Iceland: April 2024

An eleven days driving tour of Iceland with my Italian friend Stefano, my sister Kay & me, myself and I.

Day one starts with the not so delightful 06:30am easyJet flight out of London Gatwick . A sleepy two and half hours flight heading north west, with the odd bump, thanks to storm of the week named Kathleen, and we duly arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF). On landing the sun is bright in the sky, and the temperature is around 5 degrees below zero. As if the British winter hadn't lasted long enough! We embrace the added bonus in reverse of yet more cold weather, but hey ho this is Iceland ????!

A quick and friendly check-in at our budget hotel in the centre of Reykjavik, and we are ready to hit the local scene... a light lunch at a very busy but tasteful cafe bar and then a stroll around the town. It's a very sunny afternoon, and you can really feel the freshness of the sunshine on your face. Delightful.

The late afternoon / evening was enjoyed in a good number of bars ahead of Stefano's arrival, who's flying directly also with easyjet from Milan Malpensa. To welcome Stefano we booked into a particularly fine Italian restaurant called GRAZIE Trattoria. Two courses with a large local beer, just ￡35 per head. https://www.grazietrattoria.is

Day two and it's time to pick up the car from the domestic airport. That's a good stroll (about 3km) outside of the city centre. We've hired a Dacia Duster, a comfortable 4x4 with Winter tyres and ample space for our luggage.

We were soon driving towards Selfoss via some classic tourist spots within Iceland's famed golden circle ; Thingvellir National Park, Geysir for the incredible performing Strokkur geyser and the beyond breathtaking Guilfoss waterfall complex. For context the day was sunny, but icy cold with tremendously strong winds which despite full winter attire, froze us to the bone.

We overnighted at Hotel Selfoss https://www.hotelselfoss.is in Selfoss, a pretty small town on a river estuary and we dined at the local food market : The Old Dairy www.midbaerselfoss.is The beers are a little pricey here, as is the case throughout Iceland, outside of happy hour, at about ￡8 GBP per large glass. But main courses were affordable at around ￡15.

Day three following a really nice breakfast at the hotel, we drove further along the south of Iceland, through the pleasant small town of Hella and then on the road through a landscape with snow capped volcanic mountains on one side and distant views to the coast on the other side. The fascinating island of Vestmannaeyjar famed for Puffins in the summer came into focus, but no time to visit on this occasion.

Our first stop was the more than impressive Seljalandsfoss waterfalls complex. I was transfixed by the fact that the water around the waterfalls was absolutely frozen. Something I've not seen first-hand before.

And then after a further hour on the road we arrived at the equally sensational Skogafoss waterfall. I walked the multitude of steps to enjoy the rainbow prism from high above.

And then we travelled further east to visit the Dyrhoely lighthouse atop a headland with spectacular views to enormous black beaches to both the west and east. The scene was even more breathtaking thanks to the surrounding snowcapped mountains.

All day we had been blessed with sunny and relatively warm weather conditions. We even managed a picnic lunch on the black beach of Reynisfjara. We then enjoyed a stroll around the small town of Vik with its pretty church. We did not know at this stage, but we were destined to return in a few days time!

And finally we motored on to our very attractive hotel Fosshotel Nupar, arriving in time to catch the partial solar eclipse and dinner in the lovely Ala carte restaurant. https://www.islandshotel.is/hotels-in-iceland/fosshotel-nupar

Day four after a hearty hotel breakfast we set off in an easterly direction and soon found ourselves in glacier territory, to be precise at one of the outlets of the immense Svínafellsj?kull glacier. I couldn't believe that you can easily walk amongst such incredible geology, and even though the weather was rather gloomy, gloves were not needed. I thought you would have to travel to Antarctica, Greenland or similar to experience / witness first hand such an impressive panorama. Iceland for sure delivers in the spectacular stakes!

Further along the road, something else equally breathtaking, I give you the Jokulsarion glacier lagoon. The lagoon is impressive, as are the incredible ice formations which somehow remain on the black sand beach. The ice formations find their way to the ocean, only to be washed up on the beach by the tide.

For the first time, the weather got the better of us. So after a swift coffee from a portable wagon we head onward to our next hotel set in the pleasant harbour town retreat of Hofn. Here we stay at Berjaya Hofn Hotel - https://www.icelandhotelcollectionbyberjaya.com/is/hotel/sudurland/hofn

We tucked into the happy hour beers and later found a nice new restaurant called Heppa. https://heppa.squarespace.com ￡33 GBP each for a main course and large local beer.

