I was looking forward to returning to Iceland, because this amazing country has once and for all taken a place of honor in my heart. First, I recommend reading the essay from last year's trek - Discovering Iceland. There my impressions of the first acquaintance with this wonderful country are described in detail. Now I will only tell you about the differences between the hikes in 2014 and 2015, and elaborate on the excursion part of the program.
The trekking (6 days of real hiking in the mountains of Landmannaulagara and Tosmorka) was just great, and the good weather helped a lot. But, as I've told more than once, the main component of a good trekking is the group. And we had a really good group - all interesting people of different profiles, who know a lot of stories and take all the difficulties of the route with humor. Thanks to all participants for the great company! And now let's move on to the peculiarities of the trip in July 2015.
Changed itinerary from the last trip to Iceland
After the experience of the last hike, I decided to move the tour of the Golden Ring to the beginning of the hike. This way it evokes more emotions and gives a concise idea of the nature of Iceland - you can try to imagine what awaits us next. In the end, the emotions along the route only grew, reaching their climax at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. It was very enjoyable for all the participants. After the trek, a trip around the Golden Ring would not look good at all. This time we decided to visit as many excursions as we could, and I'll tell you about them.
Golden Circle of Iceland.
It looks great at the beginning of the trek and is the best way to get to know the country for the first time. It costs 9000 CZK (65 EUR). All the sights of this day trip are described in detail in a separate article, so I won't repeat myself. Read more about the Golden Ring of Iceland here.
Amphibious riding on Glacier Lagoon.
This year Glacier Lagoon really pleased us - a lot of big ice floes came close to the shore. After admiring them from the shore, we loaded into the amphibian and swam to the glacier. It was very beautiful, but ahead of us awaited a real gift - an unforgettable spectacle when a huge ice floe cracked and turned over. The magnitude was truly impressive!
I advise to take a boat ride, it is beautiful. It costs 4800 CZK (35 EUR). Read more about Glacier Lagoon here.
Whale Safari in Reykjavik
We decided to look at the whales as well. We got into a big boat and sailed out into the ocean. What can I say? It was really cold and we were very amused by the kittiwakes - they were running in the waves from the boat, waving their wings and stamping their tiny feet. It looked very funny! But I never saw a whale. Neither did most of the group. Although Alya saw someone and even took a picture. What made up for my slight disappointment without whales was a delicious seafood lunch on the shore. The lobster soup was great!
The cost to go on a whale safari in Iceland is 9000 kroner (65 euros), I didn't really enjoy it. If money is an issue, you can save money and not go.
Swimming pool near the campsite
A great and cheap place. It is a real small complex for fun, the water temperature in the different pools varies from 8 to 40 degrees.
It costs 650 crowns (4-5 euros - nothing cheaper!) and is two minutes from the campsite.
Blue Lagoon.
Since it is near the airport, it makes sense to visit it just before the flight. Which we did. We had 4 hours for Laguna, which was just enough time to rejuvenate in the mud and to soak our bones. Very civil and good place. Definitely worth a visit. Just be careful not to overheat. There are often cases of loss of consciousness. Cost 10500 (75 euros) - including transfers Reykjavik - Blue Lagoon and Blue Lagoon - Keflavik (airport).
A few words about the weather in Iceland
This time we were VERY lucky with the weather, only the first two days it rained, and after it was sunny with variable clouds. We did not feel a real Icelandic wind.
But there were surprises of our own - an unusually snowy winter. How does winter affect us, because we are hiking in the summer? It's simple - there was so much snow that we suddenly had a snowy overnight, and, in addition, the snow had to go a lot more than expected.
It's a good thing it's snowy and hard. Undoubtedly, this did not make the hike worse, but only added new and varied experiences.
Well, the plane has taken off from Keflavik and I have finished writing this short report on my trip to Iceland in July 2015. Back home for another trip soon, this time to Norway.
Rest assured, go to Iceland and it will stay in your heart forever!
