I am excited to tell you that the next segment of our Iceland video series is available here. Continuing with our South coast tour on Day 4, in this video we will visit the Rutshellir Caves, Skógar museum, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull, and Reynisfjara Beach. I still can’t believe how much we did in one day, but as you can see from the videos, the different stops are actually pretty close together. The time stamp on the video is in Eastern time, so add four hours to know what time it was in Iceland. Also, we added chapters to the video, so if you want to skip to a specific location, you can do that easily now. On this video I recommend you watch all the way to the end for a little funny Easter egg.
One other topic that is especially evident in the places we visit in this video, is the expectation vs. reality of visiting tourist destinations in Iceland. Scenic photos are fairly easy to get, but you definitely are not alone at most of these spots. Framing your pictures and waiting your turn creates idyllic snapshots of an empty swath of nature. The reality is a bunch of other people are also there doing exactly the same thing! Don’t be shocked if you find yourself in a crowd while you’re visiting.
The first stop is Rutshellir Caves. This area requires you to climb over a ladder to get to the caves, though you can see the entrance from the parking area. We paid 1000 ISK for parking at this location via the Parka app. Between the white horses frolicking on the hillside, and the turf houses sending my imagination into a fantasy world, I found these caves enchanting. Around 200 man-made caves can be found in South Iceland, and 41 are protected sites. This area abounds with legends of bandits, murder, and intrigue, so imagine all the possibilities as you self-tour inside these erstwhile dwellings.
The next stop in this video is Skógar Museum located right by Skógafoss. We paid 2750 ISK per person, or around $22 USD. Your ticket gets you admission into 3 museums housed in various buildings and outdoors. You truly could spend the entire day in this area alone. We spent our time in the Folk Museum and Open Air Museum areas. You can find guided tours, gift shops, a cafe, and so many really interesting exhibits. I highly recommend stopping in to learn about Iceland’s history and see some of the relics of Iceland’s past.
Only a minute or so away, you find Skógafoss. If you go on a sunny day, you’ll likely see so many rainbows! This waterfall was very crowded, as you can see in the video, and with good reason. Skógafoss defies description with its raw power and beauty. Here, you can walk right up to the base of the falls and experience the rush of the water as close as you want (this is another place you’ll want your waterproof gear), but be aware that the ground is muddy and rocky. Legends say a chest of gold can be found under the falls. In addition, if you’ve got the energy, you can climb the stairs to the very top and hike the top to see many other gorgeous waterfalls. I am unable to do that many stairs, so we enjoyed the base of the falls and a picnic lunch of rye bread with toppings under the Icelandic sun.
After a rest, we headed to Sólheimajökull, Home of the Sun Glacier. I really wanted to visit this glacier as it is rapidly melting and could disappear in only a few decades. You turn down a road and wind your way through a very scenic drive to a large parking area. We paid 750 ISK for parking via the Parka app for this location. While you can take tours, you can also simply walk down a path to find yourself very close to the glacier itself. Please, never step onto a glacier without a guide as it can be very dangerous. On the day we went, the light was beautiful and we saw so many colors in the ice.
The next and final stop of this video is Reynisfjara Beach. This beach visit had a lot of personal meaning for me. My aunt had passed away only a couple of days prior to this visit, on a beach in Hawaii much like this one with very dangerous waves. Please heed all warnings about sneaker waves on this beach, never turn your back on the water, and do not approach the waves. The good news is you can go out on the black sand and get phenomenal views while staying in the safe ranges! Reynisfjara Beach is another location where you’ll find many tourists congregating. When we went, it was rainy and windy, but still breathtakingly beautiful. Parking for us was 1000 ISK via the Parka app.
And that concludes part 2 of four videos from Day 4 of our trip. I hope you enjoy the video as we all need some moments to just chill and look at really pretty scenery. If you have questions or comments, let us know!