Welcome back to When Wine Calls – “2025 Wine Afficionados Tour” and our continuing travels along the Golden Circle of Iceland.
After leaving the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon we drove back along the highway towards the quaint town of Vik. Along the way we stopped off at the breathtaking Lomagnupur Mountain, one of the most recognisable mountains in Iceland with its flat peak being estimated at over a million years old and its bottom layer, comprising layers of lava and sediment around 2.5 million years old. In front of the mountain is a reflective lake projecting the mountain on the water’s surface.
Above the town of Vik is a hill that offers stunning views of the surrounding black sand beach landscape in this area
A little further west is the southernmost point of Iceland where from the Dyrholaey Lighthouse you can see in all directions.
including Reynisfjara Beach which we had called into on our travels eastward.
On one of the black sand beaches on this part of the coastline called Solheimasandur is the fuselage of an old US navy transport plane that crashed landed on the beach back in 1973 and was then abandoned. It is now a tourist attraction where you can either catch a 4WD bus out to the wreck from the highway or walk an hour across the leva rock landscape – given the cold wind we chose the bus both ways, but it is an extremely bumpy ride along the lave rock track. Interestingly, unlike most other attractions you can walk inside the wreck without limitation and without a charge which is rare these days – a remarkable sight located in an incredible moon-like landscape.
On the way back to Reykjavik we broke the trip up by staying a few nights at the fabulous Umi Hotel located a few kilometres off the highway near an isolated black sand beach and again with little signs of life across the lava plains to the coast. It was a tremendous setting as a base for a few days to explore some of the side roads and isolated parts of the southern coastline.
A short walk from the hotel across a locally made bridge and you found yourself standing on a long black sand beach with no one in sight – truly amazing.
While having happy hour at the Umi Hotel one of the staff introduced me to an amazing local whisky made surprisingly on “sheep dung” – really enjoyable.
On one of our side trips from the hotel we turned onto a dirt road and came across a wedding being held for a couple were getting married near a magnificent small waterfall on a property where they had got engaged previously. Unexpectedly, while talking with the wedding planner that knew the property owner, we became a backdrop to the small wedding party for a short while.
We also found this tremendous, little place called Faxi Bakery out on its own located in the shadow of a volcano called Eyjafallajokull that cooked these amazing pastries and buns on the premises– they were so good we went back again the next morning. A note of warning though if you pass through this area, these pastries are extremely filling so do not over order when you are there.
Surrounding the bakery are photos of the volcanic eruption that occurred behind them on Eyjafallajokull back in 2010 which is fascinating to see how close and dramatic it was at the time without destroying the surrounding farm buildings at the base of the cliffs.
On the way back to Reykjavik we had arranged a tour of the Raufarholshellir Lava Tunnel which was in many ways like a limestone cave but formed instead from lava flows – well worth a visit to get an understanding of what lies beneath this dramatic volcanic landscape.
It was then onto Reykjavik and a visit to the famous Perlan Museum with an impressive ice cave you can walk through complete with a spectacular crevass.
as well as a Northern Lights show in their Planetarium,
The museum provides a real sense of the landscape on offer when travelling through this amazing country.
After overnighting in Reykjavik, our final day was to be both spectacular and memorable with a visit to the well renowned Blue Lagoon which is located on the way out to Keflavik Airport. Due to its location, we dropped our hire car off at the airport earlier in the morning and left our bags at the only hotel there where we would be staying that night due to our early flight the next day. We had arranged a taxi to take us to and from the lagoon which worked out very well so we could enjoy the experience without any concerns with driving.
In recent years volcanic eruptions have threatened the Blue Lagoon and as you drive in you can see how close the lave flows have come to wiping the lagoon out. Huge earth walls are now being constructed around the perimeter to provide a levee bank to protect it.
The day at the Blue Lagoon was one of our bucket list items on this trip and it did not disappoint, the weather co-operated with a sunny day, there was no volcanic activity, and we soaked for hours in the thermal blue waters of the lagoon, complete with facial treatments and glasses of wine followed by a late lunch at the incredible Lava Restaurant. It is a day we will long remember.
Our time in Iceland had been more than amazing with so many unbelievable memories to take with us. However, it was time to say goodbye (for now) and head to our next destination, London where we have spent so much time in over the years. We will be in London for only a few days to catch up with family and friends prior to starting our southern UK adventure as part of our 2025 Wine Afficionados Tour.
Until next time, as always, take care.
Bruce & Pauline
When Wine Calls 
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