Words and Photos Pebyana Susanto

After spending a week in Iceland, the land of fire and ice, I was convinced that trolls, elves and fairies might, in fact, exist.

Then again, who wouldn’t feel that? Along the road, you see fallen boulders in the middle of a moor and rock formations sticking out in the middle of crashing waves. Not to mention all those little houses in the garden, intentionally kept by Icelanders for the elves.

The landscape in Iceland looks like something from another world. Its surreal nature might be why millions of photographers and travelers have placed the country, which located in the North Atlantic Ocean, on top of their bucket lists.

Driving around the island for eight days, I never grew bored with the scenery. Iceland has the most varied and dramatic landscape of any destination I have seen.

Where else you would be able to witness miracles of nature such as geysers and waterfalls, black-sand beaches and cone-shaped mountains, as well as snow-covered glaciers and burning volcanoes?

Given its too many astonishing scenes, Iceland might be overwhelming for first-time visitors. Here’s my list of five must-see sites that should be on your Iceland itinerary

Thingvellir National Park

Located about two hours from Reykjavik, Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park is a mandatory stopping point. The park has played a major part in the nation’s history, as the world’s oldest existing parliament was established there. Thingvellir, which as a UNESCO world heritage site also has a remarkable landscape, sits astride the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which are drifting apart at an average of 2.5 centimeters a year. Visitors can even go scuba diving in the Silfra Rift, where the crack between the continents is easily visible, due to the clear meltwater from Icelandic glaciers. Considering that similar natural phenomena are typically located in the deep sea, it is quite fascinating to witness this from a site in the middle of dry land.

Reynisfjara beach

While most beaches I’ve known have a relaxed or happy atmosphere, this unusual beach has a gloomy, mystical and haunting air; with black sands, grey pyramid cliffs of basalt and lethal and aggressive waves. However, the most dramatic part is Reynisdrangar, a sea stack formation located just few meters from the beach. According to the folklore, these haunting rocks were once three trolls named Skessudrangur, Laddrangur and Langhamar, who were caught dragging a ship to shore when the rising sun turned them into stone. Visiting this daunting beach and you’ll feel enchanted and haunted at the same time. While you might want to get as close as possible to the stacks, do be mindful about the waves, they have proven to be lethal and unpredictable.

Eldhraun lava field

While the site might not be in many guidebooks, I found it, once again, otherworldly. When driving around Iceland from Reykjavik, you’ll encountered several lava fields. Nothing, however, will be as majestic and serene as the one located between Kirkubjærklaustur and Vik in South Iceland.

The area is a huge field of volcanic rock, softened by a lush blanket of green moss. Look as far as the eye can see and you’ll find only asphalt, sky and the moss, under which, according to Icelandic lore, are the homes of elves and trolls.

Standing in the middle of the field, I felt as if I was Alice after suddenly finding herself in Wonderland. It is that magical, although you need to be careful not to tear the moss when you step on it. It needs years to grow–and the mystical creatures won’t be happy if you ruin their home.

Jokulsarlon

Another bizarrely beautiful place is the glacier lagoon of Jokulsarlon, a clear blue lake surrounded by a pristine pebble beach with blocks of icebergs in different shapes and colors floating on the surface. As I watched the ice moving with Breidamerkurjokull glacier as the background, my eyes caught some creatures moving in between the icebergs. With their innocent faces, the seals were swimming happily, undisturbed by the cold and the stares from the tourists.

Borgarfjordur Eystri

Located in a valley by Iceland’s northernmost fjord in the east is a remote town known as the elf capital of Iceland, Borgarfjordur Eystri. Alfaborg, which means the “City of Elves”, is a big rock formation there that is thought to be the home of Iceland’s elf queen.

The road toward the secluded Borgarfjordur Eystri is troublesome, yet dramatic and rewarding.

We drove past a mountain and followed a precarious shoreline road along a cliff affording long vistas over the coast and views of the distant colorful mountains.

My long journey ended in the isolated picturesque seaside village of Bakkagerði, population 120, where we had a surprisingly delicious lunch of fish soup. Five kilometers further lies the new harbor of the tiny island of Hafnarhólmi, a site where we could get close to the charming lundi (Icelandic puffins) that nested in the cliff. There are two viewing platform where we watched the puffins take turns in guarding their nests and flying to the sea for fish–an experience we won’t soon forget.

I spent eight days traveling around Iceland and felt it was nowhere near enough. I didn’t even talk about the waterfalls, the natural baths, the geysers, the glaciers or the volcanoes. The island is truly magical and fairytale-like. No wonder many Icelanders believe in elves, trolls and other imaginative creatures. So when you are in Iceland and spy a rock that looks like it might be home to some elves, don’t be shy. Knock and send your best regards to these supernatural creatures. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of their pointy ears.

Incidental intelligence

Accommodations

Book different hotels scattered throughout Iceland so you don’t spend time driving back and forth to the same home base. We stayed in Fosshotel, a local hotel chain, throughout the trip. They offer a self-drive tour package. fosshotel.is

Cuisine

Iceland is famous for its fish soup, geothermally baked bread, fresh seafood and lamb soup. My favorites were: fish soup and geothermal baked bread from Alfa Cafe in Borgarfjordur Eystri; grilled langoustine from Humarhofnin, a town in Hofn in southeast Iceland), the lamb soup from the Hotel Husafell in Borgarfjordur; and the duck confit from Resto in Reykjavik.

General information

Must visit waterfalls: Gulfoss (west), Godafoss (north), Skogafoss and Sejlalandsfoss (south)

Myvatn natural baths (4,000 ISK, US$33.80) is a good alternative compared to the more expensive and crowded Blue Lagoon (6,700 ISK).

Self-drive in Iceland is recommended, as the distance between each attraction is far and public buses are not reliable. Careful attention while driving is necessary, since not all roads are paved, mountain roads are quite narrow and, for some bridges, only one car can pass at a time.

Many guidebooks suggest driving counter clockwise out of Reykjavik. However, based on our experience, driving clockwise makes the journey easier and gradually more exciting, since the attractions in southern Iceland are more numerous, better and closer to each other, compared to the other parts of Iceland.

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