaxing atmosphere, and I don't know if you will have some when your there this weekend.

Yeah, we'll be there in daylight hours. I dunno, I think either darkness or light would be cool. I loved the outdoor heated pool at Farnham in Cavan, looking at the lovely countryside whilst relaxing in the pool was lovely. And Iceland will be a big step up from that in terms of scenery!

But on the other hand, if it was a starry night, it would be amazing. Iceland is touch and go for lack of cloud cover though, much like Ireland. Hence why we're not expecting to see the Northern Lights even though we are going at a time of year that a sighting might just about be possible.

_Dara_ · 06-09-2017 7:18pm

I have a weird question. I'm arriving into Keflavik on Friday morning from Dublin. I'm meeting my friends there who are going to be arriving on the flight from Cork at around the same time. In case our phone can't get data (probably won't happen but just in case), does anyone know of any landmarks in the airport that we could arrange to meet at? (an information desk, restaurant etc.)

sydthebeat · 06-09-2017 9:08pm

There is a "meeting point" in the airport

Das Kitty · 07-09-2017 3:21pm

There's free wifi in the airport

_Dara_ · 07-09-2017 4:30pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

There's free wifi in the airport

Cool, I'm just concerned because Dublin Airport's free WiFi can be hit and miss!

_Dara_ · 09-09-2017 2:32am

_Dara_ wrote: »

But on the other hand, if it was a starry night, it would be amazing. Iceland is touch and go for lack of cloud cover though, much like Ireland. Hence why we're not expecting to see the Northern Lights even though we are going at a time of year that a sighting might just about be possible.

We saw them! Very cool if a tad underwhelming.

_Dara_ · 12-09-2017 3:11pm

Got back from Iceland yesterday. Had an amazing time but this post is to inform the forum about an attraction that we as a group felt was not worth the time investment of our very limited time - the crashed US Navy plane.

You used to be able to drive quite near it and then only had a short walk. That would probably be worth it. In March 2016, the landowner closed the road so the plane is now a 3.6km walk from the parking lot. There is nothing to inform you of this before you start out. We had great weather and are a pretty fit bunch and we still found the walk arduous as it is a long, straight path through effective wasteland. Iceland has so much stunning scenery - this is not it. There are mountains around but you see those while driving along and looking at other sights anyway.

So we thought "OK, but the plane on the beach will be worth it!" - it's not. It's a small, stripped out wreck and it's a good bit away from the beach still. The people on the beach looked far away even when we were at the plane. And then having looked at the plane for about ten minutes, we had to do the walk back. Oh, and it's more like brown mud than black sand. The true black sand is further along the Vík route.

In all, the excursion took two hours out of our day and because of it, we had to miss out on Black Sand Beach where there is cool basalt rock formations, puffins and sea stacks. Really sad to miss out on that.

The crashed plane site has a 4 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor but you will see that the reviews from March 2016 are much more mixed and many are quite negative. There's a reason for that. Don't waste your time!

BailMeOut · 12-09-2017 5:40pm

_Dara_ wrote: »

Got back from Iceland yesterday. Had an amazing time but this post is to inform the forum about an attraction that we as a group felt was not worth the time investment of our very limited time - the crashed US Navy plane.

You used to be able to drive quite near it and then only had a short walk. That would probably be worth it. In March 2016, the landowner closed the road so the plane is now a 3.6km walk from the parking lot. There is nothing to inform you of this before you start out. We had great weather and are a pretty fit bunch and we still found the walk arduous as it is a long, straight path through effective wasteland. Iceland has so much stunning scenery - this is not it. There are mountains around but you see those while driving along and looking at other sights anyway.

So we thought "OK, but the plane on the beach will be worth it!" - it's not. It's a small, stripped out wreck and it's a good bit away from the beach still. The people on the beach looked far away even when we were at the plane. And then having looked at the plane for about ten minutes, we had to do the walk back. Oh, and it's more like brown mud than black sand. The true black sand is further along the Vík route.

In all, the excursion took two hours out of our day and because of it, we had to miss out on Black Sand Beach where there is cool basalt rock formations, puffins and sea stacks. Really sad to miss out on that.

The crashed plane site has a 4 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor but you will see that the reviews from March 2016 are much more mixed and many are quite negative. There's a reason for that. Don't waste your time!

We loved the crashed plane and especially the hike out to it.

Is it 3.6kms there and back or each way as did not seem that long when we did it?

