By Abel Martinez
Camperstory submission September 2024
Traveling through Iceland in a camper means waking up each day in a different landscape, where wild nature guides you, and the road becomes your best adventure companion. Like many things in life, this began with the phrase, “What if we do something outside of our comfort zone?” And just like that, overnight, we found ourselves with a ticket to Iceland, a strong desire for adventure, and a suitcase to check-in. There was still one important thing left for the trip, where would we sleep? We knew that a trip like this had to be enjoyed to the fullest, so we decided that we had to do this journey in a camper. Yes, it was our first experience with this type of travel, but certainly not our last.
This travel style allowed us to stop in the most remote and solitary corners, enjoy the idyllic landscapes of Iceland, eat in front of waterfalls, sleep almost on a glacier, and live without any fixed plans, embracing the adventure that is life.
Day 1, Golden Circle
After a short sleep on our first night, we started our trip traveling to the Golden Circle. The first stop, the National Park Thingvellir, where you can spend about 2 hours visiting it. You’ll see the separation between the European and North American tectonic plates and where Iceland’s Parliament was founded.
Then, we went to Geysir, the first Geyser found by a man who named this geological formation. The landscape is like another planet, but you’ll find a lot of places in Iceland where you’re going to feel like that. A lot of small hot streams, holes with boiling water, and three Geysers, the most famous called Geysir. One of the Geysers expels water every 7-15 mins and it’s pretty impressive.
Not too far, you can find Gullfoss, a waterfall with a stunning flow rate. The noise there is incredibly loud, you can walk by several paths to different platforms to see this amazing place. I’d advise you to wear a raincoat because the water spreads when it falls.
We ended our day in Selfoss, a small village with several supermarkets. On the way, we stopped in Kerid Crater, a small volcano with a lake inside the crater. It costs about 2,5€ per person.
NOTE: You will find a lot of places ending in foss, which means waterfall in the Icelandic language.
Day 2, Highlands
Our day started as usual in the camperlife, picking all ingredients from the van’s fridge to go to the campsite kitchen to prepare the breakfast and get a shower. This was going to be a tough day because we’d spent almost all the day in the Highlands.
On the road to Hella, where we had the bus departure to the Highlands, we stopped at Urriðafoss, another glacier foss not very busy, maybe because it was earlier in the morning.
The bus to Landmannalaugar departed at 9:30 from Hella, but the bus had some problems and we had to wait 1 hour and a half for another bus. Finally, we arrived at Landmannalaugar at 13:00 after driving about 50km on an F-type road. Only the bus trip was worth it, incredible and desolate landscapes, crossing rivers, a lot of wild sheep and horses… But what we found at Landmannalaugar campsite was amazing, mountains with multiple colors, volcanos, rivers, and also lower temperatures. Nothing to envy about the mountain of the 7 colors in Perú.
We had 5 hours to spend on an 11 km hike through the incredible landscape. It’s not an easy hike, you have to cross some little streams and climb two mountains with 800m of elevation gain in total. Before going to climb the second hill, we decided to take a shortcut because we weren’t sure we would arrive on time at the campsite because of the bus delay.
If you are a true adventurer, you have to spend a night in this area because there are many hikes to do in the area.
Finally, we slept in the Hella camping because we were exhausted at the end of the day.
Day 3, South Iceland
We were starting one of the most beautiful days we spent in Iceland, but we didn’t know it yet. A sunny day makes your day, and in Iceland is rare, but it was the day with the best temperature 14-15oC of all our holidays.
Everywhere you look in this part of the island you will see a waterfall, small, large, high… It’s a spectacle, and you don’t need to go too far from the highway. Our first stop was Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui, two of the most famous waterfalls. In the first one, you can go through the back and in the second one you have to go into a kind of cave. Maybe you’ll take the photo of the year for your Instagram.
On our way to the next stop, we decided to take a bath in a sort of natural hot pool, Seljavallalaug. I wasn’t too convinced because I’d read that it had green algae, but trust me, it’s in an incredible place on the edge of a canyon with a glacial river and 15-minute walk from the car park along a natural path.
It’s time for lunch, so we park at the Skógafoss’ campsite to prepare our meal and enjoy the scenery, one of the advantages of traveling with a campervan and unique to us. Things like this make you wonder where and when you’ll be on your next camper holidays. It’s summer and there are many hours of daylight, so we already had time to visit other awesome places, the Dyrhólaey peninsula where you’ll see puffins in the cliffs, Reynisfjara beach, the Vik’s church, and many other spots.
