Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!
Whether in front or behind, either way you look at these falls, the view is beautiful.
Cooling lava creates astonishing basalt structures.
Hiking to the top of this 200-foot tall falls rewards with outstanding views.
Experience a real lava flow at Vik's Icelandic Lava Show.
South Iceland Sights
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Touring Iceland's south coast is an odyssey not to be missed. One after the other, dramatic sights unfold. Falls you can hike above or behind, endless stretches of black sand beach, grand glaciers, impressive geologic formations and the chance to safely experience a real lava flow are just some of the treats the south coast offers visitors.
Wonderful Waterfalls
Rainbows and neon green-looking moss make this a special sight.
Two of Iceland's most popular waterfalls have very different personalities. At Seljalandsfoss, a big draw is to hike behind the cascade for a truly unique view, while Skógafoss rewards a hike up the side of a mountain with rainbows over the flowing water.
Following the zigzag path to the overlook above the falls adds a whole new perspective to the thundering falls.
Following the zigzag path to the overlook above the falls adds a whole new perspective to the thundering falls.
Click on Seljalandsfoss on the left or Skóafoss on the right for more views.
Volcanic Vistas
Volcanoes are, without doubt, destructive forces, but they can also be creators of unnatural and breathtaking sights. Around the little village of Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland's southernmost town, evidence of the powerful artistry of volcanic activity is everywhere. Reynisfjara is a world-famous black sand beach, formed from volcanic minerals and lava fragments. Along the beach is an enormous basalt column wall and cave, a popular stopping off point for a variety of birds. As basaltic lava cools over an extended period of time, beautiful geometric forms emerge resulting in incredible columns of hexagonal basalt rock that can form cliffs that stretch up to 217 feet. Just offshore some contend that what appears to be volcanic rocks are really trolls pulling along their boat who had terrible timing - the sun came up, and as will happen to wayward trolls, they became frozen in time!
Click the grid to the right for an expanded look at these photos.
The designated meeting place should an eruption begin.
Turned to stone by the sun
Stark division on beach between grey pebbles and black sand
Sólheimjökull Glacier in the distance
Heated lava starts its slow flow into the ice chamber.
Imported in the 1940s as a means to control erosion, the bright purple plant is invasive and threatens the natural distinctive woolly moss.
Effects of Climate Change are being blamed for the vast recession of the glacier, which has shrunk by about 3,000 feet in just 25 years. It is part of Katla Geopark, named for its active volcano that erupts every 50 to100 years - and is overdue now!
Lava on the Move
To get up close and personal with a real molten lava on the move, the Icelandic Lava Show recreates the aftermath of a volcanic explosion within the safety and comfort of a reworked supermarket. Owners Ragnhildur and Júlíus say they got inspiration for the undertaking after witnessing spellbinding action playing out in front of them as they watched Eyjafjallajökull erupt in 2010, the same eruption that halted air travel throughout Europe for days. They met with scientists in the United States and developed a means to create a controlled lava flow, sharing with others now their fascination with the impact of the event on all your senses.
Click on the image of lava flowing to see and hear the phenomena.
Iceland's Nature
You don't need to have a specific destination in mind to enjoy the landscape and sights unique to Iceland. Cruising the main highway, Route 1, provides plenty of picture-taking opportunities. Nowhere else will you find livestock exactly like Iceland's, nor the type of wide open vistas that draw movie producers and which even NASA equated to moon-like!
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Iceland's horses are a specialty breed. They are small, strong and docile because the Vikings only brought the smallest so they could fit on the ships, and the strongest, so they could work the hard land. No new horses have been imported to the island since 982 AD, so all that are there are purebreeds.
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The same can be said for the island's sheep population. They are direct descendants of the those brought to the island by the early Viking settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. At the height of summer, sheep outnumber humans three to one. About 800,000 roam wild in some areas in summer, scaling giant mountains in search of edible moss and herbs. It is forbidden to import sheep to Iceland, so they are one of the purest breeds of sheep in the world.
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Vast expanses of Iceland are open, barren places of volcanoes, glaciers, lava rock and hundreds of different species of moss. In the 1960s, astronauts heading to the moon first made a pitstop in Iceland for training. NASA officials guesstimated the lunar surface would be similar to the desolate landscape of some parts of Iceland, and sent the astronauts there to study geology and practice collecting samples.
Click the grid to the right for a closer look.
There are about 3,000 sheep farms in the country.
Iceland's horses have a smaller stature than other breeds, but a larger range of gait: they have one that lets them go fast and smooth, and another for high speed called a "flying pace."
Continue your trip through Iceland with a visit to the Iceland Home Page, Colorful Reykjavík or Golden Circle pages.
For a taste of Reykjavík, try the delicious Cod Stew recipe on the Recipes Tab (under More).
