A traveller's reflection: Iceland 2018: 06 South Shore Tour 2

"The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible..."

(Braving the blizzards at Skoga Folk Museum)

Day 06: 17 February 2018 (Saturday)
Route: Vik South Shore Tour 2
Hotel: Ork Hotel, Hvergerdi

Today we continued with the South Shore Tour early in the morning to catch the beautiful sunrise and visited many more tourist attractions.

(Our hotel nearly covered by snow at night)

(Even the hotel entrance is blocked)

(Vehicles covered in snow)

Reynisfjara is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland, just beside the small fishing village of Vík. With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches. The National Geographic voted Reynisfjara as one of the Top 10 non-tropical beaches to visit on the planet.

(Arrived early at Reynisfjara Beach)

(A chilly morning stroll to the Black Sand Beach)

(A contrast of black sand and white snow at the Beach)

(The sun is rising in between the Basalt rocks formation)

Reynisdrangar Sea Cliffs stand under the Reynisfjall Mountain, at the end of a dramatic stretch of black sand beach. They are towering, spiky basalt sea stacks jutting out from the ocean 66 m into the air. Reynisdrangar are a visual trademark for the village of Vik, and are teeming with nesting Arctic terns, fulmars and puffins. About half way down the beach is a large vaulted cavern called Hálsanefeshellir. The cave is not deep, but its really beautiful surrounded by basalt.

(Basalt sea stacks making up the cliffs)

(Nicely stacked for Puffin nests)

(The entrance to the cave at low tide)

(The interior of the cave walled with Basalt stacks)

Folk legend says there were two trolls pulling a three-mast ship to the shore unsuccessfully, but were caught by the sunlight at dawn and turned into stone, as happens to trolls when they stay out until dawn. So there they sit just outside the beach forever.

(Three jutting Basalt Rock formations)

Dyrhólaey is not so far away from the beautiful little village of Vík the southern-most village in Iceland. It is a small peninsula formerly an island. From the highest point of the Dyrholaey Nature Reserve we could view the endless black coastline and the peninsula with a huge black arch of lava reaching out into the sea which the peninsula takes its name from. Dyrhólaey literally means the hill island with the door hole. It is 120 m high and you are able to walk the arch if you are not afraid of heights. Up there you can also find a spectacular and big castle shaped lighthouse.

(The Nature Reserve of Dyrholaey)

(Nature Reserve with magnificent view)

(Sculptures at the viewpoint)

(The rocky plateau and huge stone sea arch)

(The arch created by submarine volcanic eruption)

(The arch with the hole)

Situated next to the stunning Skógafoss waterfall in extraordinarily beautiful natural surroundings, the Skógar Folk Museum preserves the cultural heritage of southern Iceland through its collection of tools and equipment, handicrafts, old buildings, books, manuscripts, and documents. A key part of the Museum's work has been the reconstruction of several old farmhouses, so visitors can see how Icelanders lived in the past. In 2002 the Museum opened a new Museum of Transport. It not only explores the history of transportation, communication, and technology in Iceland in the 19th and 20th centuries but also includes a history of Icelandic postal services and electrification.

(Arriving at the Skogar Folk Museum)

(A blizzard greeted us at the museum)

(Exhibitions in the Museum)

(Preserve heritage of Southern Iceland)

Skógafoss is a waterfall situated on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline. After the coastline had receded seaward the former sea cliffs remained, parallel to the coast over hundreds of kilometres,

(Bright sunny day to visit the waterfalls)

(A long walk to the base of the falls)

(Tourist climb the cliff to view the falls from above)

(One of the five largest waterfalls in Iceland)

(A glimpse of the rainbow at the waterfall)

We had baked trout for lunch at Skogafoss Restaurant next to the waterfalls and performed our prayers there.

(Baked pink trout for lunch)

Eyjafjallajökull or Island Mountain Glacier, is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of 1,651 m.

(Island Mountain Glacier)

(View from the highway)

(Some description of the glacier)

Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall located in the South Region in Iceland right by Route 1 and the road that leads to Þórsmörk Road 249. The waterfall drops 60 m and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull. Visitors can walk behind the falls.