Iceland (Egilsstadir)
Trip Summary
After a more low-key day in Skaftafell, it was time to ramp things up again with the remainder of our Ring Road trip in Iceland! And ramp things up, we did! My husband and I enjoyed the day in Skaftafell hiking and drying out our clothes, but our summer road trip in Iceland was far from over–there was still so much to see! And do you know what the best part of this day was? The sun finally came out!
After days of torrential rain, it was one of the most beautiful things to wake up to…and not have to pack up a wet tent in the rain! We were already starting the day off happy, and the best was still ahead! Let me tell you that if there was just one day we needed to sun out, it was today….because we were going to see Diamond Beach!
This beach is named so because of the bits of ice that rest on the beach–if the sun is out, they look like diamonds. Summer is really the best time to see the beach because more ice washes up on shore (they come from the neighboring glacier lagoon and when the weather warms, bits of them fall away and wash up on this beach). And we got there at the perfect time–the sun was out, the day was early, and we were the only ones there!
The beach is absolutely gorgeous, and the ice adds so much, glimmering in the sun. We honestly had so much fun just admiring them, taking pictures, and examining every possible angle of the ice in the sunlight. We took so many pictures, and they all turned out beautifully!
Granted, Diamond Beach is on the far end of Iceland when you start the Ring Road–but it is worth the drive! Go during the summer and on a sunny day, and it will be one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen! A definite highlight of our trip!
Diamond Beach: A+
An added bonus is that the next stop was just across the street…Glacier Lagoon! We had a zodiac tour scheduled for 9:30 that morning at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tours and Cafe, and we nervous about the boat even going out, because we had gotten a message about high winds that day and the likelihood of cancelation. But lo and behold…we ended up on the last boat out for the day! All the afternoon boats were canceled, so we had incredible luck in boating out into an empty lagoon and seeing all the glaciers up close!
We had debated on which boat tour to take out, because there are a lot offered–from the bigger boats to kayaks to the zodiac tours. We decided on the zodiac tour because you could get closer to the glaciers this way (and the big ones are quite a distance from shore, so I don’t know if we would have made it that far if we just rented kayaks). The wind is also a factor, so I am glad that we decided on the tour we did–it worked out perfectly!
Our guide was excellent and after all the passengers donned their wind suits, we waddled over to the boat and picked a spot to hang on (this is where taking pictures gets tricky as the boat ride is pretty bumpy between stops, and there is not a lot of stability–you are essentially sitting on the side of the boat, and you only get really good handholds if you are seated near the boat captain). So definitely hold on tightly to your camera/phone, because you will want to take a ton of pictures! The place is absolutely stunning, and some glaciers even have a dark blue color which make them all the more beautiful.
At one point, we even saw a bunch of seals sunning on one of the icebergs out in the water, and our boat could get up right next to them. They seemed used to people coming up close, and they were out quite a distance from the shore, so that was another reason I was glad that we booked the zodiac tour–we could cover a lot more of the lagoon and see more things!
Granted, you can see the lagoon from the shore without booking a tour at all, but our tour was excellent in that we could get really close to the glaciers, see more of the lagoon, and do it all in a short time frame. So I highly recommend!
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour: A+
Next up, we had a fair bit of driving to do, so we started heading toward Egilsstadir (where we would stay in our first non-tent as we had booked a mini-cottage on the east side of the island). On the way, we passed through the Reyðarfjörður tunnel. Adding this tunnel to the itinerary added a little bit of time, but it was for a good reason as the alternate road (Öxi Pass) can be a bit iffy and not always safe after a patch of storms (and we had some wicked rain come through recently). It is a long tunnel (one of the longest underwater road tunnels in the world!) and was cool to see, so that might be an added bonus if you decide to take the same route.
Unfortunately, this meant that we would have to start bypassing more stuff on our list, because the longer driving days meant going back to the “must-see” list. This meant that Vestrahorn got nixed as that not only required an additional drive, but it would be a long and difficult hike (and fee to see it). So that was an unfortunate omission, but we had a lot of ground to cover. Luckily, it was a gorgeous drive through all the fjords and several times, we had to stop and take some pictures, because everywhere you looked honestly looked like a painting. Iceland seriously has some of most beautiful landscapes!
