By Ricardo Gil
Camperstory submission September 2024
My husband and I met in high school, 18 years ago. On one of our first dates, we talked about places we dreamed about visiting. Iceland was the number one for both of us. We grew up in Brazil and to us, the thought of seeing volcanoes and glaciers was different from everything we were used to. We are also huge fantasy stories fans. Yearning for an adventure like Lord of the Rings (well, minus the life-threatening parts obviously).
Life happened – college, work, moving – and Iceland was always postponed. This year, our friend Rob showed us pictures of his trip and talked about how amazing it was. That was the push we needed and we bought plane tickets that same day.
The tickets were bought 2 months in advance. We had time to plan an itinerary, buy appropriate gear (raingear, hiking boots, etc), and most importantly, decide how we wanted to do it. We knew we wanted it to be as immersive as possible. After researching on the internet we decided to rent a van with Rent.is. Which seemed to be the easiest and most affordable option.
1st day – Arrival + Reykjavík
We arrived in Iceland on August 16th at the Keflavík airport and were picked up by the Rent.is agent. A very tall and friendly man who drove us to the van rental lot. There we were offered a much-needed cup of coffee and quickly set up a contract. The employee showing us the van, an automatic VW Caddy Camper, answered all of our questions and showed us where everything was. We were ready to go!
Off to our first stop: Reykjavík. What a fun, vibrant city! We parked the van and looked for food. Obviously, blissfully unaware that the very first thing we tried would have us addicted to it. The cinnamon bun from Brauð & Co. Now fueled, we strolled through the city, seeing the National Museum (highly recommended, we learned a lot about Icelandic history, geography and culture). The Hallgrímskirkja church. The shops at Laugavegur (we got an Icelandic wool blanket that helped keep us warm in the van). The Rainbow street, the Phallological Museum (where I learned I’m as tall as a Humpback Whale’s penis). The Concert Hall… and so many cats downtown (cat lovers here)! We got some hot dogs and ended the day checking the Bónus grocery store. Then drove to the Mosskógar camping ground. We had our first night sleeping in the van after walking more than 20k steps!
For anyone that never stayed at a campsite before: the camping grounds in Iceland are incredible! Most of them have great Wi-Fi, a nice space for breakfast with tables and chairs, appliances like microwaves and electric kettles, and nice sized sinks for brushing teeth and washing dishes. Some even have washer and dryer machines. There’s always a tap to fill your bottles with fresh water. The bathrooms are clean and the hot showers feel amazing.
2nd day – Golden Circle + Secret Lagoon
We woke up ready for a 2nd day full of adventures – starting with the Þingvellir National Park. Þingvellir is one of Iceland’s most important historical sites. The parliament was founded there and assembled each summer until the end of the Old Commonwealth in the 13th century. It lies on the junction of two tectonic plates that are.
always diverging causing fissures throughout the zone. The fissure is an unbelievable view and makes you aware of how alive our planet is.
We headed for the Geyser Geothermal Area. It’s a 60km drive from Þingvellir, through flat farmland landscape with the mountains in the horizon. A bucolic scenery like driving through The Shire. The name Geyser is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa which means “to go quickly forward”. That’s exactly what it does! Well, at least one of them, Strokkur, which erupts every 4-10 minutes. It gives a great show to all tourists around. The Great Geyser, the one that gave origin to the name geyser, is now dormant. But is still a magnificent sight, showcasing a strong sulfuric smell. There are many other little geysers and hot springs around, and you feel like you’re in another planet.
To finish the Golden Circle tour, we went to Gullfoss. A very impressive waterfall in the canyon of the Hvítá River. Then, we were off to Secret Lagoon, the oldest natural pool in Iceland, warmed by little geysers nearby. The water is clean and stays at around 38-40 degrees Celsius all year round. It’s so relaxing it makes you want to stay there for hours. That night we camped in Flúðir.
