A month in Iceland. Five of us smooshed into a small campervan with the most basic of possessions. We followed a loose itinerary to travel clockwise around Iceland’s ring road, detouring here and there as our whims or needs required. Much excitement, some trepidation.
We collected our home for the month in Keflavík, the nondescript town that services the international airport. Trying not to think too much about the exchange rate, we paid the remaining hire fee, were briefed and showed around the camper, then handed the keys to our adventure.
Driving on the right (and in a manual) took a bit to get used to. We spied a nature reserve halfway between Keflavík and Reykjavík and headed there for a breather. It felt like we had finally arrived in the Iceland we’d been expecting. An emerald-hued lake in a geothermal lunar landscape of black rocks and barrenly beautiful hills.
After stocking up at a supermarket on the outskirts of Reykjavík, we continued to our destination for the day – a campground at Akranes, not too far from Reykjavík. A pleasant black sand beach with white wildflowers in bloom, beneath a pretty mountain. We spent time setting up the van and taking in our surrounds, often watched over by a welcoming harbour seal.
The first logical destination was the sliver of land that is the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. I’ve heard it described as ‘Iceland in miniature’ because it has a lot of sights in a small area. Waterfalls, a glacier, caves, volcanic landscapes, farms and fishing villages all within a relatively short drive of the capital.
The Rauðfeldsgjá canyon was fun. It resembles the hands of an ogre gripping the cliffs. Between the fingers a green moss-lined canyon, with a small stream.
We had our first taste of driving on an F road (mountain roads, generally suitable only for 4x4s). The road provided access to a ‘song cave’ where we hunted for trolls. The cave has excellent acoustics. We were fortunate to hear a lady with a beautiful voice do it justice, before our rowdy bunch shattered the mystique.
Other sights that day included volcanic craters, the Lóndrangar sea stack, and Bjarnarfoss waterfall. We camped among mossy lava with the Snæfellsjökull glacier on one side and the ocean on the other. It was a glorious long golden evening, and we stayed out late, clambering over lava and watching the sunset. Life felt good. This was one of my top campgrounds, as it was incredibly scenic and had excellent facilities.
As we were travelling relatively slowly, there was no urgency to rush on at first light each day. With such lovely surrounds and a playground for the kids, our day started slowly, with an extra cuppa or two before we packed up and headed off.
Our first stop was Svöðufoss, a most elegant waterfall bathed in golden morning light, Snæfellsjökull in the distance behind.
Our next stop was the famous Kirkjufell. I’ve since realised is a favourite of many landscape photographers, but my pre-trip planning was more general and didn’t involve a list of top sights to ‘tick off’. We were travelling to discover, and blissfully admired this gorgeous pyramid shaped peak that came into view as we drove along. It was surrounded by other sturdy green mountains and a river that cascaded down a series of falls. Tourists crowded everywhere taking their selfies by the waterfall (including over the barrier, carelessly eroding the vegetation). A little further away, where most of the crowds didn’t venture, was a lovely reflection pool. The reflection of Kirkjufell graced us momentarily, then a breeze picked up and the mirror image was gone.
The drive beyond Kirkjufell was very scenic. Tall green rocky mountains, red volcanic peaks, blue fjords. The road turned to dirt, the tourists diminished, and we delighted in the little hamlets and farms that we passed. Afternoon tea at a lookout gave us views across to the Westfjords, where we would soon be heading.
We camped on farmland among grassy hills, the sun turning the sky orange as it set late in the evening.
Next morning, consulting Iceland’s meteorological website vedur.is, we took heed of the strong winds predicted in the Westfjords and deviated inland instead in the direction of Husafell. We climbed volcanic craters with perfect scoria cones, drove over a winding mountain pass, where woolly sheep grazed contentedly by the roadside. A major highlight was Hraunfossar, which translates to ‘lava waterfall’. The water emerges from the lava plain, before tumbling down a rift into emerald water below.
Next we got super adventurous, testing our Hilux home on an F road that took us up to the Langjökull glacier. The edge of the glacier was only just visible beneath the white clouds of mist, and the air was a brisk 5 degrees. Signs placed at intervals tell a poignant tale of the glacier’s retreat over the last century. It was a grey, desolate lunar landscape up there, beautiful in its own way.
Continuing our geological theme, we followed another F road to a lava tunnel that stretches over a total distance of 3km, one of the longest in Iceland. It is possible to explore some parts of the tunnel if suitably equipped, but we just enjoyed wandering around the cracked lava at the surface. Hardy little plants grew among the cracks. The atmosphere was moody and grey.
Our day finished at another lovely farm campground, enjoying the rural surrounds.
Up next: Part 2 of our adventure – The Westfjords
For further information
If road tripping, you want to regularly consult the Icelandic Meteorological Office: vedur.is Driving in strong winds, especially in a campervan is not fun at best, and dangerous at worst.
Another essential website is roads.is to check for updates on road conditions and closures.
We hired our van through JS Campers, and would happily recommend them as a great company with extremely well-set up 4×4 campers.
To find campgrounds in Iceland: tjalda.is Most campgrounds don’t require a booking, which is perfect if you want to travel without a fixed itinerary. This website lists prices and facilities for each campground. Some campgrounds do take bookings through the parka website or app, which can also be used to pay for parking.
We bought a camping card. At the time of writing this costs 179 euros. It is not accepted at all campgrounds, and is most likely going to be worth it if you are travelling for more than three weeks, particularly if you’re flexible and happy to stay in some smaller towns and places that are a little more off the beaten track. The camping card is not accepted at a lot of the more touristy campgrounds in the south and golden circle.
