Beyond Reykjavik

One of the most famous tour around Iceland is called the Golden Circle, an eight hour tour that brings you to not only the Gullfoss Waterfall but also Strokkur Geyser and Þingvellir national park. At Gullfoss the Hvítá river rushes through and if you're luck enough to be standing on the observation deck on a beautiful sunny day the light shines just enough to make the water and surrounding snow sparkle. Unfortunately the tour's brief stop of 50mins at this very photogenic sight really did it little justice.


Our next stop was the hot spring Strokkur where we joined the already forming groups of people surrounding the geyser waiting for the column of water to shoot up every 4-8 minutes. At times it can reach up to 98 ft into the air and as it is rather difficult to predict it produces quite a thrilling experience. We waiting for numerous rounds until we finally felt content that we saw the best of it.


The last stop and perhaps my favorite was the Þingvellir National Park, where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and are currently pulling apart at a rate of four centimetres per year. This means that unlike other countries in the world that are shrinking, Iceland is actually growing (though at a snail's pace). The landscape at the park was truly a photographer's dream. With beautiful snow covered mountains over looking a crystal blue lake, its beauty was further accentuated by the soft glow of the setting sun. There couldn't have been a better time to be there and experience the country natural beauty.


What trip to Iceland is complete without a stop to the blue lagoon. This famous geothermal spa is one of the most visited attraction in the country and for good reasons.


The water temperature is an average of 98–102 °F, which on a day like the one we went where outside temperatures were a balmy 36 °F was a welcoming change. However the initial shock of the cold hitting your skin as you came running out of the building into the water was pretty brutal no matter how short it may be. Once in the water the constant steam rising from the surface provided a further mystical appearance. With the snow capped mountain in the background and lava rocks all around this place was truly unique. (Not to mention the minerals in the water did wonders for my skin!)


Our last tour on this trip was to the southern coast. Due to the rugged terrine of the area we went by a private jeep. The all terrine Land Rover managed to drive through a pretty brutal snow storm in the morning where in certain areas visibility was nearly null.


As we drove through the icy roads and shallow streams the surrounding views were truly breathtaking. All around everything was covered in a fresh white coat of snow, and with no one in sight it provided the feeling of a thrilling adventure. Shortly after we came across Myrdalsjokull glacier, the wind was so strong at the time that it was hard to really trek anywhere far. However being out in a mini blizzard on top of a glacier was good enough for me.


Next we made a stop at the beautiful Seljalandsfoss, where you can climb up and stand behind the plummeting waterfall. The water drops 200 ft over the cliffs and from behind it it's hard to ignore its sheer strength.


The weather in Iceland is extremely unpredictable and by early afternoon the sun managed to break its way through the clouds. As the warm rays shone down upon the powdery mountains it instantly changed the dynamics of the land. In a mere moment what was frigid and frozen seem cheery and bright. By the time we made our way onto the black sand beach the weather couldn't have been any better as the powerful Atlantic surf pounded the beach. The sky was a deep hue of blue filled with seagulls swarming above the cliff.


Hard to imagine that just hours ago we were in a snow storm. The last stop of this tour was the mighty Skogafoss waterfall, which given the way the setting sun hits the mist produces an amazing rainbow at the right times. Today it did not disappoint, as the rainbow was visible as soon as we pulled up. The strong rays of the setting sun was angled perfectly and provided a splendid ending to the day!