Iceland as a country probably has one of the most dramatic landscapes I have ever seen. Even when peering out of my airplane window, I felt like we were about to land in Mars. It looked SO otherworldly!
I mean - check this out:
As all visitors do, we started out with the Golden Circle, which combines history, culture, and extraordinary nature in one action-packed day. The Golden Circle refers to three location:
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park: Thingvellir is located in a rift valley where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. The UNESCO designated world heritage site is also the birthplace of the Althing—Iceland’s parliament founded in 930 AD. Thingvellir became Iceland’s first national park in 1930. It is also home to Iceland’s largest natural lake, Thingvallavatn
Gullfoss Waterfall: Gullfoss means Golden Falls, and gets its name from the golden color of its water as it churns up silt and sediment. The magnificent waterfalls lie in the Hvitá river and are fed by Langjökull, Iceland’s second-largest glacier.
PRO TIP: Wear good shoes. It was EXTREMELY windy and icy, and people were falling all around us due to lack of proper footwear.
Geysir Hot Springs: Geysir doesn’t erupt often but is surrounded by bubbling cauldrons of superheated mud, steaming pools, and Strokkur, a geyser that erupts every ~8 minutes. The smells, colors, and eruptions at this popular destination are a window into all the geothermal activity happening across (and beneath) Iceland, making all those hot tubs, swimming pools, greenhouses, and geothermal energy possible. Check it out:
The Golden Circle is easy to drive yourself, and the scenic beauty is something else entirely. Check out the videos below:
However I highly recommend renting a 4x4 - the weather changes quite quickly, and high speed winds caused our little 2-seater to rattle dangerously. Add low visibility to the mix and you get into a very dangerous situation - the video below was taken just before things become so much worse, to the point that we were actually praying to escape the snowstorm and get into safety. I wouldn't recommend that feeling to anyone.
Absolutely terrifying. Anyway - moving on..
And then of course - what we came for! The aurora borealis can be seen when the sky is clear and dark, and the optimal conditions are usually when the weather is cold and dry. As a naturally occurring phenomenon, the appearance of the Northern Lights is notoriously difficult to predict any further in advance than about two hours before it happens.
So as you can imagine, we booked a tour on our first night, giving us a chance to rebook and go again if we were unlucky. We saw nothing for about two hours, and just when I was about to mentally prepare myself to not see the lights that night, we did!
SO MAGICAL.
From my first visit (Feb 2019):
From my second visit (Jan 2022):
On my second visit to Iceland we also spent a night at the Silica Hotel by the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is world famous - the unique geothermal water has plenty of silica and algae, which have skin strengthening, nourishing and healing properties, and are also known to treat psoriasis.
For that reason, and because it is literally a giant outdoor spa, it is BUSY. However you don't really feel the crowd too much, as the lagoon is quite large and designed to naturally curve along the landscape, which means that there are many nooks and alcoves where you can have your privacy.
The Lagoon also has a in-water drinks bar - we had a welcome drink included as part of our hotel stay - and free silica mud masks in their in-water mask bar, to use as much as you like. It was pretty cool!
But the main highlights of the Lagoon were the perks of staying right there. The Silica hotel comes with its own Silica Lagoon, which offers exactly the same waters and properties as the Blue Lagoon, but smaller and - more importantly - reserved exclusively for hotel guests. All hotel guests have admission to the Blue Lagoon included, as well as unlimited access to Silica Lagoon. This meant that on the day of checkout, we had the entire Silica Lagoon to ourselves! Talk about an exclusive experience!
TRAVEL TIP: Do yourself a favor and book a meal at MOSS or LAVA restaurant. MOSS was fully booked when we were there so we booked ourselves a 4-course tasting menu at LAVA - and it definitely did not disappoint. The lobster bisque in particular was exquisite (and this is a dish I'm always fairly critical of) and the staff delivered an amazing surprise for Michael's birthday!
As always, more pictures in the gallery below xx
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