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Now, here we had to decide upon a plan B. Road closures to the east and north of Iceland meant that we could not complete a full navigation of the ring road... we also had to 'burn' two nights worth of non-refundable hotel accommodation. A net loss each of around ￡220 GBP.

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Day five - we started our day at the quite sensational Stokksnes headland which features a huge black beach, black sand dunes, an incredible mountain backdrop, frozen small lake and even a military radar look out.

We then drove further along the 1 coastal road towards the east fjords of Iceland, and we settled for a visit to the pretty harbour town of Djupivogur. Here we enjoyed a brief stroll around the working harbour, and savoured a delicious light lunch of cauliflower soup. The sun was out, and the town looked so colourful under the Springtime sunshine.

We then headed back down the same coast road towards Hofn. En route we stopped off at the 'famous' red chair for photos of the batman shaped mountain called Brunnhorn. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/red-chair.

In the evening we enjoyed a burger dinner at the local diner, which only set us back by about ￡19 each - burgers and canned local beer. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100028543046031

Day six - having aborted our attempt to circumnavigate Iceland, the anticlockwise route due to bad weather and related road closures, we reluctantly but happily started our drive back west along the 1 road. The weather had turned rather sour, so it was very much a rain jackets and over-trouser waterproofs kind of day. We started with a look at the fabulous Fjallsarion glacier lake. From here you can get a 45 minutes boat ride on the lake (about ￡60 GBP per person - yikes), so we simply elected for a nice stroll.

We then drove further west and arrived at the Haalda Natural Monument. This is terrain in a small part of a vast flood plain where glacial floods from ?r?faj?kull used to run. It was declared a protected natural monument in 1975, and stands in witness to these great glacial floods.

The depression at Háalda is one of two kettle holes that were formed when two large icebergs ran aground tightly together in the sand dune. When icebergs lay on the surface of the flood plain they would melt in a matter of months, while icebergs that were buried in the sand could take decades to melt, leaving depressions of this kind. These are most commonly referred to as kettle holes, but the locals also have their own terms for them, which translate to "pits" and "iceberg dents”.

And our final visit of the day was to the Skaftafell waterfall. Having parked the car, we took the forty five minutes plus stroll up to this very impressive waterfall with its frozen water cascade before walking back down the hill for tea-time at the complex's cafe.

From the waterfall we drove a further two hours west to our resting place for the night, the very pleasant Hotel Dyrholaey : https://www.dyrholaey.is which overlooks the vast nature reserve of the same name. The hotel is close to the seaside town of Vik (great for shopping) and includes the incredible 'black beach', the lighthouse at the top of the headland with incredible views east and west and a massive coastal arch. This is a great area for long and short walks. The hotel offered a wonderful buffet dinner and a well needed pint at the end of a long day. Price was close to ￡50 GBP each, ouch!

Day seven - a further drive west and we reached the currently infamous Reykjanes peninsula which includes the seaside town of Grindavik (currently closed to traffic and being tormented by the nearby Reykjanes volcanic system). We decided against a walk in this area, as we really didn't have sufficient time. But I did take a fancy to this rather modern structure:

We did however have the pleasure to visit the pretty coastal church called Hvalsnekirkja. From the oceanfront we could see some seals at a distance. We also visited the Krysuvik volcanic system, an interesting visit with plenty of steam emitting from the buried caldera.

The entire peninsula is fascinating with its multitude of volcanic systems which have produced and continue to produce vast lava fields.

We then headed north via the Reykjavik ring road to the small coastal town of Akranes. Akranes is home to important and historic fish trading, and has a couple of lighthouses and an enormous out of service ship which is great for those insta images!

Our home for the night was the beautifully boutique Basalt Hotel And Restaurant. https://www.basalthotel.is/?lang=en

A delightful, truly boutique property of just thirteen tasteful rooms and a lovely restaurant with views to the surrounding countryside. A place of pure beauty. Dinner, one course plus a large local beer @ ￡37 GBP.

Day eight - after a modest, continental breakfast at Basalt Hotel we headed towards the Snaefellsnes peninsula on the west coast of Iceland. On the way we visited the small harbour town of Borgarnes which was absolutely fast-asleep even at around 10am on a Saturday morning.

So after a swift stroll around the town we drove onwards in a northerly direction towards our final stop for the day, the town of Stykkisholmur, on the north facing coast of the peninsula. En route we met the absolutely astonishing snow blessed mountain range between the south and north coasts of the peninsula. We decided to drive west along the north coast to the very famous beauty spot of Kirkufell, just a kilometre outside of the town of Grundarfjordur. The town must have faced an absolute delude of snow in the previous days, 3 or 4 metres deep. But the local authorities had cleared the roads with sublime efficiency.

