Welcome to Iceland week at Umami Girl. This is the first of three posts about our short visit to southwest Iceland, focusing on the waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, glaciers and other wonders along the south coast and the Golden Circle. Later this week we’ll share our time in Reykjavik and our visit to the Blue Lagoon hot-spring spa.
We genuinely loved Iceland. These posts are not sponsored — we traveled independently and received no payments or freebies. We simply wanted to share what we saw and learned during our four full days exploring the country, with two travel days on either end.
How we got there
We used Icelandair’s Stopover program to break our trip between London and a later European stop, letting us spend several nights in Iceland for no extra airfare. Iceland can be expensive once you’re there, but the stopover option makes a shorter visit accessible. We planned the detour because we wanted to spend time in London and also visit Santorini later in the season, and Iceland had been recommended to us by friends in both the U.K. and the U.S.
How we rolled
Normally we avoid packaged tours, but for Iceland we chose a balanced approach. We spent two days with GeoIceland on guided small-group tours of the Golden Circle and the Southern Coast, and left the other days to explore on our own. The guided days were invaluable for understanding the geology, history and culture of the region without missing key sites.
Stunning landscape & excellent trivia
Our guide, Sigurdur Albert, was informative, funny and proud of Iceland — a perfect combination. Beyond the dramatic scenery, we picked up interesting facts along the way. A few highlights:
- Modern Icelandic is closer to Old Norse than modern English is to Old English, so Icelanders can read older texts with relative ease.
- About 10 percent of adult Icelanders have published a book.
- Iceland enjoys near-universal literacy.
- As our guide joked, all of this contributes to a strong cultural identity and national confidence.
How we rocked
Geology here feels immediate and visible. Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart at about two centimeters per year. That activity creates volcanoes, fissures, glaciers and other dramatic landforms. There are dozens of active volcanic systems on the island, which is what makes Iceland such a spectacular classroom for geology lovers.
One memorable stop was the Silfra fissure in Thingvellir National Park — a rift where the plates are visibly separating. Silfra is famous for being one of the few places in the world where you can snorkel or dive between tectonic plates, an unusual and striking experience.
We didn’t snorkel this time, but seeing the clear water and the fissure up close was unforgettable.
The creatures inhabiting the crevasse
At Thingvellir we watched a young man in a hood and skinny jeans climb into the rift to pose for photos — a small, amusing reminder of how travel brings together different styles, cultures and personalities. It was a quirky, human moment among the grand geology.
Thingvellir National Park
Thingvellir is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the historic seat of Althing, one of the world’s oldest parliaments. Beyond its political history, it’s a place of wide views and stark, beautiful landscapes — perfect for walking, taking photos and reflecting on Iceland’s long history.
Iceland’s waterfalls
Iceland’s waterfalls are abundant and varied: some you can walk behind, others you can drink from. Two highlights from our trip were Gullfoss and Skógafoss, each spectacular in its own way.
Here are a few that stood out to us.
SKÓGAFOSS
FAXI
Faxi is smaller but elegant, with clean lines and an easy charm that makes it worth a stop.
SELJALANDSFOSS
Seljalandsfoss is a favorite for a reason: you can walk behind this curtain of water and experience it from every angle. Bring a rain jacket — you will get wet, but it’s worth it.
Geysers
Geysir, the namesake for geysers worldwide, is an impressive hot spring that erupts regularly, sometimes sending steaming water high into the air. Our photos didn’t always capture the eruptions at their peak, but the steam, heat and crowds of expectant visitors made the moment clear.
Flora + Fauna
LUPINES
Fields of purple lupines color the countryside in summer. They are striking and photogenic, but not native — introduced from Alaska decades ago — and some people worry they suppress native plant diversity.
WILD HORSES
Iceland’s small, hardy horses are a beloved sight. On our tour, our guide often carried a bit of bread to feed them when we came across a herd — a charming stop along the road.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Vik
Reynisfjara is dramatic even on a cool July day: black pebble beaches, basalt columns rising from the cliffs, and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks standing offshore. Local legend says those stacks are trolls turned to stone, a story Icelanders still tell with a straight face. We also spotted puffins along the coast.
Solheimajökull Glacier
Glaciers are central to Iceland’s landscape, and Solheimajökull is a visible reminder of change over time. It has retreated in recent years, but you can still hike across blue-tinged glacial ice and explore crevasses with proper gear. GeoIceland offers glacier walks that include crampons and expert guidance; our more general south-coast tour also provided a chance to see and learn about the glacier up close.
Bye for now! See you in Reykjavik.
This post covers the highlights of the south coast and Golden Circle. For the rest of our Iceland series, see our posts about Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon in the following entries.
A Visit to Iceland: Hello, Reykjavik
A Visit to Iceland: Blue Lagoon
