Iceland's wonders on an escorted tour

Strokkur geyser on Iceland’s Golden Circle route. Image credit: Intrepid Travel

 

Sticking strictly to the path while bubbling hot springs belch out pungent steam around us, we reach a crowd gathered around a cordoned‑off pool. We wait and wait and then it happens: whoosh! The Strokkur geyser shoots a stream of water skywards, triggering gasps from the huddled spectators as well as the ‘click, click, click’ of camera shutters.

 

Any scepticism I had about the Golden Circle landmarks vanishes in an instant. 

 

Yes, the sites are busy with tourists, but they remain worth seeing. By 2pm on our first full day in Iceland, we have ticked off the three points of the Golden Circle – the others being Thingvellir National Park and Gullfoss waterfall – and begin our journey towards the south coast.

 

En route, we stop at The Secret Lagoon, the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, which has developed considerably from its humble beginnings in 1891 and now has modern facilities and a cafe.

 

“If you’re interested in digging into Icelandic culture, there’s no better way to do it than taking a dip in one of our hot springs,” says Kristján. This is the kind of cultural immersion I can really get behind.

 

Icelandic folklore

Reynisfjara beach, Iceland. Image credit: Intrepid Travel

 

As we continue our journey south, heading for the black sand of Reynisfjara beach, the weather takes a turn and rain hammers on the minibus windscreen. I rue my lack of waterproof trousers, but Kristján provides a silver lining as he explains the local folklore.

 

“Don’t worry,” he says. “This is just the elves warning us. It will pass. You need to make a promise to the elves and thank them for the opportunity to visit their coast.” Sure enough, whether as a result of our silent messages or just the cloud passing overhead, the rain eventually halts and we tread through this stunning ‘elven territory’.

 

Sheer basalt columns tower over the otherworldly black sand, which I scoop up. 

 

It is heavy, moist and dark as tar, but doesn’t leave a trace as it runs through my fingers.

Lómagnúpur, Iceland. Image credit: Shutterstock/Eliforcat

 

From the black-sand beach, we head east with a short stop at Lómagnúpur, Kristján’s favourite mountain. There is certainly something striking about this square-shaped mound rising above a flat and barren landscape.

 

“Breathe in,” I hear Kristján say to someone behind me. “Can you feel the energy?”

 

Normally, my instinctive scepticism would provide a polite but firm ‘No, not really’. But here, in the silence and under the presence of the hulking rock, where there is not so much as a wisp of wind, my honest answer is ‘Yes, I really can’.

 

Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland. Image credit: Shutterstock/arthurgphotography

 

Gesturing across the plain, Kristján brings us gently out of our collective trance to consider what lies in the distance – Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier, which covers about 8% of the country. It’s a movie star, he says, having featured in Interstellar, Batman Begins and James Bond films Die Another Day and A View to a Kill, to name just a handful of its credits.

 

Yet it has attracted few fans at the time of our arrival. It feels like a private moment with a member of Hollywood royalty, a figure far more majestic and humble than its flesh-and-blood peers.

 

Northern lights in Iceland

 

The northern lights over Iceland. Image credit: Andrew McQuarrie

 

That night, we dine at the tour’s ‘feature’ accommodation, Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, in the shadow of the ice-covered Öræfajökull, Iceland’s largest active volcano. Hoping for our first glimpse of the northern lights, we take a 15-minute drive to a quieter viewing spot.

 

Luck is on our side, so we spend a happy hour taking snaps of brightgreen bands in the sky. And by the time we return to the hotel, the aurora is visible from there too – I go to bed still fizzing with excitement.

 

The next morning, in anticipation of a long day on the road, I take full advantage of the comforts of the accommodation and head to the hot tubs to indulge my newfound love of outdoor bathing.

 

En route to Reykjavik, via the south coast, we stop at Eldhraun lava field and pick our way over the moss-covered terrain. Kristján reveals we are walking across the largest lava field in the country, formed by the Laki eruption that lasted for eight months in 1783-84, wreaking havoc on plant, animal and human life in the area. “It will happen again. Iceland is as volcanic now as it was 10,000 years ago – it’s just a slow process,” he says.

 

My misgivings about the power of nature have just about worn off by the time we reach Seljalandsfoss, a roaring waterfall. At first, I think I must have misheard Kristján talking about “going behind” the crashing torrent, until we get closer and I spot the drenched clothes of the foolhardy visitors who have taken up this invitation.

 

Curiosity gets the better of me and I find myself sheltering against the cavernous cliff-face as cascades of water roar into the pool below.

 

Soaked, I cannot help but grin.

 

Snæfellsnes peninsula, Iceland

 

Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the west has dramatic landscapes, which may explain some theories attached to the area. “It’s a place of spirituality,” says Kristján, with some people believing “the layers between the different worlds are thinner here”. He adds: “I met a Belgian medium who had to leave because the energy was so strong.”

 

After driving past craggy mountains and the occasional stream, we head ever upwards until we are at snow level in nearblizzard conditions. Just days earlier, we had been enjoying the surprising warmth of the late-winter weather.

 

That evening, standing outside the door of my lodge at Hotel Snæfellsnes, I hope to bask in the glow of the northern lights again, but see only large grey wisps in the sky – until I get my camera out.

 

The results are jaw-dropping: shafts of green, purple and violet blaze bright in the clear, starry night.

 

The only sounds are the crunch of my boots in the snow, the clicking of my camera – and perhaps the noise of my head exploding at Iceland’s ability to keep offering up mindblowing scenes at every turn.

 

 

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Book it

 

Intrepid Travel’s Premium Iceland in Winter tour starts from £2,729 based on a November 30 departure, with twin-share accommodation, arrival transfer, transport on the tour, daily breakfast and four dinners, activities and tips. Flights not included.
intrepidtravel.com/uk

 

 

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Review: Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

 

Image credit: Shutterstock/Nick Fox

 

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon

 

This four-star hotel, the featured accommodation on this Premium itinerary from Intrepid Travel, prides itself on its ‘exquisite’ location, set between Skaftafell National Park and Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, a prime spot to see the northern lights.

 

In addition to 125 rooms and a restaurant that can seat up to 180, standout features include a gym and spa with hot tubs offering scenic views. An early-morning dip in the hot tubs proved a welcome opportunity to reflect on the northern lights display of the night before, while soaking up the scenery.

 

 

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Selling tips for Iceland

 

 

Kristján E Karlsson, Iceland guide, Intrepid Travel

 

❂ Intrepid Travel uses experienced local tour leaders who have extensive knowledge of geology, history and culture. They are also highly skilled drivers, used to driving in the harsh winter conditions.

❂ Emphasise the chance of seeing the northern lights along with many of Iceland’s other amazing natural attractions.

❂ Premium tours mean travellers get to experience the wonders of near-Arctic
conditions while still having their creature comforts.

❂ Small groups offer an opportunity to get to know people with diverse interests who are curious about travelling beyond the typical wish-list places, and who are open to experiencing the unexpected.