We planned to wake up early to go see the nearby downed DC-3 war plane at Sólheimasandur Beach. We heard it gets pretty crowded with tourists, so we decided to head there first, not just to get an unobstructed view, but also an unobstructed experience. We decided to go past Reynisdrangar and Dyrhólaey, both of which are on our list, in order to be one of the first to Sólheimasandur. The sign at the entrance says it can take 3-4 hours roundtrip, but we found that it took about 45 minutes each way at a steady walking pace.
The town of Dyrhólaey and its beautiful beaches were next! Although we initially passed them to see the plane at Sólheimasandur, they were all about 15-20 minutes from Vik. We checked out all the viewpoints, and decided to take a steep hike up to the lighthouse. The low-lying fog made the lighthouse nearly invisible, but also added an eerie and almost unnerving experience.
Next on our itinerary was Reynisdrangar cliff and the famed black sand Vik Beach. Here we spent some time enjoying the crashing waves on the picturesque black sand beach, but we also went spelunking! The cliff’s face is littered with wildlife, including puffins, so we had to take our time here. The jagged rocks that make up Reynisdrangar cliff are truly a sight to behold, as neither of us have seen anything like it anywhere else in the world!
As we left the Vik area, we came upon the beautiful Skogafoss. This is one of the many waterfalls in Iceland where you can walk right up to the fall itself! There are actually two different viewpoints here, one being above the falls and the other at the base, but we opted to get up close and personal. The wind and mist generated brings the utter size of the falls into perspective and we ended up back at the campervan happily drenched!
Seljalandsfoss is not far away, and is one of the most unique falls in all of Iceland because you can walk right behind the foss! Words cannot do justice, and even our pictures leave out the intensity of the gusts that the spilling water created.
Gljúfrabúi is just up the road and was one of our favorites. It sits hidden within a small gorge with sheep grazing at the top. As you approach, you have a beautiful view of the entire structure, but you also have the option to adventure! We obviously chose to get up close and personal once more, which requires some light wading through the water, but well worth it! Tip: Make sure you have your waterproof gear for Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi.
After some time spent within the gorge and around Gljúfrabúi, we decided head to our campsite for the night. We chose Brautarholt campsite, which is at the southeast base of the famed “Golden Circle.” We chose this campsite because of its proximity to the Golden Circle, but it ended up being one of the nicest sites we stayed at in all of Iceland. Tomorrow we plan to do the entire Golden Circle and end our day with a snorkel trip between the two tectonic plates (North American and Eurasian), which we’ve been super excited for, so make sure to stay posted!