By Carles Granell
Camperstory submission September 2024
Day 1
Landing at Keflavik Airport at 3 AM can actually be an impacting experience for those of us used to the Mediterranean climate. But it’s only a weather issue: immediately the lights from the sky catch your attention, a mix of blue, black, and grey that produces a sense of myth and deep beauty. The cold air wakes us up from the long flight and we realize we’ve reached the land where (in summer) the sun never fully sets.
With the courtesy of our kind driver, we reach the offices of Rent.is and the agent showed us around what will be our home for the next 8 days: a beautiful, fully equipped white volkswagen California van. Our moving house is set to leave for the adventure, and after some appreciated indications from our officer, we are excited to hit the road.
A quick supermarket and coffee stop will become our chance to learn the first words in the local language, and we can thank Bjarni, who filled up our water tank for free, in his mother tongue. Just a few hours here and we already have proof of the famous Icelandic kindness. Now, the Golden Circle awaits us, and the white van is already halfway there.
To learn the history of a country seems like a good way to start visiting it, so we were delighted to stop at Þingvellir National Park, the impacting scenario where the first parliament on earth celebrated its sessions. The austere look of the place contrasts with its historical importance, but the waterfalls and mountains make it unnecessary to raise monuments: the place itself breathes history.
After a few hours there we realized this place offers the visitor a special spot every few kilometers. In Kerio, we will be able to say we’ve been in the crater of a volcano for the first time on this trip; we hope it won’t be the last.
The next stop is special. Have you ever seen around 100 people gathered around a crater of boiling water? It may seem strange, but the wait is more than justified: eventually, water flushes from the earth itself, and a geiser appears in front of our eyes. After seeing it on so many occasions online, this time we’ll be able to proudly show our friends in Barcelona we’ve seen it with our own eyes.
But amusement is only starting: the Gulfoss waterfall leaves us hypnotized with its magnificent beauty. The brute force of nature is in front of us, and coming from an area with severe droughts, the waterfall is a present, a reminder of the importance and beauty of this essential resource that water is. Could we get some and bring it home with us? It seems you’ve got plenty!
We are enjoying Iceland a lot, but tiredness and hunger are starting to knock on the door, so we find a nice picnic area where we cook some macaroni bolognese. Who needs a palace when you can have a metal table, four comfortable seats, and the company of your friends? We finish our lunch and decide it’s time to take a nap. The van is so well equipped and instructions are so well explained that we get our suite ready in a few minutes, and we honestly can’t remember the last time we had such a great and comfortable sleeping time. We feel like we are falling in love with our California Beach.
But we weren’t really prepared for what was to come after this. The Haifoss waterfall took our breath away at first sight. It was so spectacular we couldn’t miss the chance to walk down the way to the bottom of it, and between rocks and graves, we discovered the majestic elegance of the water falling like an iron curtain.
After so many experiences for just one day, we made some Spanish tortillas and went to our comfortable beds, dreaming of waterfalls, mountains, and lakes that meet the sky. Rjúpnavellir Camping was our first experience, and even though it was the first day, we actually felt quite well there!
Day 2
We can say we have tested our van’s endurance and toughness, and it has widely passed the test. Our visit to Landmannalaugar was like going on a rollercoaster, with our camper filled with clay and our vehicle crossing rivers in order to get to this magnificent national park.
But it ain’t no mountain high enough to keep us away from our goal and we’ve managed to get the last parking spot available. From the parking lot, we started to hike, being absolutely astonished by the colors of the mountains, the large valleys, and the rivers of what one day used to be lava from the volcanoes, which reminded us of the lunar surfaces, and finding white smoke and intense heat in the most random spot in the mountain. Mountain after mountain, we were amazed at the beauty of the place and it seemed like we could be climbing all day.
Landmannlaugar is as impressive as it gets; a gift for the eyes, a pleasure for the senses. On our way back, we have temptations of getting our head on the river and tasting the clear water. The freezing temperatures get the idea out of our heads.
At night, once we check in at Selfoss camping, we pull up the tent and extend the mattress, and it actually starts feeling like home.
Day 3
If anyone had told us a week ago it was possible to sleep so well on a 4×2 m2 vehicle, we’d have called him crazy. But the heating system, the comfort of the beds, and the tiredness we are already feeling make us fall asleep as soon as our heads touch the pillows the company has provided us with.
The air is fresh and we are in the mood for some more waterfalls. We’ve discovered in Iceland it is possible many times to go around the waterfall and see it from below the water curtain, so we’ll spend most of today hypnotized by the beauty of the water falling against the rocks and taking photos of every small detail.
