Iceland — ...Or Summer?
Summer is an altogether different experience in Iceland.
For starters — the suns never really sets — while it will mess with your sleep — there’s something quite exhilarating heading out on a hike at 10:00pm in brilliant sunshine, or sipping a midnight cocktail at a sunny outside bar.
That said — it’s still Iceland — Summer means a balmy 50 — 60 degrees Fahrenheit and weather that can change from bright sun to a rain squall in moments — and you’ll want to make sure to utilize the excellent Icelandic weather service.
On a 3 — 4 day trip, your most likely base yourself in Reykavik.
Reykavik is a compact, small town with architecture optimized for the harsh Arctic climate.
We recommend an Airbnb in Reykavik. They tend to be well-priced and professionally run and there are a huge number to choose from. We love the area just North West of the central area towards the Atlantic Seawall — lovely old style European houses and a five minute walk from the action as well as easy parking.
Talking of car rental — we recommend booking a car for airport pickup and drop-off — and from one of the local Icelandic firms not the major brands which don’t really seem optimized for the speciality driving of Iceland.. We like the mournfully named Sad Cars. Very knowledgable and helpful staff. It’s a short and frequent shuttle ride from the airport terminal. They rent very well-priced 4 x4s — and get a stick shift not an automatic - cheaper and significantly more torque and control for any given engine size — especially for gravel roads and steep inclines. You’ll also probably want to take their full insurance package — unless you’re absolutely sure that your credit card will cover gravel road damage etc.
Reykjavik has many good places to eat. We love Fish Company — inventive and high quality fare based on local ingredients. They’re house cocktails are also especially delicious.
If you’re looking for a quick snack — right on the main square is, of all things, is a Syrian Gyro place — fresh, tasty, succulent and spicy lamb and chicken sandwiches — a wonderful antidote to all the fish!
And for superior beer with a friendly star bar/biker kinda vibe — Micro Bar - serves a great selection of local brews with tastings of anything on tap.
Reykavik gives you easy access easy access to the “Golden Circle” sights.
In summer, take your time and hike the trail along the mid-Atlantic rift in the Thingelvir National Park.
A VaVenturing Tip. As you approach the park, stay left and don’t turn right to the main visitor center. You’ll get to the much quieter back entrance to the park where its a lovely 2 mile or so hike to the site of the original Icelandic Parliament.
Its about an hour drive to the next Golden Circle location — Geyser Park. There are many pull offs along the road which winds through a mountain and lake filled Volcanic landscape. Take your time, pull over and hike the many trails and gravel paths. You’ll be surprised at what you encounter!
No surprises at Geyser — there’s a huge gift shop and the Geyser reliably erupts every 10 minutes or so.
The final stop — Gulfoss Falls — is spectacular and in Summer you can hike down the path along the falls as well as above and behind. The main gravel cross Island road also begins here that requires a 4x4.
The road back to Reykavik brings you back over a spectacular mountain range and plateau — again, pull over and take the time to walk the volcanic lava landscape.
From Reykavik - it’s a great drive to the tiny coastal town of Vik.
On the way, you can hike a glacier, see the famous basalt columns and black beach and the volcano that brought European air travel to a halt a few years ago.
In the one horse town of Vik — there’s a wonderful fish and lamb restaurant — Halldorskaffi — and after dinner, consider a late night hike around one of the local waterfalls under the midnight sun.
