Day 1: Arrival and volcanic welcome
The trip began with a 4.5-hour flight from Alicante to Keflavik. Everything was going as expected until, almost at the end of the journey, the pilot made an unexpected announcement: there was an erupting volcano visible from the plane. We couldn’t help but stick to the window to see it, and there it was, spewing lava in the middle of the night. It was impressive, as if Iceland wanted to give us a unique welcome.
We arrived at the airport at 1:30 in the morning, quite tired, but with a clear plan: pick up the rental car and start the trip. Although it was late, we decided that we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get close to the volcano we had seen from the air.
It was the sixth eruption of the Sundhnúkur volcano near Grindavik this year. Lava flowed like a river through a fissure about four kilometers long. Since it was not an explosive eruption, Icelanders call these types of eruptions “tourist eruptions” because of the high number of visitors to the area around the volcano.
The experience was surreal. In the darkness, the sky lit up with the red of the lava, and although we were not close enough to feel the heat, the magnitude of the moment was enough to leave us speechless.
We finally arrived at the hotel at 4:30 in the morning, knowing that we would get very little sleep. We had the hotel in the city of Keflavik, near the airport. We had booked it here to arrive early once we landed and not have to travel to Reykjavik (almost an hour away).
The plan for the next day called for getting up early, but after a start like that, how could you not be excited about what was coming?
Day 2: Inside the volcano, heading to Vik and the ice cave
The second day started with one of the most impressive experiences of the trip: a visit to the Thrihnukagigur volcano. With the company Inside the Volcano, we entered its magma chamber, something that cannot be done anywhere else in the world.
The adventure began with a 45-minute walk to base camp. The landscape, typical of Iceland, was a mix of volcanic rocks, moss and an endless horizon. When we arrived, we were greeted with a bowl of classic Icelandic soup, simple but comforting, especially with the cold that was beginning to set in.
From base camp we continued our climb to the top of the volcano. Here things got serious: the wind blew hard, and we had to hold on to a rope to avoid losing our balance.
When we reached the crater, we climbed into an open elevator that took us into the interior of the volcano. The descent was spectacular, with walls of reddish, yellow and black colors that seemed to come from another planet. We descended slowly, enjoying every second of that unique view.
Once inside, we explored the magma chamber, which is larger than we imagined. It felt like a huge cavern, with a quiet atmosphere and a feeling of being in a truly ancient and special place. We stayed down there for about 30 minutes, which was enough to absorb the experience.
After the visit, we retraced our steps back to the car. We had to run because it was starting to drizzle.
After our experience inside the volcano, we got back on track and headed to Vik i Myrdal, a small town in the south of Iceland.
On the way, we decided to stop in the town of Selfoss for lunch. We went to a hot dog stand, Pylsuvagninn, which has a delicious Deep Fried hot dog, which for us was the best we tried in Iceland.
After eating, and before arriving at Vik, we made several quick stops to visit a couple of waterfalls along the way: Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. Although we didn’t have much time, it was enough to admire them and even at Skogafoss to get behind it while getting a little wet from the mist it throws out as it falls.
Upon arriving in Vik, our next adventure awaited us: a visit to the Katla Ice Cave with the company Troll Expeditions. This experience began with a light walk on the glacier, surrounded by otherworldly landscapes, with ice formations and volcanic ash giving it a unique appearance.
The cave itself was fascinating. The blue and grey tones of the ice mixed with the black lines of ash created a spectacular contrast. The guide explained to us how the cave was formed and how the glacier continues to shape itself over time. It was a relatively short visit, around an hour, but very interesting and totally different from what we had seen so far.
To top off the day, we went to The Soup Company for dinner. The idea of a hot soup after so many activities was perfect, and they did not disappoint. We tried the Red Hot Lava and the Curry Fish Soup, and both were a hit. Tasty, hot, and just what we needed.
Quite tired and with full stomachs, we finally headed to the accommodation, ready to rest after such a long and adventurous day.
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