Kirkufell is absolutely something else, an incredible mountain on the coast with a beautiful waterfall system just opposite. A very small car park seems so inappropriate for such a majestic spot, but the fact that Iceland is not overrun by tourism at this time of year is a blessing. Thanks to the immense snowfall, both the mountain and river that feeds the waterfall, were full of snow. Sensational photographs were an absolute gift of nature. Somewhat different to the rather green and Summertime images to be found on google.

We then drove back in an easterly direction towards Stykkiholmur and our resting place for the next two nights at the delightful Hotel Fransiskus : https://fransiskus.is

Our evening meal was enjoyed at local restaurant Sjavar Park Husid https://sjavarpakkhusid.is/en/home-english/. A main course of Cod plus side dishes and one large beer came in at ￡49 per person. Nice enough but not the best from a value for money point of view. We then closed out the day with a nightcap at a local cocktail bar, prices too high to even mention here!

Day nine - it's Sunday on Iceland and our second day on the majestic Snaefellsnes peninsula. My own day starts with a quick walk to the impressive local church Stykkishólmskirkja which is set on a small hillside a quick ten minutes walk from our hotel. Difficult to capture on my iPhone but the surrounding ocean and snowy mountains are something else! Stykkisholmur is a bijou, classic Icelandic harbour town with a particularly welcoming persona.

After breakfast we drive towards the south coast of the peninsula and soon found ourselves on a beachfront at Ytri Tonga which blends golden sand, black rocks, snow and seals. As we have found throughout our tour, there really aren't too many tourists around, so the local wildlife can hang out on the rocks, in the water and interact in their own sweet way with the camera wielding folk such as us.

After this light brush with wildlife we drive along the south coast of the peninsula and continue to reflect on how the scenery both left (coast) and right (incredible snowy mountains) continues to amaze. Iceland clearly does not understand the principles behind understatement - nothing is a let down here.

We soon arrive at the coastal settlement of Arnastapi. Here we find ourselves amongst a huge array of bird life. Huge colonies of our feathered friends nestling on the cliffs which overlook the Atlantic Ocean. The area offers a delightful clifftop strolling opportunity with some delightful houses, frozen ponds all set against that now familiar backdrop of snowy mountains.

Our clockwise journey around the peninsula leads us through lava fields, lighthouses, black sand beaches and then on to some scenic churches on the north coast. The road quality is good, and we marvel at the frozen mountain side with huge icicles leaning down towards the road - just waiting for the Summer around the corner so that they may melt away. And then we find ourselves back in the Kirkufell area. And finally I remember to photograph the delightful Icelandic horses which have been ever-present on our journey.

Our evening meal was at the modest yet delightful Skipper restaurant. Burgers, beer and at last some ice cream. Not modestly priced though - ￡40 GBP each!

https://www.skipper.is/en

Day ten - today really feels like the tour / adventure is almost over. After breakfast we have a quick visit to the very small island called Sugandisey that adjoins our harbour town of Stykkiholmur. We then commence our 2 hours plus drive back down to Reykjavik.

On arrival in the capital we check-in at the FossHotel Baron (which is in desperate need of a good refurb), and decide to visit the key local point of interest - Perlan. https://perlan.is. Entry fee for all interactive exhibits at around ￡32 GBP person. An ideal place to enjoy some of the delights of Iceland, without even leaving the city!

We also booked the sky-gazing excursion (Northern Lights tour) - price €52 per person (full coach-load, multiple stops and hot chocolate included). Pick up 21:30pm / drop off 02:00am. Earlier in the evening we had dined at the relatively upmarket Fish Company restaurant : https://www.fiskfelagid.is/en-gb. One main course, large beer and dessert to share at: ￡60 GBP per person.

https://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html

Day eleven - after returning our hired car (2,202 km driven by the way), today is our final chance to get to know the capital city. We enjoyed a quick visit to the famous cathedral called Hallgrimskirkja https://www.hallgrimskirkja.is/en, many visits to the local shops - new clothing and souvenirs! We also enjoyed lunch at the delightfully named Bastard bar. https://bastard.is/?lang=en

After lunch another stroll with a close look at the impressive Harpa complex which hosts concerts, plays, conferences, exhibitions and much more https://www.harpa.is/en/

Sadly Stefano departed for the airport in the early evening, leaving Kay and I to enjoy a couple of beers in one of our favourite local bars: Lebowski Bar, two beers for ￡18 GBP. https://lebowskibar.is/en/

Early return to our hotel though, as we had an early start on Wednesday morning for our easyjet flight direct to London Gatwick. A quick shout out for the efficient transfer service between Keflavik airport and the city centre. A journey of 60 - 75 mins at ￡26 GBP per person each way. Very impressive how this service runs so smoothly, day and night! https://www.re.is/tour/flybus/

And as expected by now, the service and quality of Keflavik airport is truly exceptional. As far as international airports go, this has to be one of the best! https://www.isavia.is/en/keflavik-airport

Q & A

Is April a good month to visit?

