4. Gullfoss

Our next stop was at the Gullfoss waterfalls located practically next to Geysir. The contrast between the turquoise water and the surrounding snow and rock, the rumble of the falling water, and the massive amounts of steam filling the air made a big impression on me. The next time I visit Iceland, I’d also like to see the Skógafoss waterfall, which we couldn’t fit into our schedule this first time.

5. Geysir & Co.

Geysir must be one of the most well-known sights in Iceland, but it is actually surrounded by a bunch of other hot springs. Strokkur is the only one that erupts regularly, every 10 minutes or so, shooting a huge pillar of water high in the air. The others mostly just keep steaming by their own. A strong smell of sulphur fills the air in the area – a familiar smell we had already encountered in its lighter form while running the faucets at our hotel room in Reykjavik. Yum!

6. Laugarvatn Fontana Spa

After a whole day of driving around, getting wet from steamy air, and shuffling around in the cold weather, a sauna and a dip in a warm tub start to feel like a great idea. The extortionately priced Blue Lagoon was partly under renovation and we still would have had to book our spots there in advance, so we opted for the Fontana instead. And I’m so glad we did!

The geothermic spa has several outdoor pools of different temperatures, and the views over the lake couldn’t be better. Three out of their four saunas are naturally heated by hot steam rising from the ground under them – and there’s the sweet smell of rotten egg again, yum! It’s also possible to take a refreshing dip in the lake, which I ended up doing thrice. Thanks to the hot springs, the lake wasn’t frozen in February, though the water was still quite chilly.  After a nice, long soak we also got to stuff our bellies with the evening buffet offerings. Their specialty is geothermal baked rye bread, which was delicious as heck. 5/5, would visit again.

More on Iceland:

Golden Circle in Iceland, pt. 1