Day 4, Summer ice
I still remember the morning of that day, when we decided to do a route on the Vatnajökull glacier starting from Lake Jökulsárlón with the company Guide to Iceland, and I cannot remember feeling so cold for years. We live in a cold area of Spain, with up to -5°c in winter, but walking on a glacier and entering an ice cave was one of the most incredible and coldest experiences of our lives.
While we were freezing, our guide was wearing short sleeves and a merino wool fleece, one of those sheep that you come across while driving. At the end of the tour, he said to us: “Enjoy the day, it’s nice today”.
At the end, we approached Diamond Beach, black sand and icebergs that reach the shore so you can take pictures and enjoy the wonders of nature. An environment that changes every day.
It was summer and it was time to go to the beaches because later we went to Stokness, a mountain range with a black sand beach next to it. In this place, you can see a Viking village that fits perfectly with the environment, but I warn you that it is only a movie set, no one has really lived there. To enter you have to pay at the cafe and for the first time you didn’t have to pay per vehicle, but per person.
What to say about this beach? One of the most photographed and according to all the blogs one of the most beautiful you can find in Iceland, however I was disappointed and from my point of view, it was nothing out of this world, maybe the day was not good and a cloud did not let us appreciate the mountain to the fullest. After this experience and a few hours of driving, we decided to stop because we were tired and leave the rest for another day. In our planning, we had left a day in reserve for unforeseen events that might occur.
But as this trip has taught me, you have to let yourself go, and to improve the day we decided that the best option was to go to the hot springs of Vök. It was a great decision. Not only were we able to take a shower in a very nice place and escape for a moment from camping life, but we were also able to enjoy a sauna, three hot springs, and the experience of bathing in the icy waters of the adjacent lake. Without a doubt, a great experience that I highly recommend.
Day 5, Northeast rainy day
The previous day was longer than expected, so we could not do a trail that we decided to do that morning. A route to see one of the highest (30 meters) waterfalls in Iceland, Litlanesfoss, was one of the most surprising. For the last part of the route, to see it more closely, you have to go through a path between stones. If you feel safe do not hesitate to do it, from there some incredible photos.
After the route we went to the village Seydisfjordur, known as one of the most beautiful in Iceland, and what a pity that it was not good for us. It breathed tranquility and the wooden houses gave a cozy touch, but do not forget the famous crosswalk in the colors of the LGBTQ flag, because if you do not know, Iceland is an LGTBQ-friendly country. On the way to the next point we decided to stop at a liquor store, the only place in Iceland where you can buy alcoholic beers and other liquors. The most famous ones are from a brand called Vinbudin.
The day was a bit truncated because it was a very rainy and cold day. We were able to see the Dettifoss waterfall and drive to Husavik where we decided to spend the night so that we could do some things the next day that we had left unfinished. That night we went to dinner at a typical Icelandic restaurant, Naustið, which happens to be run by some Spanish people who managed to make room for us, as it is almost impossible to get a table without a reservation. Highly recommended and good price for Iceland, and after a few days of gas camping food tasted even better.
Day 6, Northern and Akureyri
Our sixth day started with visiting places that we could not see the day before due to rain and bad weather. The day was clear and that gave us the energy to start a route around Hverfjall volcano, going up from the parking lot and down the other side to the Dimmuborgir lava field. We also had time to get close to the Grjótagjá cave, which appears in Game of Thrones and contains hot springs.
The next stop, an hour’s drive away, was Goðafoss, the waterfall of the gods. A beautiful waterfall with a large parking lot that allowed us to take out the table and chairs and prepare a sandwich to continue the day.
Not far away is Akureyri, the capital of the north and the second largest city in Iceland. The truth is that it is a city that seems small and very Icelandic. There are no tall buildings or wooden houses and it has a church that resembles the one in Reykjavik, but much smaller. Within an hour and a half, we were able to see the center and enter a souvenir shop to buy a souvenir, in our case a fridge magnet, which we traditionally buy wherever we go.
The truth is that this day made us a little tired at the end, because we had a 3-hour drive to the campsite where we spent the night and not too much to visit near the ring road.