From Kvernufoss we will travel to Solheimasandur, a place where there was a plane wreck whose pieces can still be seen on the beach. The 7km hike from the parking makes us doubt for a second, but once there, turns out the place deserves it. At the end of the day, it’s not like we get to see a wrecked plane every week.
After a quick pit stop at Vik’s camping to have lunch with our camping gas, we get to Halsanefshellir, a beach filled with caves and curious rocks that really get our attention. The rest of the afternoon is dedicated to getting the best images of the puffins that fill the cliffs around Vik. Those little, white and black birds, whose cuteness is undisputed, are in our galleries in all possible positions. Why can’t we have those in Catalonia?
It’s enough for today, and Vik Campiste awaits us to get some deserved rest. Góða nótt!
Day 4
Today we will be at the eastern point of our trip. Skaftafell will be the place where we spend our morning, with a beautiful hike around the park, an obligated stop in Svartifoss – we don’t get tired of waterfalls – and the impressive beauty of a glacier in Morsarfoss, where, even though we are direct witnesses of the climate change effects, the white mass in front of us makes us start to understand why its called Ice-land.
But we’ve yet to see the most impressive ice landscape of our trip. In the Diamond Beach, we discover a black sand beach filled with icebergs. The places get out our sense of humor and we capture memories for us and smiles from our friends and families back home. 3,2,1… Here’s your Titanic impersonation.
The way back to the campsite is a trip around road “1”, where we get to see the most amazing landscapes; all of them with the rain constantly falling. We’re lucky we got a van and not a cabriolet.
In Hveragerdi, we arrive at Reykjamörk Campsite, and we receive the visit of a local who wants to share a cigarette. Unfortunately, we don’t smoke, but the visit gives us a chance to learn some special things about Iceland and its people, surviving through the ages in this extreme climate, and keeping this justified pride in their wonderful country.
Day 5
It’s called Iceland, but it could be called waterfall-land. After a good night of sleep and cooking the usual breakfast around our van – we are absolute enjoyers of some Nutella and bread sandwiches to wake up our bodies and spirits – we visit Bjarnarfoss. We are unsure if there is a term to describe the urge a visitor feels to climb every mountain he sees in Iceland, but it seems like we’ve been affected by a FOMO cascade – and every time we do climb, it’s always worth it.
Yesterday we were so obsessed with the puffins we actually missed the chance to photograph some seals. We’re told they are always around the beaches of Jokulsarlon, so we head there, and wow! We weren’t expecting the chance to see them so good, it’s as If they actually posed to salute you. We do as much as we can to be respectful to them, but that does not mean we can’t get fantastic shots of these wonderful creatures.
A good trip is always a one with some improvisation. On our way to our next stop, we notice the existence of the Raudfeldsgja Gorge. Once we get there it’s obvious that we are not the only ones. Nevertheless, we keep going and we are immediately thankful for it. A breach between two mountains, the gorge is a wonderful creation of nature, a place you think God himself must have created. The rocks in the river seem to be strategically placed so that you can keep going, and we are amazed at the beauty of the place and thankful we decided to stop here. Our California Beach awaits us in the parking lot to continue, with a Cola and Cookies stop to catch our breath.
The last stop of our day is in Kirkjufell, a mountain of a very curious form whose color and shape immediately catch the eye. It’s as if someone had painted it on the horizon – we immediately get boots on the ground to make sure it is real. Even though the clay makes the climb kind of showy, the excursion is absolutely worth it. At the highest point, the sun is setting at the Grundarfjardarhofn Bay, and we realize we are in one of these places where you realize how small your problems are. The way down is magnificent, and once we arrive at Olafsvik camping, we are sad to realize today is our last day in our fantastic van. We don’t want to let go, but time moves fast when you have fun and our trip is nearly over. Good night!
Day 6
Everything comes to an end in this life. Today we’ve woken up with our hearts filled with the experiences and views from these days, and the memory of Iceland will forever be in our hearts, but we realize this adventure we’ve shared is coming to an end.
Today we’ll still have time to visit the last stop in our trip: Helgafellssveit, a beautiful location full of amazing craters and mountains. We’ve had time to breathe heavily, enjoy our last hours in the country, and realize what an amazing experience we’ve had.
They say you enjoy a trip three times: while you plan it, while you actually do it, and while remembering it. Our experience is coming to an end but the memories of the trip will be with us for years to come.
With deep sadness, we’ve reached Reykjavik and we’re headed to rent.is offices, where we give back the furgo and thank the company for all the attention and easy instructions they’ve given us. If we come back to Iceland someday, we will surely rent our camper van with this company.
Happiness is found in three key aspects: liberty of movement, no fear, and good company. In the wonderful trip we’ve made with our camper van, we’ve found all of them.
Thank you, Iceland, and see you really soon.
#VANcation #camperstories
