June 27th, 2022
Hello Readers!
I hope you are doing well! I have another blog post for you about Iceland!
As if my first day in Iceland wasn’t interesting enough, I embarked on another tour to the south coast of Iceland. From walking behind raging waterfalls to seeing glaciers that have existed throughout the past thousands of years, the south coast of Iceland offered sights that I couldn’t have ever imagined.
On the drive to the south coast, there was a common sight throughout, lava fields with moss all over them. These lava fields have existed for the past thousands of years as volcanoes erupted and created the landscape that is seen today. Although much plant life is not able to grow on lava, moss is able to grow on these rocks. Since lava rock is porous, water is able to filter through, allowing this little, but essential, plant life to grow on it.
The first sight on this tour was the 60 meter (197 feet) tall waterfall, Skogafoss. The most unique part of this stop was that you could climb over 200 stairs and reach the top of the waterfall to get that sight from the top. You are able to see the water running towards the precipice as it tumbles down the drop and puts on a spectacle for all the tourists coming to visit. This climb to the top is quite difficult so it is not for everyone but if you are willing to get a little workout in, I definitely recommend seeing this sight from a different point of view.
After seeing this waterfall, I told myself that it would be difficult to see something else that amazed me as much, but I had no idea what was about to come. The second stop was the Solheimajokull glacier. Although this time around I did not get the opportunity to climb it, I was able to walk along the trail and get an amazing view of this landscape. My sister said something when she saw it at first that I agree with “It looks like it’s fake, like somebody painted it”. This statement is true, once you are standing in front of this eight kilometer (five mile) long glacier, you can’t believe your eyes. In these moments you notice how you are a tiny speck in the universe.
Once we were done visiting the icy landscape, we visited an opposite place, the beach! We visited the Reynisfjara beach, also known as the black sand beach. When visiting this beach, we did get warnings because it is a very dangerous beach in Iceland. The ocean waves are huge and unfortunately sneak up on many tourists and sweep them off their feet and into the ocean so it is best to keep your distance from the ocean when visiting. But, at the same time, there is a very interesting history that goes along with the beach and shows some of the culture in Iceland. It is believed that trolls live in the cliffs of these mountains and one time when they were leaving the ocean the sun was rising. It is a known fact in Iceland that trolls turn to stone if they get exposed to sun. So, when these trolls became exposed to the sunlight they turned to rock in the ocean. So, next to the cliffs, you can see two rocks figures that used to be trolls that now receive all the harsh waves year-round. This beach is also commonly known as a beach to see puffins, a bird that can be found in Iceland. But unfortunately, the day that we went, they were hiding out in their nests in the cliffs.
Black Sand Beach 
Trolls in the Ocean 
The Cliffs Next to the Ocean
Once we were done with our visit to the trolls, we ended our tour of the south coast with two waterfalls. The first waterfall is named Seljalandsfoss and carries water that comes from the glacier Eyjafjallajökull. A main attraction when visiting this waterfall is that there is a trail where you can walk behind the waterfall and get a first-hand view. Although you do get a little wet from the waterfall spray, the experience is very unique. You are able to get some amazing photos next to the waterfall.
View of Seljalandsfoss Waterfall from the Front 
View of Seljalandsfoss Waterfall from Behind
The final attraction that we visited on this tour was a waterfall called Gljúfrabúi. This waterfall is in a very unique location because you have to enter a hidden cave by climbing on rocks that are in a river. Visiting this waterfall requires some balance and some clothes that are completely waterproof. Once you have entered the cave you get a front-row- seat view to this waterfall. It tumbles on rocks on the way down. Be sure to take some pictures next to the waterfall to have some recorded memories when you are riding home.
Although it was a very full day with many attractions and I was exhausted by the end, it was by far one of my favorite days in Iceland. I saw landscapes that I could not even imagine in my wildest dreams. I hope you enjoyed the photos and learning more about Iceland. Be sure to visit my Instagram page @eternaltravelerblog to see more pictures and videos.
Until next time,
Sincerely,
The Eternal Traveler