As we got closer to Egilsstadir, it was getting late, so we judged how much daylight we had left and decided that we would have time for one short hike, and Fardagofoss was on the way to our cottage. It is one of the lesser known waterfalls (but still extremely impressive!), so we enjoyed the empty trail. The only things you saw were sheep as they grazed along the hillside and a bunch of wildflowers, so that was a nice way to unwind from the day and still see some nature.
The trail was easy to follow and the waterfall was beautiful. The elevation of the trail also allowed for some excellent lookouts, and you could see for miles in every direction. A very nice last stop!
Fardagofoss: A
After the hike, we had to very quickly scurry over to our cottage as there was a very short check-in window, and this was the reason why we had to skip our next hike, Hengifoss. The hike was a bit farther away, was a longer hike, and we wouldn’t have been able to do that and make our check-in time, so we had to let that one go…but that is another big regret for me as every picture I see of that waterfall is gorgeous–with its towering waterfall, the red lava lines in the rock, and the otherworldly nature of it all. Makes me sad that we didn’t have time to see it! But if you have time, definitely see it for me!
But the prospect of finally sleeping in a bed after camping for so many nights was making the waterfall omission not so bad, and we got to Ásgeirsstaðir Cottages just in time. Due to us booking Iceland just a few months beforehand (ideally, you want to book. year in advance for Iceland), most accommodations were booked up, and we had gotten the last cottage available here (it was the only thing not booked in the entire vicinity). And I can see why it was one of the last things booked as it was expensive for what you got, the water only worked intermittently (you share one water tank with all the cottages on the property, and there are signs that ask you to be as frugal as possible with the water), and the rooms were quite hot. We ended up sleeping with all the windows open, and when that didn’t work, we even left the door open (the heaters inside were all turned down–yet you can’t turn them off because it is bad for the pipes). That was a bit frustrating to finally get a room with a bed only to have it so hot that you couldn’t sleep, so we didn’t get the rest that we wanted (and needed by that point).
However, the cottage did have a lot of beams that allowed you to dry out your stuff, so before we went to bed, we had our sleeping bags, clothes, and towels all hanging every which way in the den to dry out, and that helped a lot.
The place also had some essentials stocked, like tea, coffee, dish detergent, and so on, so that was nice. It was extremely difficult to find out which cottage was yours, though, because none are readily marked, and we had to go back to the main house and look at the map they had posted to piece out which one was ours. So just know that (especially if you arrive at night and things are harder to see).
So I have mixed feelings about this place. It is a fun cottage out in the middle of nowhere, but the boiling hot rooms, the lack of water, the narrow check-in window (which I later didn’t even understand as the whole place is unstaffed), and the expense made it lose points for me.
Ásgeirsstaðir Cottages: B-
We still had a few more long days ahead, but we honestly loved this part of the Ring Road and driving along the fjords! So beautiful and makes the hours of driving not so bad at all! Also, the area is quite rural, so that is why you don’t see any restaurants reviewed here. There was a food truck near the glacier lagoon that we ended up having lunch at, and the rest of the time, we ate from our grocery stash. Makes for less expensive days, for sure!
Favorite Experiences
Diamond Beach probably takes the cake for me as my favorite thing we did that day. The glacier lagoon was amazing, but having seen glaciers before (but never diamonds on a beach), the beach has to take the top prize for its uniqueness. I also liked the fact that we weren’t rushed here and could take as much time as we wanted to take pictures and admire all the ice. And the fact that the glorious sun finally decided to come out made the morning that much more magical on Diamond Beach!
What I Wish I Knew
Now knowing that it probably wouldn’t have mattered when we arrived at our cottage (we were already given a number to punch in at the door to unlock the cottage), I wish we would have stayed out longer and done the Hengifoss hike (or did that one instead of Fardagofoss), but we didn’t know, so we did what was safe in doing the shorter, closer hike so that we could still make it in on time. I know the Vok Baths would have also been fun to see and relax in, but at this point, we were quite tired and didn’t want to get back out after we settled in at the cottage. But mercy, if you thought any of these days were long, stay tuned! Our next day driving into Akureyri was the longest of all of our days on the Ring Road. That post is up next!
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Happy travels!