3rd day – Waterfalls + Paradise Cave + Vík
The Flúðir campsite didn’t have a kitchen facility. So this morning we put the van’s utensils to use and boiled some water for coffee.
After an hour drive, we arrived at Seljalandsfoss. Oh my. There is no other word for this waterfall than legendary. It makes you want to get as close as possible to bask in its magnificent glory. Bring raingear because you will not want to miss the opportunity to walk all the way around it. To my amusement, if you continue walking the trail a minute or two. Enter a rock crevice and cross a stream of water (bring waterproof shoes!). You will be rewarded with the sight of Gljúfrabúi, a gorge that looks like a sacred place. There were many tourists there. But that didn’t take anything away from the feeling you get being in a place like this.
From there, we went to Paradísarhellir aka Paradise Cave. It’s believed to have originated as a magma channel, eventually becoming a gas tunnel. There’s a long walk to the base of the cliff. Then a 10m vertical climb up till you see the cave opening. That’s how far we could reach. Then there’s a strenuous ascent that you can make with the help of a chain that was installed there. Guess we need to hit the gym more often when we get back home. The sight of cows and sheep were reward enough this time.
On the way to Skógafoss, we were on the lookout for the Bra Fence. Yes, you read that right. There’s a fence located across Lake Holtsós covered in bras. No one truly knows how the tradition started. But we stopped by and left a white lace bra as an offering. Hope it brings good luck!
Waterfalls
Next stop: Skógafoss, a 62m high waterfall. The ancient coastal cliffs were formed by marine erosion at the end of the last ice age. You can walk to the pool underneath. The waterfall generates a huge amount of spray, creating a beautiful rainbow. Or.. walk almost 500 steps uphill for a better view. Listen… it was a sunny but very windy day. The steps felt shaky and the handrailing was not contiguous. So this acrophobic girl did not make it all the way to the top. My husband braved the climb and got pretty pictures up there though!
Walking a bit further we reached Kvernufoss, the less visited Skógafoss’ neighbor. It’s only half as high as Skógafoss, but don’t let that prevent you from visiting it. The views from behind it are spectacular and the trail to get there will make you feel like you’re almost reaching Rivendell. We spent some time just admiring the ethereal view and then got back to the van.
It was still sunny when we arrived in Vík. We shared some loaded fries and a Gull beer at Ströndin Pub. We then went for a walk on the black sand beach. Then we were the only ones there at the time. We felt so lucky to have that view all for ourselves. If you’re traveling with someone you love, every moment feels magical. This will always be one of my favorites – the sun was almost setting and we just sat on the rocks talking about life. This night we stayed at Vík Camping, and the hot shower there made us feel brand new.
4th day – Plane Wreck + Yoda Cave + Black sand beach
How about a 7km walk to start your day? If it sounds as good to you as it sounded to us, you might consider doing the walk that leads to a plane wreck site at Sólheimasandur. It took us 3 hours to hike it both ways in very strong wind (I was very glad to be wearing a windproof jacket). The plane wreck made for a great photo location, the somber energy in the air matching the cloudy weather.
From there we found our way to Dyrhólaey, the most southerly point in Iceland. The peninsula is 120m high and at the top of it there’s a castle-looking lighthouse. The view of the gigantic black arch of lava standing in the sea was what made the climb worth it to us. Oh, and the puffins, obviously. I thought they would resemble penguins, but they look more like chubby parrots. We saw many puffins nesting on the vertical cliffs. They were coming very close to the tourists, almost posing for the many cameras pointed at them.
Black beach
Driving down Dyrhólaey we found the Reynisfjara beach. Covered with black volcanic ash and dark rocks, this is the coolest looking beach we have ever seen. But the cherry on top were the hexagonally shaped basalt columns created by lava. The strong waves eroded some of the structure creating sea caves. There’s no photograph that can make it justice: the texture, the lines, the cracked rocks make for an unmatched vision. Truly wonderful how something like this is under constant transformation from the sea, the wind, and the weather. Still stands tall and magnificent like this. Almost threatening. In reality, actually threatening. The beach is divided into zones depending on the conditions. Sneaker waves, rockfall and rockslides pose a real danger to visitors.