Day 7, Snæfellsnes
We started the day knowing that it would be the last day to visit landscapes in Iceland since we had left the last day to be in Reykjavik. We left for the end of the trip the Snæfellsnes peninsula, a place that was highly recommended because they say it is like Iceland in small, with waterfalls, volcanoes, lava fields, a glacier, and lots of green. Although it looks like a long drive on the map, it is only about 2-3 hours by car and compared to the thrashing we got the day before, it was nothing.
We started to see the Grábrók volcano, which is not on the peninsula yet but was on our way. It is free and you can climb up some stairs, the view is worth it. The next stop was Selvallafoss or the Sheep’s Waterfall. It is not one of those waterfalls you will find in all the guidebooks, but it was right next to the road and we felt like stopping to stretch our legs. If you have time, you can walk behind the waterfall and take some pretty cool pictures.
The first stop inside the peninsula was the famous mountain Kirkjufell, I think it is one of the photos you see most often in any travel blog and the truth is that it does not disappoint, of course here you will not be as alone as the previous points. If you are a photography lover, we recommend you go at an early hour to not meet people and be able to take pictures without problems.
Because it started to rain a little bit, we stopped at a gas station on the N1 to get some soup and to get out of the rain. In the afternoon we visited some more points, a crater, a very black sandy beach with the remains of a shipwreck, the black church, and the beach where you can see seals, and yes there were seals, at least at the time we visited. Like every day we ended up very tired but very happy at the same time as we knew that our trip was coming to an end.
Day 8, Reykjavík
To end this journey, we decided to spend the day and sleep in Reykjavik. We already knew this great adventure was coming to an end, but we wanted to make the most of every little detail, so we got up, made ourselves a delicious breakfast, and set out for the capital of the land of ice.
To make the trip more enjoyable, since we had a two-hour drive ahead, we decided to make some stops, taking the opportunity to visit two waterfalls: Barnafoss and Hraunfossar. The first one has a legend associated with its name: “Some parents left to attend the Christmas mass, leaving their children alone. Upon returning, they only found their footprints leading to a natural arch over the waterfall. The children had fallen into the river while trying to cross, which is why the arch was destroyed after this tragedy.”
We continued our journey to the capital. Once we arrived, we parked the camper and took a walk around the city to see its charm. By the time we arrived, it was lunchtime, so we decided to take the opportunity to have a hot soup and shelter ourselves from the cold and rain. After a brief and expensive stop, we decided to walk to all the most iconic spots in Reykjavik and also stop for a beer.
Since we arrived at the campsite early, we decided to do something extra and found some outdoor public pool 15 minutes away, which we went to without hesitation and we’re glad we did.
The price was 7€ per person and we experienced a true Icelandic moment. We saw children playing with a ball in the pool while it was raining and it was 6oC while the water inside was warm, and people coming out of the sauna and resting in chairs to cool off in the rain. It’s an image that’s etched in our minds and a perfect scene to end the trip.
The next day, our flight was leaving early, so we packed up the camper and went to sleep to get up early.
Tips for the travel
- Not all campgrounds have electrical hookups, and you have to pay extra for them, so keep that in mind when choosing your camper. We chose one with heating and a fridge connected to a battery, and it was the best decision. When you’re looking for a camper, one without heating might be cheaper, but you may end up paying for it later at the campsites.
- Alcohol in Iceland is very restricted, you only can buy alcoholic beverages in special shops, and they have strange opening hours. For the drivers, the limit of alcohol in the air to drive is only 0,05 %, very restrictive. Be careful with the sheep, they cross the highway all the time or they are eating too close to the road.
- Do not enter F-Roads if you do not have a 4×4 and you’re a skilled driver, because sometimes you’ll have to cross rivers, and can be dangerous without experience.
- If you have time, go to a public pool. There are so many around the country, they are cheap and clean and you could get a shower if the campsite doesn’t have one. If the weather is cold or rainy, you’ll witness the true Viking spirit.
- Getting clear skies to see the Northern Lights can be a challenge. There were days when the probability was 6/10 according to the experts, but the sky was cloudy, making it impossible to see them.
Conclusion
Iceland is the kind of country that, once you visit, you’ll want to go back. You can go as many times as you want, and each experience will feel different. A country for photographers, a country for adventurers, a country to enjoy, a country to travel by camper.
Here are the top sites that we liked the most
- Snaefellsnes peninsula
- Goðafoss
- Highlands
- South of Iceland
Thank you for reading about our Iceland exploration, Abel & Ana
#VANcation #camperstories
