Hvalfjordur (Whale Bay)

Just north of Reykjavik there is a impressive area, a bay called Hvalfjordur. Carved in to the west coast lies a three bottomed bay with it’s spectacular mountain scenery. A tour to Whale Bay is just an hour away from Reykjavik. An area so rich of history and framed with steep mountains, dropping almost straight into the sea. A photographer’s delight.

Hvalfjordur used to be  regularly visited by fish migrating to the north and now and then is visited by whales. The topographical name “Sildarmannagotur” (Herring Path) stems from these times.

The highest waterfall of the country, Glymur, is in Hvalfjordur but it is a three hour hike from the road and some difficulties to reach. There are three fine salmon rivers in the area.

The convoys of the allies (England and The United States) used to seek shelter in Hvalfjordur on path to Murmansk during the Second World War.

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The Reykjanes Peninsula

Just south of the international airport at Keflavik we find the Reykjanes toe. An area so bare it stings the eye. Very rugged lava fields laid out as if the whole area was one gigantic crater. Strangely enough this area has a mesmerizing appeal and the wealth of motives for the photographer is endless.

This is where one can find the first sights of the meeting of the continents. A rift in the landscape approx. 30 ft. wide. The bridge between continents is conveniently placed there ensuring safe passage between America and Europe (no passports needed).

The area is littered with open geothermal hot springs, clay- and mud pits giving the area a scent of sulfur in the air but more interestingly, a feel of danger all around.

When ever one drives form or to the airport, on the main highway, this place — Reykjanes — is missed  along with Krísuvik. Two absolutely beautiful and breathtaking places that most tourists miss when visiting Iceland. This really is a shame as it only takes so little time to include in either arrival to  or departure from Iceland.

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Krísuvík, the ever so often forgotten pearl.

The Krisuvik Tour

Just south east of Reykjavik is Krisuvik, actually on a back road to the Blue Lagoon and the Int. Airport. It is a place where you will find hot springs, mud pools and clay pits in a hillsides to a volcanic mountain ridge created mostly in Holocene eruptions from under a glacier and more recent.

There you find the lake Kleifarvatn surrounded by mountains on three sides. Small grassy panes with grazing live stock and the Foul pit. A hot clay/mud pit almost hidden from view even if it is right next to the road. Greenlake, a crater lake with its emerald colored water so eerie and strange.

At Krisuvik you almost travel back in time to when man and nature were coexisting in harmony and machine hadn’t made it’s mark on time.

A very short part day tour for the timeless that still want to see the essence of Iceland first hand.

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Does it really rain in Iceland all the time?

It is very understandable to wonder if when traveling in Iceland you will meet such a rainy place as the tale tells you. The country is in the path of all the storms coming from the south west Atlantic area so if there is a hurricane or a storm down there it is bound to pop up in Iceland on its way across the Atlantic but .....

This statement of always raining is a myth. Half true and half false. On the continents we are used to when it rains it pours and when it pours it rains. It is not so in Iceland. Iceland's rain is mostly showers. Short, drizzle from time to time during the day. If it rains at all. What is true is that it is very often cloudy.

Different layers of clouds pan the Icelandic sky. Perhaps this is the reason why photographers of all ages love to travel to Iceland. To live the adventure of the landscape and views being hugged by clouds carried across the sky by the ever present cool wind. Clouds in a constant struggle with the sun rays trying to pierce.

On second thought the truth of the matter is that it does rain a lot in Iceland and unfortunately one never knows where and when. To travel in Iceland is a risk if you are looking for nice weather and sun. We still have that to but no guaranties. What we can offer you as a guaranty is though, a place unlike anything you have seen, rain or sunshine. Stillness and quiet, calm and catching and you will love it.

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Earthquakes in Iceland

Every now and then our young country reminds us of what dwells just below the surface. A quake and then it's over. You raise your head from the pillow wondering what woke you up and go right back to sleep. In Iceland there is a lot of activity these days. Series of earthquakes measuring from 6.4 (a year ago) to hardly noticeable 2.5. The main areas with unease now are the Reykjanes peninsula, the area around Myrdals glacier (South Coast), and above the great Vatna Glacier close to the Volcano Askja.

We are expecting an eruption in one or more of Iceland's most famous Volcanoes such as Hekla, Askja, Katla and Bardarbunga. Hekla is due and has been for some time as it has a regular eruption every 50 years (only counting major events) and the last big one was in the year 1947. Exciting times and a lot of interest for private tours to an eventual site if things start to warm up.

An eruption always has a series of earthquakes shaking the ground prior to the event and Icelandic scientists are good at predicting such events ahead of time. Most active areas are at safe distances from where people live but Katla could though create a problem. It is in the middle of the Myrdals Glacier and that could cause flooding and disruption in traffic since the bridges over the rivers are normally not dimensioned to cope with so much water.

For anyone not accustomed to the earth moving under their feet or volcanic eruptions this all surely sounds like danger, danger, danger, but it really isn't. Earthquakes in Iceland are almost always small, so small you hardly notice them unless your either lying down or sitting in a chair. Besides. We have people working 24/7 monitoring and on the alert to make life safe.

Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights

It is not uncommon to read how tourist brochures paint out the unsaid guaranty of seeing the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. All you have to do is come and they are there, the tourist brochures bluntly claims. It sometimes sounds as if the Northern Lights are a constant, which is far from what reality is like at all. The Northern lights can be seen across the whole northern hemisphere but only if the conditions are right.

The conditions I am talking about are:

• It must be night (dark).
• It must be clear skies.
• It must be cold (preferably minus temperature).
• You must be out side the city lights (or very vaguely lit).
• The Sun must have had eruptions (sun bursts) very recently.
• The particle cloud from the Sun must hit the place on earth you are at.

These facts are just some pointers to what must be in place for people to see the Northern Lights. Although the conditions seem complicated, the fact is that they often are present in Iceland — especially up by the north coast, making the chances to see the Northern Lights reasonably good. Unfortunately, the guaranty to see them can never be given and that makes it even more unfortunate that tourist brochures indicate the opposite.

A tour to Iceland in search of the Northern Lights is still a good choice since Iceland has them and so many other unique sites and surroundings to offer. If the luck turns against you and the weather is cloudy for the whole time here, the chance of having a great time is without doubt.

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Day Tours in Iceland

There are many different setups of day tours to be made from Reykjavik. These tours are ones such as the Golden Circle, the Black Beach, the Blue Lagoon/Reykjanes tour and many others. Then again there are many day tours that should not be included in such a setup. The reason is that they take up to 14-16 hours to complete and that, in my opinion, is way to much time to spend driving from one destination to another.

Sample day tours in Iceland in that category are the Snaefellsnes Peninsula day tour and the Glacier Lagoon day tour. Both these day tours take at least 10 hours or more to complete and especially the Glacier Lagoon tour is a long one. It is understandable that people want to see interesting places like these two, but there is also a question whether it is worth the money if you "rush by" or are herded to and from the small but equally interesting places on route to the intended destination. There is therefore all reason to give these questions a thought before you decide which type of tour you want.

To clarify what I mean, let me make a small count of places to see on the way to the Glacier Lagoon. To begin with there is the row of "path guides" up on Hellisheidi, and then there are places like Urrida water fall, Seljalands water fall, Skogar water fall, Black Beach, Vikurdrangar, Kirkjubaear Closter, Laka Craters — not to mention all the glaciers along the way and many other small but interesting sites that in combination to the Glacier Lagoon make a fuller picture of the area.

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