We got delicious burgers and a local beer flight at Smiðjan Brugghús. And some Wi-Fi connection to update family and friends, before we headed to the Yoda Cave. It was early afternoon and from the inside of the cave we could see the sun shining. Timidly from behind the clouds. Made us wonder if anyone ever had to use this place as a shelter.
Back at Vik, we fueled up the van and parked at the camping site. For some snacks, a hot shower, and a well deserved rest.
5th day – Eldhraun + Dverghamrar + Skaftafell
This was one of those “put the jacket on, take the jacket off every five minutes” kind of day, but at least the sun was shining, which meant walking long distances to see glaciers and (surprise) more waterfalls. Soon we were in Eldhraun, the lava fields covered in a thick moss carpet. There’s a little path where you can walk through the moss field and get really close to it. This was such an exquisite sight, it felt otherworldly.
Equally impressive is Dverghamrar, the “Dwarf Cliffs”. The contraction and cooling of the lava formed basalt columns that stand imponent over green fields. We climbed a few of the lower columns and enjoyed the view for a while.
Until now it looked like we were crossing Rivendell, but we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because suddenly it felt like we were slowly approaching Mordor. The scenery started looking more and more desolate, the ground got darker and we seemed much closer to the mountains.
Our next stop was Skaftafell. The visitor center had lots of geological and historical info and maps. We headed for Skaftafellsjökull, one of our most awaited destinations. And it did not disappoint – we got as close as we could to the glaciers. The trail was rocky like the moon’s surface, the water was freezing cold and we never felt more alive. Svartifoss was on the opposite side, following a trail up the mountain, a gorgeous waterfall surrounded by basalt columns. How can the universe sculpt such a magnificent masterpiece? It’s breathtaking.
That night we stayed at the Skaftafell campsite. There was a sign on the bathroom doors warning about a wind storm the next day but we decided not to worry too much until the morning.
6th day – Glaciers + Viking Village + Diamond Beach
The wind was STRONG that day. It took us a few minutes to gather the courage to get out of our sleeping bags this morning. But we really needed some coffee, and even a little bird joined us for breakfast.
The east
Our first stop was the Fjallsárlón glacial lagoon, located on the southern end of Vatnajökull glacier, 47km far from Skaftafell. We saw people getting on their rafts, while we decided to take the less adventurous route and just walked around in our raingear, getting really close to watch the icebergs drift from place to place. Despite the strong winds, there was a peaceful energy in the air.
Just a few minutes ahead is the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, where you can see the icebergs of the Öræfajökull glacier that have broken off and floating out to the sea. We saw a seal very briefly – they are easily disturbed – and walked under the bridge through excruciatingly harsh wind. Taking pictures was a difficult task and we could hardly take our hands out of our pockets. The sight of the turquoise blue icebergs is forever imprinted in our minds though.
Coffee break
We drove to the Viking Café near Höfn for a very much-needed hot chocolate and some warm waffles and then braved a walk through rain and wind in the Viking Village nearby, built as a movie set for a Universal Studios production. We roamed around a little bit, exploring every detail.
This was the furthest stop in our planned itinerary, so we started the drive back to Reykjavík, stopping at Diamond Beach for more iceberg pictures. There were a lot of people there despite the cold. The views are incredible and we got to stand on top of
the ice pieces spread along the shore. A small wave caught me off guard and my socks got soaked. We laughed about it and went back to the van.
We drove back to the Vík camping, the wind so strong my husband had to drive right to go straight.
7th day – Reykjavík part 2 + Sky Lagoon + Volcano eruption
Driving back to Reykjavík was a bittersweet feeling – the trip was coming to an end, but the memories we made would be with us forever. We got to see the beautiful landscape shifting once more: the cold mountains turning into lava fields, then the moss carpet, the green mountains, and their waterfalls, the plain farmlands covered in sheep.
