Icelanding

CamperStories

photo collage of a couple driving a campervan in Iceland

This is our story

Landing in Keflavik in complete daylight and realizing it’s already 1 am. Having a nap in front of Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall. Eating the best “Fish and Chips” ever in the little town of Arnarstapi. Crossing the sea in a ferry guarded by seaguls from Snæfellsnes to the Westfjords. Watching the biggest group of puffins in the most western land of Europe, Látrabjarg cliffs. Seeing completely different kinds of land by just driving 100km. Blue skies. Pink skies. Red skies.

A journey through the Icelandic landscape

Seeing Minke and Humpback whales going “down for a dive” in Húsavik Bay. Following rainbows of all shapes and forms. Admiring the most beautiful, highest and strongest waterfalls one could ever think of. Double rainbows inside waterfalls. Walking away from the footpaths when adventure requires it. Feeling completely lost driving on a gravel road in the middle of the Westfjords. Swimming pool every day shower!

Understanding the insignificance of humanity. Understanding the power of nature.

Pretending to communicate with seals. Pretending to communicate with whales. Pretending to communicate with puffins. Pretending to communicate with Icelanders. 🙂

Free coffee at the Olis! Filling the car tank every 200km scared of not finding an oil station in the next two days. Watching the busy seals fishing in glaciers’ lagoon. Watching the lazy seals camouflaging on the rocks in Vatnsnes. Contemplating the most amazing sunset at 12pm after having a hot bath in Reykjafjarðarlaug natural spring. ‘Would you lend me the camera? This is amazing’. ‘One more pic, one more pic!’

‘Don’t worry my dear, just a few more meters till the top. It will be worth it’. Pylsus at every corner. Burgers at every corner. Having breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Olis. Black sand beaches. White sand beaches. Black rock Beaches. Whiterock Beaches. Getting in the middle of a gay parade in the beautiful and remote Seyðisfjörður. Learning to respect the real owners of the road: Icelandic sheep!

Discovering natural hot springs hidden from human sight in the slow town of Djúpivogur. “Do they really call this a road?”. Hot “rotten egg” baths. Getting your face burned trying to take the best shot at the Hverir geysers. Trying to recreate the Game of Thrones scene between Jon Snow and Iris at Grótjagjá (just kidding!).

Singing the Game Of Thrones tune every time you get to a new place. Sleeping in Ikea’s campsite. Entering every 66North shop to end up buying nothing. Trying to take pictures with the perfect ‘silk effect’ at every waterfall. Watching the oil painted landscape at Landmannalaugar. Meeting up with an old Spanish friend to drink some beers at Hotel Hella. Feeling like Kalisee walking through fire in the smokey lava field of Krafla.

“That looks like a nice place to spend the night” every five minutes. Waking up with the best views ever. Chasing ducks in Þingvellir lake. Taking the perfect night shot of Harpa Opera House in Reykjavik. Seeing crazy tourists on high heels in the Golden Circle. Skýr. Driving 200 extra km on the worst road ever to watch Detifoss waterfall from both sides.

Tasting the best “Lobster soup” of Reykjavik in Sægreifinn restaurant. Having a nap parked next to Selfoss Waterfall waiting for the rain to stop. Driving 100km only to get to the closest town to charge the camera battery. Rain, sun, rain, sun, rain, sun… “Look, another golf”. ” Look, another airport”. Feeling like Walter Mitty while driving the road down to Seyðisfjörður. Singing out loud in our camper van. Driving by the HighLands on a 4×4 Bus.

Feeling grateful for having taken some extra winter clothes in the last moment. Buying an Icelandic wool hat. Taking a bath with locals in Húsavik’s natural hot tub. 1/2Kg Salted Peanuts bags. Mývatn Lake.

Hearing the ‘rrrrooooar’ of the Vatnajökull glacier breaking down into Jökulsárlón’s lagoon. Feeling like an ASTRONAUT inside a Boat’s Dry Suit. Ham & Butter sandwiches. ‘Don’t buy water, drink from the tub’. BONUS supermarket. Admiring the cutest grass covered houses in Sel Farm. Taking a 360 picture in Sjónarnípa view point, in Skaftafell Park. Cold water, hot water, cold water, hot water. Watching 6 year old kids taking ice baths. ‘Staying inside the hot pool for too long can cause Dysphagia’. The East Fjords.

The port of Stykkishólmsbær. Watching the sky melting with the sea while driving by the south. “Eyes on the road, eyes on the road”. Driving for an hour looking for the perfect spot to sleep to end up parking on a Campsite. Shooting the icebergs of the Glacier Lagoon during the sunset. Fighting against the wind. One hotel night. Feeling the wind on the face driving a Fast Zodiac in Jökulsárlón Lagoon.

Contemplating Snæfellsjökull National Park’s lava field while feeling in Mars.

Making everythings’ names up. Spending 13 days looking for a spot to hang a Hammock to end up realizing there are hardly no trees in Iceland. “Kirkjubæjarklaus… what?”. “Always be yourself. Unless you can be a Viking, then always be a Viking”. Being unable to boil water on a camping-gas. God bless the swimsuit drying machines. Charming Hofsós.

Cereals’ and Oreos’ breakfasts. ‘Please have a shower before entering the pool!’. Getting really close to the big wall to feel the immensity of Ásbyrgi canyon. Taking pictures of horses posing in front of the most amazing landscape. Are they actually trained to be models? Great expectations. Exceeding expectations.

Free camping. Cheap camping. Gold camping. 24h chasing the sun. Feeling like walking on another planet in Hverfjall Crater. Endless fields of lava. Realizing than in just 13 days the sunset has advanced more than 2 hours. Being able to spot the Hallgrímskirkja from any point in Reykjavik. Reykjavik’s cafeterias. Listening to a group of music rehearsing in an industrial building. Icelandic indie music. Icelandic art.