Selfoss90 min
This town is one of the biggest in South Iceland. Recently it opened a new town center, which includes many old houses that have been torn down for various reasons around Iceland. It is a fun place to see the architecture of the old days
Hveragerdi60 min
Just about 30 minutes away from Reykjavik is the town of Hveragerði. It is a great little town known for its geothermal heat and greenhouses.
It is possible to walk to Reykjadalur from there, bathe in one of Iceland’s favorite local geothermal swimming pools, buy flowers, check out the hot springs in Hveragarðurinn Park, and taste delicious food.
The surrounding area is part of the Hengill central volcano, is geothermally active, and experiences frequent (usually minor) earthquakes.
Hveragarðurinn is a park with various hot springs, fumaroles, and information boards explaining the occurrence.
Seljalandsfoss waterfall60 min
One of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls and a must-see. The waterfall isn’t large, but it is beautiful nonetheless. What makes this waterfall special is that you can walk behind it, giving great photo opportunities, especially in the twilight.
Gljufrabui Waterfalls60 min
Next door, only a few-minute-walk away, is Gljúfrabúi. Another small but spectacular waterfall.
A canyon obscures it from the road, so you will have to walk into it to see the waterfall.
As both Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi will make you wet due to the spray, we recommend waterproof shoes and a coat.
Skogafoss60 min
Nearby is the much larger Skógafoss Waterfall.
This beautiful waterfall has been used in a few films, such as Thor: Dark World and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
This is a much larger and more powerful waterfall, so don’t try to walk behind it.
However, you can walk up to it; just don’t go too close.
You can also walk up a few steps and see it from above and the flattest area of Iceland to the south. The steps are the start of the hike over Fimmvörðuháls to Þórsmörk.
There is also an exciting folk museum in the area, Skógar Folk Museum.
It’s a cultural heritage collection of 8000 regional artifacts exhibited in 6 historical buildings and 3 museums!
Dyrholaey60 min
The beautiful Dyrhólaey bird cliff is a must-visit; the only problem with it is that you can’t see the hole in the cape while you’re on it!
It used to be known as Cape Portland by some seamen. It gives excellent views of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, over Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, and the Reynisdrangar Basalt Sea Stacks.
60 min
The beautiful, expansive, and famous Reynisfjara is a place everyone should visit. It is important to keep out of the waves, though, as they can be very dangerous.
The beach is often considered one of Iceland’s best black sand beaches, and National Geographic even put the beach on its top 10 list of non-tropical beaches people should visit.
To one end, you can see Dyrahólaey, and on the other are the Reynisdrangar rock formations, basalt columns, and a small cave. The story goes that Reynisdrangar was made when two trolls tried to drag a three-masted ship to land. The trolls and the ship turned to stone when the sun hit them.
Vik60 min
The small town of Vík in Mýrdalur is a great stop. It is possible to check out the black sand beach, with a brilliant view of the Reynisdrangar rock formations, and hike up to the small local church for a great photo opportunity.
Fjadrargljufur Canyon60 min
Fjaðrárgljúfur was made famous by Justin Bieber when he came to Iceland a few years back and shot a video.
The place is lovely and well worth the visit. The canyon is up to 330 feet (100 meters) deep and about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) long.
It was created by progressive erosion by flowing water from glaciers during the Ice Age.
Kirkjubaejarklaustur60 min
The small town of Krikjubæjarklaustur is situated between Vík in Mýrdalur and Höfn in Hornarfjörður. About 500 people live there.
It is most famous for its Benedictine convent (the name of the town means Church Farm Cloister), which was established in 1186 and was located there until the Reformation in 1550.
The small village again got into the history books during the Laki volcano eruption in 1783. The local church’s pastor, Jón Steingrímsson, delivered what became known as the “Fire Sermon” on July 20, 1783.
The legend says this sermon stopped the lava flow, and the village was spared at the last moment. The current church, constructed in 1974, was built in memory of Rev. Jón.
Diamond Beach120 min
No visit to South Iceland is complete without a stop at Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon and the nearby Diamond Beach.
Jökulsárlón is by Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier and is made up of meltwater from it. It started forming in the mid-20th century and has slowly but surely been eroding the Breiðamerkursandur beach.
It is now the deepest lake in Iceland at 932 feet (284 meters) and covers about 6.9 sq mi (18 km2).
Since the 1970s, it has increased fourfold in size and has doubled in size in the last 15 years.
Despite being a sad reminder of the rising temperatures, it is a stunning lake. It is one of the deepest in Iceland and has a rich animal life.
Seals can regularly be seen swimming in the lagoon or chilling on icebergs.
Beautiful icy-blue icebergs are floating all around, and on the other side of Ring Road, you find Diamond Beach. It is so-called because of the melting icebergs scattered on the beach.
The clear ice against the black sand beach is a sight to see.
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