_Dara_ · 12-09-2017 6:38pm

BailMeOut wrote: »

We loved the crashed plane and especially the hike out to it.

Is it 3.6kms there and back or each way as did not seem that long when we did it?

Yeah, we measured the walk back and it was 2.26 miles or 3.6kms. So it was a round trip of 7.2kms. It felt every bit of it to me! I was completely exhausted at the end of it. I can't imagine doing it in bad weather. Maybe you did it before March 2016 when you could drive up closer? I think there should be an information board in the car park with distance and timings so that you can decided whether to do it or not. The fact that there was no tour buses there should have tipped us off. Many visitors have limited time in Iceland and for us, two hours was much too long for something quite anticlimactic. It's the kind of thing that I'd take fifteen minutes to have a look at and think that amount of time was worth it but missing out on Black Sand Beach because of it was disappointing. The wasteland on the walk down was pretty ugly too especially after being surrounded by such beauty in everything else we have seen. Was it snowy when you went? I could see that improving its appearance. It's not the true black lava sand so descriptions are a bit misleading. I think also, it has nothing really to do with Iceland's culture or landscape so it felt a bit incongruous to me, just like something to check off the list. Not a fan, as I'm sure you can tell. :pac:

_Dara_ · 12-09-2017 6:56pm

Oh and we also missed out on Skogafoss rushing to it.

Skogafoss + Icelandic Giant's Causeway > Stupid Crashed Wasteland Plane

:pac:

BailMeOut · 12-09-2017 7:30pm

_Dara_ wrote: »

Yeah, we measured the walk back and it was 2.26 miles or 3.6kms. So it was a round trip of 7.2kms. It felt every bit of it to me! I was completely exhausted at the end of it. I can't imagine doing it in bad weather. Maybe you did it before March 2016 when you could drive up closer? I think there should be an information board in the car park with distance and timings so that you can decided whether to do it or not. The fact that there was no tour buses there should have tipped us off. Many visitors have limited time in Iceland and for us, two hours was much too long for something quite anticlimactic. It's the kind of thing that I'd take fifteen minutes to have a look at and think that amount of time was worth it but missing out on Black Sand Beach because of it was disappointing. The wasteland on the walk down was pretty ugly too especially after being surrounded by such beauty in everything else we have seen. Was it snowy when you went? I could see that improving its appearance. It's not the true black lava sand so descriptions are a bit misleading. I think also, it has nothing really to do with Iceland's culture or landscape so it felt a bit incongruous to me, just like something to check off the list. Not a fan, as I'm sure you can tell. :pac:

we definitely parked car on the main road and walked to the plane. We got some incredible photos there which was probably why we liked it. Anyhow we did some other odd stuff there that would not be everyone's cup of tea including finding Bobby Fischer's grave which is at a tiny church in the middle of nowhere and is quite bizarre where he ended up. If interested in him and his connection with Iceland there is an excellent documentary about him on Netflix.

_Dara_ · 12-09-2017 7:54pm

BailMeOut wrote: »

we definitely parked car on the main road and walked to the plane. We got some incredible photos there which was probably why we liked it. Anyhow we did some other odd stuff there that would not be everyone's cup of tea including finding Bobby Fischer's grave which is at a tiny church in the middle of nowhere and is quite bizarre where he ended up. If interested in him and his connection with Iceland there is an excellent documentary about him on Netflix.

Oh yeah, think we passed a sign relating to him somehow on the way to Vík. I think with the plane, it's something of more niche interest but is sold as a more universal landmark.

I loved all the tiny churches we passed in Iceland and I *really* loved Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavik. Just such lovely, clean lines inside and out - Nordic design through and through. And the views from it were AMAZING!

cubix · 16-09-2017 8:31pm

Dara
Where did your gang base themselves as hoping to do a 3-4day Thur-Sun sometime in Oct, flying into reykjavik with the view to doing the south coast tour. Going to have a look at some AirBnB

_Dara_ · 17-09-2017 12:09am

cubix wrote: »

Dara
Where did your gang base themselves as hoping to do a 3-4day Thur-Sun sometime in Oct, flying into reykjavik with the view to doing the south coast tour. Going to have a look at some AirBnB

Hey cubix, we based ourselves in Reykjavik, we stayed in an airbnb which was right in the centre of things.

I'm going to PM you a link to our Airbnb. It was nothing too fancy but it was clean and comfortable with piping hot water. And it was keenly priced compared to hotels in Reykjavik which are just a scary price! :eek: It housed 4 people.

