Iceland | The Golden Circle & Blue Lagoon
With breath-taking scenery, hot springs, Northern Lights and the Blue Lagoon, it's no surprise that Iceland is a popular holiday destination amongst travellers. And my recent weekend stay in Reykyavik with Benjamin was magical...
I had previously visited Iceland around 8 years ago, but this time around the snow had fallen and it transformed Iceland into a place that was totally unrecognisable (other than it's distinctive eggy sulpha whiff!). Throughout our three-night stay we set up camp at The Cabin Hotel, which is a short walk from central Reykyavik and a stone throw away from the shoreline. And like the creatures of habit that we are, we visited the same restaurant twice The Solon Bistro, where the relaxed atmosphere was welcoming and almost homely and the dishes were exceptionally good! Prior to arriving in Iceland, I had booked a few excursions. Conveniently the pick up and drop off was at our hotel and the operators were professional, friendly and knowledgeable. So, cold weather ready (thermals, timberlands and Primark mitts) myself and Ben headed out to explore what Iceland had to offer...
The Golden Circle tour was the highlight of our trip. The guided coach tour rolled past volcanic landscapes, glaciers, mountain ranges and petit pony-sized Icelandic horses before we stopping off at some of Iceland's most beautiful sights. The first stop off was a brief visit to the Frioheimar greenhouse cultivation centre, where they grow HUGE, pesticide free tomatoes with the aid of geothermal heat and get this, they fly in a box of Bees every few months from overseas to pollinate the tomato plants! Next we visited the Geysir geothermal area where the boiling water erupts and shoots into the sky up to 30 metres high every 10 minutes - incredible. There were also two places to eat, a souvenir shop and an audiovisual exhibition about geysers, volcanoes and earthquakes, which were free of charge to enter. But the main star of the show was The Gullfoss (Golden Falls) waterfall, which thunders into a deep canyon and I think you'll agree is utterly breath-taking. The last stop on the tour was the Thingvellir National Park located by Lake Thingvallavtn, the largest lake in Iceland, where the American and Eurasian Tectonic plates meet and are pulling apart. The Golden Circle tour was a five star experience and the full day of sightseeing was worth every penny.
On our last full day we bathed in one of Iceland's most visited attractions The Blue Lagoon, which sits in an ancient lava field. The geothermal spa is basically a giant bathtub of milky crystal blue water rich in blue-green algae, mineral salts and fine silica mud, which exfoliate and condition the skin. On arrival the queues made me a little anxious and I was recommended to coat my hair in conditioner, before entering the lagoon, as although the high mineral content in the water works wonders on your skin it can dry out your hair. But surprisingly the lagoon wasn't overly crowded and although Ben's beard froze, my hair survived! As we watched the clouds of steam roll over the backdrop of snow covered rocks, we enjoyed a drink at the pool bar and I smothered my face in the free silica mud that was available in buckets around the lagoon. The average temperature of the lagoon is around 37-40 degrees and Ben and I came to realise the water was hottest near the vents and took refuge there for a few hours.
That evening I had booked the Northern Lights tour, but unfortunately it got cancelled due to poor weather conditions (a.k.a clouds). But luckily we caught the Northern Lights as we flew into Feflavik International Airport and although a fleeting sight, they were beautiful. Instead we headed into central Reykyavik, visited the Harpa a concert hall which is made with glass-blocks that glisten and change colour on the Reykjavik harbour and Hallgrímskirkja the Church of Iceland.
So would I visit Iceland for the third time? Without a doubt. And who can say they saw the Coca Coal Christmas lorries travelling through Reykyavik? Me! I honestly can't recommend Iceland enough - don't let the cold deter you!
Have you ever visited Iceland?
Emily
