Yes, we can go again! After just three hours of flying, my husband, I and our two globetrotters, aged 8 and 10, end up in magical Iceland, the land of fire and ice.
After arriving at the airport we undergo a rapid test for the Coronavirus, this is beeped within five minutes. Children born in 2005 or later do not need to be tested. An hour later we are already outside with a huge big smile on our faces and start our road trip!
WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IN SOUTHERN ICELAND:
REYKJANIS PENINSULA
From the airport we make a detour to Reykjavik and explore ReykjanisPeninsula. Our first impressions are overwhelming, and we’ve traveled quite a bit anyway. It’s like we’ve landed on a completely different planet. Unbelievable, all those contrasts! The landscape changes every half hour, from Icelandic lunar landscapes to lava fields, volcanic craters and warm springs with bubbling (stinking) activities. The mask you have to wear on the plane can also be used for something else, says my daughter.
Kerid Crater
It is again a beautiful sunny morning and with a fine temperature of 15 degrees we walk around the crater rim, beautiful! The water-filled blast crater is 170 by 270 meters in size and 55 meters deep.
Thingvellir National Park
The park consists of a 6 kilometer wide and 40 kilometer long subsidence that forms the geological border between the European and the North American continent. Here you can see the direct consequence of the disintegration of the tectonic plates. Fantastic hiking here and opportunities for diving and snorkeling in the gorge between the tectonic plates in the crystal clear water. A unique place on earth.
Reykjavik, Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach
Go crazy and sunbathe in the midnight sun! In Reykjavik it is possible. Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach is equipped with changing rooms and showers, steam rooms and hot tubs. Hot water is pumped into the artificial lagoon and the result is a refreshing bathing area in the sea that in summer is on average between 15 ° -19 ° C.
Reykjavik center; colourful shopping streets, museums, shops, cosy squares, restaurants and terraces and a beautiful old harbour with quaint cottages. I love Reykjavik!
Hvalfjordur (Walvisfjord), Borgarfjordur and Hraunfosser
We drive to the fjords and waterfalls of Western Iceland. And again we are in a completely different setting, wow these fjords are so incredibly beautiful and how cool to get so close to the Lava Falls of a kilometer wide. And icelandic horses everywhere, so beautiful. This day we are on the road with a private guide, who is especially impressed by some of the kids we encounter, how funny.
Blue Lagoon
Due to the usual crowds, it is wise to book this hotspot in advance, as it is full. Now the visitor rate is 50% of ‘normal’. Do you want to bathe in complete peace, not stand too close together, use your own luxury dressing room with two walk-in showers, luxury care products, spa facilities (in swimwear), delicious lounges and a full Blue Lagoon treatment? Then opt for the exclusive Blue Lagoon Retreat access. The Retreat is normally open to people over the age of 12; we are fortunate to have an exception made for our children who are not yet 12 because it is very quiet and they look so good out of their eyes :). How wonderful to end such an in actually undescriptively overwhelming week, lucky us!