We were there from Friday to Monday. Flew out very early on Monday though. So we only had half an day to check out Reykjavik, Friday afternoon. An extra full day would have been nice to see more of the city. Get to Hallgrímskirksja church! It's a sleek Nordic masterpiece both inside and out and it's well worth the €8 or so to go up the tower, the views are amazing! A day apiece is enough time for both the south coast tour as far as Vík and the Golden Circle. The Reykanes peninsula could also be seen in a day. Anything farther out than that would probably require an overnight stay along the way. I'd recommend hiring a car, much more freedom. And a trip to the Secret Lagoon!

If you get any clear nights during your stay, in the city people head out to the Grotta lighthouse which is near Reykjavik to try and spot the Northern Lights. There was still a lot of light pollution there though. We got a faint glimpse of them though.

Outside of Selfoss, the Reykjavik side, there is a viewing point where you can pull in which is much darker. Download the free Aurora app which will inform you of your chance of seeing the Lights.

Little Reykjavik restaurant tip: Islenski Barinn. Great food and good value compared to other Reykjavik restaurants. We got to try smoked puffin and reindeer burgers there!

My hubs and I spent €515 total from Friday to Monday including some duty free presents and our taxi home from Dublin airport. Not bad at all. We got in some groceries but we treated ourselves a lot too. You could do it for even cheaper again. Get to the Bonus supermarket to get some groceries in.

In Vík, Sudur Vík restaurant is great, high quality food and we had 3 or 4 starters (can't remember), 3 pizzas and 3 desserts for €125. There was four of us and we were stuffed. €30 a head for Iceland is very good. Some of the main courses are bit more expensive than that but the quality is excellent.

cubix · 17-09-2017 3:17pm

Thanks Dara, appreciate all the info. Can anyone confirm if Wow dont allow the standard wheelie type carry on suitcase free of charge that other normal carries would

_Dara_ · 17-09-2017 4:41pm

cubix wrote: »

Thanks Dara, appreciate all the info. Can anyone confirm if Wow dont allow the standard wheelie type carry on suitcase free of charge that other normal carries would

You can take a backpack or laptop bag on for free. Anything that will fit under the seat in front of you. We brought two backpacks and a paid-for carry on suitcase.

17-09-2017 11:07pm

Have been preparing an Iceland trip for myself and the OH for the last month. We're looking to go for 12-14 days next April and over the last month I've become an Iceland freak in my research. It's good to stumble upon this thread and there's lots of great info here, thanks to all who've posted their experiences.

Have any of you been out to the Westfjords? I'm looking to take them in on my trip, but am just wondering how much time to allow for a brief overview of the area. We want to get up North to Husavik also to partake in some whale watching, as well as do as much of the Ring Road as possible, so will only have 4 days at the most for the Westfjords. Will the drive up there be worth it for such a short spell?

_Dara_ · 18-09-2017 1:19am

I've heard that the Westfjords are amazing! I would have loved to head up there. A very unspoiled part of the island apparently with dramatic mountains.

cdeb · 18-09-2017 7:42am

The Westfjords are stunning. I did a quick visit - drove from Reykjavik to Isafjordur on one day (stopping off along the way) and back to Borgarnes the next. You could easily stretch it out a couple of days. The roads are pretty bad is the main thing; a lot of gravel roads going over mountains. Do make sure they're passable when you visit. I was there in June and the weather was manky and there was remnants of snow drifts by the roadside in places. I don't know at what stage in the year do they become ok to non-4x4s.

Otherwise, Dynjandi is the main draw. Keep an eye out for Vigur island too, and Eyri church (I think). It can be worth timing a hike up the hillside overlooking Isafjordur airport with the arrival of an incoming flight. I don't know if you're set on April, but in June, you get the midnight sun, and you can watch the sun just fail to set from Bolungarvik. The sun improves the area hugely, so if possible, time your trip with a nice day or two (postpone/bring forward the Reykjavik part of your trip if there is one; don't waste a sunny day on Reykjavik)

There is a more northern peninsula to the main Westfjords which contains a national park and I think one or two abandoned villages which could be worth a visit with the time you suggest.

Isafjordur is expensive. I paid the equivalent of E21 for a pint there, and E30 to add blankets to my room booking. So be warned!