Absolutely yes. This is the month where Winter begins to phase out, in favour of Spring / Summer. So sunny skies prevail but lots of snow and ice formations remain to enjoy on higher and lower ground.

The feeling is low season so there are not too many tourists in the key sites. It's also good value for money at this time of year from the flights and accommodation point of view.

Word of caution: if you are seeking a comprehensive driving tour at this time of the year, road closures due to changing weather conditions will for sure affect your plans. Keep an eye therefore on hotel cancellation conditions, hotels will charge according to their conditions. For our tour we paid 13 nights for an 11 nights tour. Be prepared to change your plans, but don't worry there's so much to see everywhere on Iceland!

How about the weather?

Expect April temperatures between -4 to +7 degrees centigrade. The days already are long, 7am sunrise, 9pm sunset. Weather conditions are highly changeable from snow, high winds, rain and sunny periods too. Out of our 11 days we enjoyed 7 care-free sunny days. But expect different weather conditions on each given day.

What's the typical April nightly rate for a double room for single use including breakfast?

Around ￡105 GBP / €120 Euro per night. There's no discount to have your own room. This is much lower than you should expect in high season!

Is it easy getting from the airport to the Reykjavik?

Yes well served by FlyBus. It's a 45 minute journey from the airport to the city terminal and then another 20 minutes journey by another bus to your hotel area. Cost approximately ￡26 GBP / €34 Euro each way. The service runs all day and night, seamlessly.

How is the driving experience?

Roads in the main are in good condition, typically just one lane each way. Concentration required and do keep to the maximum speed limit of 90 kmh. Ideally you would have at least two drivers per party. Car parking is very easy, all paid by local apps - parka and easypark. Typically ￡5 GBP per day. If you don't pay, expect a zero-tolerance fine of around ￡35 GBP against your rental.

Is car hire essential?

Yes, if you really wish to visit Iceland independently. Without a car you are reliant on local excursion providers which do a great job if you really don't wish to drive.

How much does an average two courses meal cost?

We paid around ￡40 GBP, €50 Euro without drinks.

What's the food like?

The Icelandic diet is based very much around the Atlantic ocean's fish products. Not great variety. Other foods are available, especially gourmet burgers etc. And classic international restaurants for example Italian, Thai, Chinese prevail in the capital. It's not an ideal destination for vegetarians, not a great deal of choice on menus.

How much does a beer cost?

Expect to pay around ￡8-9 GBP for a large, local draft beer. Happy hours, typically between 4 and 6pm each day cut the price down by up to 50%.

How much does a simple spirit drink cost?

Expect to pay around ￡12 GBP for a large measure.

Is Reykjavik worth a visit as a three nights citybreak?

Not really sure on this. It's a great base from which to take excursions, but the city at this time, appears to be a work in progress. Lots of construction going on. There are key places to visit such as the cathedral, Harpa, Solar Voyager and Perlan, the key interactive museum in Reykjavik. Banging nightlife at weekends though!

Are there any regions which are not worth visiting?

Absolutely not, every region of Iceland has its own big appeal.

Are the locals friendly?

Yes Iceland is a very welcoming / inclusive country / holiday destination. Most of the working people we interacted with were absolutely charming, although very few were Icelandic. Everyone here speaks English, as if it's their mother-tongue.

Conclusion :

I'm not massively well-travelled, but Iceland is now firmly in my top ten places ever visited. This is a destination / country of great quality and the geology / geography is absolutely mind-blowing, off-the-scale impressive. There is nothing ordinary about Iceland.

Iceland is very well managed and very well organised for tourism. It's really ideal for the independent minded tourist, and also for tourists who prefer to make their arrangements through a whole raft of very professional local organisations.

I would love to visit in the Summertime to enjoy the midnight sun etc, but travelling out of season, say Spring and Autumn has to represent 'best' value for money.

Will I ever return? 100% Yes!

Takk fyrir Island / Thank you Iceland

Gary Boyer, 20 April 2024