Our third and final full day had fast approached. We woke to a bleak, grey sky. Typical, it was exactly the same as the last time we were in Vik. We’d hoped to visit the sights that we didn’t get to see last time because of the horrid, wet weather.
We went to black beach and left as the rain started to pour. We went back to Dyrholaey but the rain and mist was so bad you could barely see in front of you. As we drove along Route 1, we could barely see the mountains. It was a pretty grim day. So what’s the best thing to do in Iceland on a wet day? Visit one of the many geothermal pools!
We decided on Laugarvatn Fontana. On the way we made a quick stop at Urrioafoss. This waterfall is only a small drop but on two levels. I think it’d have been more spectacular and impressive if it was a dry day.
When we first arrived at Laugarvatn Fontana it was pretty quiet. There’s a couple of steam rooms, a pool that reaches 30 degrees, a shallow pool and a very hot seated pool. It was cold and wet but so nice to sit in the lovely warm pool. We spent a couple of hours here. I’m kind of glad that it rained because it forced us to have this relaxation time and to spend some time in a geothermal pool. It was also lovely to finally get a proper shower!
We made a very brief stop in Reykjavik. It was Saturday night so we were tempted to go on a pub crawl. But we had to be up early for our flight home and because of the super long daylight hours, we just wanted to keep on exploring. We had a bite to eat at our favourite cafe in the capital – The Laundromat Cafe. The bar in the middle of the room is lined with book shelves, each row colour coded. Magazines hang from a rail that is the length of the window. Framed pictures of laundrettes line the walls. It’s a very quirky, hipster place that serves up delicious food. While there I was messaging Inga from Tiny Iceland. She gave me tips for the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Now many people will instantly leave the airport and head straight to Reykjavik or the south coast. The Blue Lagoon is the most popular attraction in the Reykjanes Peninsula, people usually visit on their way from or to the airport. There’s so much more surrounding the Blue Lagoon though.
We had every intention of visiting Kleifarvatn and the geothermal fields in Krysuvik but Google Maps took us to the wrong place and by the time we realised we didn’t want to clock any more kilometers than we really had too, we were already over our allowance. I was so frustrated with myself because I’d doubted the directions but just went with it. Anyway we followed Inga’s other tips a nd went to Gunnuhver which is a multicoloured geothermal area. From here you can also walk to Valahnukur, the ruins of the oldest lighthouse in Iceland. The current lighthouse replaced the old one after it was damaged by an earthquake in 1905.
We made a stop at the Bridge between two continents. This is nothing spectacular but it’s worth a stop if you’re passing. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are drifting apart. The rift which the bridge crosses seems to prove this. We spent a few minutes here before deciding that we should really find somewhere to wild camp. It was only a few hours before we had to be up for our flight.
We eventually found somewhere that was secluded and close to the beach. The weather had cleared through the evening, but by the time we’d set up our bed in the camper the wind had picked up and it started to rain again. It wasn’t long before the van was shaking in the wind and the rain was bouncing off the roof. It proved to be a very sleepless night! But hey, we’d finally wild camped!
There is so much more to the Reykjanes Peninsula than the airport, Blue Lagoon and endless view of lava fields.
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