_Dara_ · 18-09-2017 3:01pm

I don't know, it being blue-skied in Reykjavík while we were there really enhanced things for me. Really made the city look beautiful. We had cloud and rain for the Golden Circle and it didn't really matter. The natural sights look amazing in any conditions and Gullfoss looked cooler with the rain! :P

eleventy6 · 18-09-2017 3:42pm

looks great, still trying to get there!

loriexxx · 18-09-2017 8:50pm

I think Iceland is one of the best places I have ever been ( with the exception of New Zealand) it's been a year since I visited and still think of it at least once a week. We were extremely lucky with the weather when we visited very dry, blues clear sky's everyday and the northern lights were out in force every night.

Everything is stunningly beautiful, food is fab, safe, clean and people are friendly and while it is expensive it is totally worth it. We stayed in a great Airbnb and rented a car which is a must in my opinion. I highly recommend Islenski barinn, Harry's and of course reykjavik chips for good food that not very expensive. The black sand beach in Vik is a must see.

The couple in the below video are probably not to everyone's taste but I feel this video shows how beautiful Iceland is and gives an accurate portrayal of how amazing it really is.

https://youtu.be/FH7U6PEhM_k

cdeb · 18-09-2017 9:37pm

_Dara_ wrote: »

I don't know, it being blue-skied in Reykjavík while we were there really enhanced things for me. Really made the city look beautiful. We had cloud and rain for the Golden Circle and it didn't really matter. The natural sights look amazing in any conditions and Gullfoss looked cooler with the rain! :P

It's horses for courses of course. But I think the natural sights are infinitely more spectacular in the sun, and you don't go to Iceland to see cities (Reykjavik is a bit drab, to be honest). Both of these photos are in the Westfjords; I know which I prefer -

Also, on a practical note, the gravel roads in the Westfjords are ****e, and good weather can actually help get through them

fits · 18-09-2017 9:42pm

I was in the west fjords in April at a music festival. ( aldrei for eg Sudur). Amazing. But be mindful of weather if driving up there.

cdeb · 18-09-2017 9:58pm

Actually, if anyone knows how to resize photos, let me know and I'll do what it takes...

_Dara_ · 18-09-2017 10:00pm

loriexxx wrote: »

I think Iceland is one of the best places I have ever been ( with the exception of New Zealand) it's been a year since I visited and still think of it at least once a week. We were extremely lucky with the weather when we visited very dry, blues clear sky's everyday and the northern lights were out in force every night.

Everything is stunningly beautiful, food is fab, safe, clean and people are friendly and while it is expensive it is totally worth it. We stayed in a great Airbnb and rented a car which is a must in my opinion. I highly recommend Islenski barinn, Harry's and of course reykjavik chips for good food that not very expensive. The black sand beach in Vik is a must see.

The couple in the below video are probably not to everyone's taste but I feel this video shows how beautiful Iceland is and gives an accurate portrayal of how amazing it really is.

https://youtu.be/FH7U6PEhM_k

Yeah, I recommended Islenski Barinn on an earlier post. Great spot! I agree, Iceland is bewitching!

_Dara_ · 18-09-2017 10:16pm

cdeb wrote: »

It's horses for courses of course. But I think the natural sights are infinitely more spectacular in the sun, and you don't go to Iceland to see cities (Reykjavik is a bit drab, to be honest). Both of these photos are in the Westfjords; I know which I prefer -

I wouldn't agree that everyone goes to Iceland for scenery alone. I was very excited to visit Reykjavík, it seemed so different from other cities I'd been to, very Arctic. And Hallgrimskirkja was up there with the things I was most excited to see and it didn't disappoint. Easily one of my favourite buildings that I have visited, a sleek Nordic masterpiece but very unusual too. As I said upthread, we only had half a day to explore Reykjavík. I would have loved another full day on top of that.

Plus, I felt like relentess wilderness would be a bit much on its own. I was happy to get back to civilsation every evening! I'd love to travel the ring road but I'd struggle with the evening quietness. And some of the landscape becomes samey after a while. The country is mostly lava desert after all.

But yeah, I think you need decent weather for the Westfjords!

Unfortunately Iceland no more than Ireland generally doesn't get great weather so I'd always plan for the worst. We were very lucky to get two sunny days out of three. Sadly, the lights were quite faint.

_Dara_ · 18-09-2017 10:19pm

Loriexxx, I still feel so sad that we missed out on Black Sand Beach because of that stupid crashed plane taking up so much if our time.

~~ Iceland megathread ~~

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Iceland megathread