Iceland Day 3 - Vik to Hofn via ice lagoon

We spent last night at Hotel Edda in the small town of Vik on the southern coast (pop. 300). Hotel Edda is a chain that is only open during the summer season when there are plenty of tourists to fill the hotels.  We had to hustle out by 10am (early for us, especially with so much daylight keeping us up in the evening), due to a workers' strike.  We were happy that the strike did not close the hotel.

We visited the black sand beach at Vik for some photo and video work, and to scan the cliffs for puffins.  No luck on the elusive puffins.  We also checked out Vik's super cute church.

Black sand beach at Vik

Vik's hillside church

Church-front view of the town of Vik and beach.

We hit the Ring Road again, continuing on our counterclockwise route.  The terrain transitioned from black sand to sandar, that our guidebook describes as "soul-destroyingly flat and empty regions" made up of silt, sand and gravel carried down from the glaciers and dumped in huge desert-like plains.  Instead of destroying our souls however, we found it quite striking and interesting.   There are various road-side picnic spots through this area, and we stopped at one for a geocache.  Katla volcano erupted in the year 894 and destroyed a farm here.  Everyone passing by for the first time is supposed to add a stone to one of the many piles to bring good luck on their journey.

Good luck rock piles

Foss a Siou (foss means waterfall!)

After leaving behind the sandar and passing many impressive columnar basalt cliffs, we began to get glimpses of the massive Vatnajokull ice cap.  There are many outlet glaciers creeping down from Vatnajokull, and we were able to drive a short distance on a dirt road and park near one.  Being up close to a glacier is quite an honor!  In Iceland, you must be with a guide in order to hike on a glacier for safety reasons, but we got some nice views even without stepping onto the ice.

Glacier view

Glacier geocache

A bit further along the road, we found one of the very special places on our short Iceland bucket list: Jokulsarlon, the ice lagoon!  The outlet glacier with the catchy name (Breioakerkurjokull!) births icebergs that float off into this gorgeous lagoon.  The icebergs eventually make their way into the ocean via Iceland's shortest river.  There is no doubt that one of the most amazing things about Iceland is the ice!  The shapes, colors and light were magical.  Many time lapse videos were recorded, especially once the tide started to come in and the icebergs started to move in unexpected directions.  Usually boat tours are available on the lagoon, but there was too much ice, so tours were not being offered.  There was plenty to be seen from the shore.

Jokulsarlon, the ice lagoon

Mother Nature's ice sculptures

We also spent some time at the nearby beach where the icebergs emerge into the ocean.  The beach is strewn with baby icebergs looking stunning against the black sand.

We continued on to the town of Hofn, where we spotted an excellent souped up VW camper parked at the equally excellent Hafnarbudin restaurant, with the most affordable (and quite delicious) langoustine lobster sandwiches in town. 

Our dinner spot in Hofn.

We ended our day with soaks in the "hot pots" at the Hoffell guesthouse where we stayed outside of Hofn.  Not only did we have a view of the Hoffellsjokull glacier from the hot tubs, but grazing reindeer as well!  We are definitely in another world here!

Warming up in the hot pot.  The air temps were right around freezing, with a significant wind chill.

Goda nott!