Iceland Diary: Road Trip from Reykjavik to Snæfellsjökull
Sunday 27 September 2015
It’s 9am and we have packed our vehicle and heading towards a glacier at the westernmost point of Iceland, Snæfellsjökull. Snæfellsjökull is only a 2.5 hours drive but the drive is difficult due to the rough and harsh gravel roads. Although you don’t need a 4X4 to get up to Snæfellsjökull, I strongly advise that you do. We had a large 2-wheel drive but it was enough to scare us off of our boots. What if our wheels popped? What if we drove off the road? Anything seemed possible.
The drive to Snæfellsjökull started off easy. We drove through the peninsula, with waves crashing on the shore towards our left and on our right, large towering mountains. The mountains were covered in waterfalls. We were excited. We wanted to pull over and just hike any waterfall that we see.
We chose a random waterfall that had a small driveway and decided to climb up. The water fall had no barricade except for 2 strings like a caution tape on the bottom portion of the fall. We climbed through the wet green marsh til we could see the top of the waterfall. The fall was vicious and we could feel the heavy mist spraying against our bodies. It was bloody cold. After the short hike, we said our farewell and continued our way through Snæfellsjökull.
We drove through the roads and see the temperature drastically change. it was raining and we didn’t see the roads getting any better. We hit a road with 3 directions. We chose the road with the shortest distance. It started to snow but we saw our glacier. We pulled over and snapped a few photos before we started to freeze. As we came around the mountain, we could see the beach from the distance. How many destinations can you see the mountains, volcanos, glacier and the beach in one setting? It’s a rare occasion!
We drove back towards the beach hoping to dip our feet in the water for a bit. We wound up in a gas station dining in their convenient store area. I ordered a basket of wings which was surprisingly decent. We continued back on the road. Although we didn’t get to dip our feet in the water, we did get to see waves crash against the cliffs. It was beautiful. It resembles the famous Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, only this cliff was black and jagged. It was getting dark, so we decided to head back.
The drive home was easy. I arrived back in Reykjavik around 6:30pm.
Tips:
- There are no washroom stops on this path. There are few vehicles so let nature be your biggest restroom.
- There is a toll road that you must take for 1000kr each way that takes you through an under water tunnel. If you do not wish to take the toll, you can drive around the ocean. It will take about 30-40 minutes longer.
- Pack accordingly. The weather does change drastically.