In Reykjavík
Back in the main city, we went to Loki Cafe to try some local cuisine, including the famous fermented shark. We were told you have to chew it really well for a few seconds before swallowing it, and when the ammonia aftertaste hits you, you clear it with a shot of Brennivín. The shark wasn’t too bad – but the Brennivín was much stronger than our Brazilian Cachaça and to me it felt like sipping fire. I suppose it might make the Icelandic winter a bit easier. The rye bread covered with mashed fish that we had afterward was delicious though. Other great treats from this day were the pulled lamb in a hot dog bun and the Valdís ice cream. But Iceland will forever be known to us as the land of the cinnamon buns, so we headed to Brauð & Co. to hunt for them. The nice girl behind the counter said that if we bought 2 we would get one for free, so that felt like a win.
Later, we went to Sky Lagoon to relax during the whole adventure. After putting our things away and showering, we entered the lagoon and enjoyed the sunset in the warm water. Then, we did the Skjól Ritual – cold plunge, sauna, cold mist, body scrub, steam, elixir drink – and went back into the Lagoon. People started gathering at the border of the infinity pool: a volcano eruption started at the Sundhnúkur crater and we could see red smoke coming out of it. Maybe someone threw a ring in Mount Doom? I guess we did end up in Mordor. What a great ending for our Tolkienesque adventure.
An erruption
From the Hafnarfjörður campsite, we could see the red smoke more clearly and took our time admiring this force of nature that was illuminating the night sky in red. The land of Ice and Fire indeed. Later we googled the incident and learned that the eruption wasn’t enough to evacuate Grindavík (the nearby town) and apparently everyone around was safe.
8th day – Thor’s Power Gym + Returning the van + Keflavík Airport
All packed and ready to go home, we made a brief stop at Thor’s Power Gym, owned by HafÞór Björnsson, the professional strongman who holds numerous titles from multiple strength federations, and who also played Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane in the Game of Thrones series. The amount of lifting tools was enormous and the size of the weights was impressive. He was not present but there was a warm reception from the people working at the gym, and they suggested we took a photo with a life-sized cardboard cutout of him. At 2.05m (6ft9in) and 180kg, even the cardboard HafÞór looks gigantic compared to us.
Driving to Keflavík, we could still see the volcano somewhat active. We arrived at the Rent.is location to return the van, and the process was quick and easy. We were taken to the airport promptly with plenty of time for security checks and even some last minute pictures and souvenir shopping at the duty free store.
The flight was on time and we were left with a grateful feeling for everything in our Icelandic adventure – the hikes and sights, the friendly Icelandic people, the clean and accessible campings, and the opportunity to experience all of this at our own pace, thanks to the option of renting an affordable and fully equipped van from Rent.is.
Top tips
- Rent a van at Rent.is and do your own adventure on your own rhythm: this is guaranteed to make your experience as immersive as possible
- Go with someone you love: this can be a physically and mentally exhausting trip, so make sure you’re in great company
- If you’re a fantasy fan, watch Lord of the Rings beforehand (I’m aware it wasn’t filmed in Iceland, but it will make you feel like you’re in an epic journey just like it)
- Be respectful of nature and wildlife: don’t disturb the animals you might encounter along the way, don’t leave trash behind, stay on the trails
- Bring appropriate gear: raingear, windproof jacket, hiking shoes
- Hit the local grocery store (we recommend Bónus) and stick to the simple stuff (protein bars, sandwiches, fruits, nuts, chips): less time meal prepping, more time sightseeing
- Allow yourself to experience new things: try the local cuisine, do some local shopping, and hit the hot springs (Sky Lagoon was so worth it!)
- Be mindful of cultural differences: there are tourists from all over the world and we are all trying to have a good time
- Be prepared to adjust your plans depending on weather conditions
- Be present: turn off the internet during the day and enjoy the moment!
#VANcation #camperstories
