ICELAND

Austin & I both have a drive in our hearts to see the world. This summer, we decided to do a 3 day stopover in Iceland on the way back from our trip to Sweden and it was well worth the visit. We spent one night in Reykjavik and two nights in the Panorama Glass Lodge while exploring the Southern Coast of Iceland. While we were there, we had time to do some Golden Circle stops, our favorite being Gullfoss. Along the Southern Coast we were able to see Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach (absolutely unreal), Skogafoss, and Seljanlandsfoss (our favorite of the waterfalls!). I hope you enjoy seeing some of the highlights of our trip and enjoy the recommendations I’ve mentioned below.

In Reykjavik we stayed at the Hilton Canopy and could not recommend it more! Not only was it a beautiful hotel with a gorgeous mountain & water view but it was right within walking distance to everything and steps away from the famous Rainbow Road. We had an amazing Icelandic dinner at ROK Restaurant with a view of the famous Icelandic Church, Hallgrímskirkja. We enjoyed coffee at Reykjavik Roasters and when in Iceland, you have to have a Hotdog— IYKYK.

Along the Golden Circle we stopped at Þingvellir National Park and Gullfoss. We did not stop at the Geysir for time purposes but driving by the scenery was absolutely beautiful and there appeared to be a beautiful hike you could do. Gullfoss was absolutely incredible! We did not get so brave to walk down to the edge but we enjoyed the view from above :)

The Panorama Glass Lodge was an absolute dream. I initially planned our trip to Iceland based on the fact that I wanted to stay there and it was 100% worth it. The cabin is situated outside of Hella, Iceland and it completely isolated from the world. Their saying is “Where the Sky is” and it could not be more accurate. We stayed in Freya, and had the Hekla Volcano right in our backyard. We enjoyed the silence and peacefulness of staying in the lodge. We loved the panoramic views from the Sauna and the private hot tub that each cabin had. I would love to come back and stay in the winter and get a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

Reynisfjara has been on my bucket list place and it was an out of this world experience. It’s actually a very dangerous beach and tourists get killed their every year by the “Sneaker Waves” and you could tell the weather there was not something to mess around with. The wind was so strong at times you could barely walk forward but it’s one of those places in the world that makes you feel so small in comparison to how amazing the earth is. The Volcanic sand was beautiful and we got to see the iconic Basalt Cliffs. My favorite experience was enjoying the beach from above, we drove up to the Dyrhólaey Lighthouse and the views were incredible. The black sand beaches went on for miles and we got to see Puffins! We had lunch at Strondin Pub overlooking the black sand beach and I had the best Fish & Chips I’ve ever had in my life—highly recommend! Our last stops were Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss. It was a little too rainy and wet to get tons of photos but the memories we have there are amazing. Seljalandsfoss was our favorite because you could walk behind it but be prepared to get soaked!