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The Witches Of Búðir: A Magical Shop In Snæfellsnes
Hotel Búðir juts up from Búðahraun lava field on the southern coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Visible for miles around, this imposing hotel is well known as one one of the most plush and comfortable getaways in Iceland, sitting almost in the…
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A Snæfellsnes Road Trip From The Sea To The Sky
Snæfellsnes is oft called the “Iceland in miniature,” a name that refers to the fact that a day trip there affords visitors most of the natural phenomena that Iceland is famous for. There are black sand beaches, geothermal hot pools, a glacier,…
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The Winter Ring Road Pt. 2: Driving Route One In Iceland’s Stormy Season
This is part two of The Winter Ring Road: our five-day ring of Route One—and the people we met, and places we saw—in Iceland’s dark season. You can start at the beginning and read part one here. Day Three 217 km, Fáskrúðsfjörður…
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The Winter Ring Road Pt. 1: Driving Route One In Iceland’s Stormy Season
Route One is Iceland’s main highway. Completed in 1974, it loops the country, carving a path through tracts of farmland before reaching the lava fields and sweeping floodplains of the southern coastline, rattling over countless bridges along the way. The single carriageway…
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Go Steam Yourself: The Krauma Geothermal Spa Is A Relaxing Treat
The rural area of Borgarfjörður was, until recently, a relative backwater of Iceland’s tourist trail. Known for the waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafoss, the historic village of Reykholt, the Deildartunguhver hot spring, the cave-riddled Hallmundarhraun lava field, and its close proximity to…
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Best Of Iceland Awards: West
Welcome to Grapevine’s Best Of Iceland—a guide to the best hikes, hotels, must see spots, eateries, road trips, tours, shops and more, all around the black shore of this rocky subarctic isle. We assembled panels of locals, travellers and Iceland experts to…
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The Great Icelandic Soak-Off: A Potted Guide To Wild Pools
Iceland is dotted with wild, natural geothermal hot pots. They’re diverse and eccentric in nature—each one is different, whether a converted sheep bath with piped-in water, a warm river, or a naturally occurring pot for two. You should be prepared to use…
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Outside Of Reykjavík: Theatre, Rock ‘n’ Roll & Elves
If you’re heading of Reykjavík soon, here are some interesting tucked away spots and fun activities that might interest you, from Keflavík to Hafnarfjörður to Snæfellsnes. Theatre: The Freezer There’s not an awful lot to do in the tiny seaside hamlet of…
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Photos: Snæfellsnes Road Trip Part Two
Grapevine photographer Timothée Lambrecq recently took a road trip out the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The area is sometimes referred to as “Iceland in miniature” due to it’s diverse landscape: it’s the perfect road trip if you want to squeeze in seeing lava fields,…
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Outside Of Reykjavík: Mountains, Sagas And… Goats
Here are a few interesting spots to star on your Google Map for your next Iceland road trip. Place: Borg Situated outside the town of Borgarnes north of Reykjavík is this hillock where notorious Viking Skalla-Grímr Kveldúlfsson supposedly settled in the late…
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Adventures Close To Home: A Trip To Borgarnes
It’s an hour’s drive from the capital to Borgarnes, and, on this Good Friday morning, old-time Southern gospel seems a fitting soundtrack for the familiar bucolic stretch of Route One that normally constitutes a forgettable leg of long-haul treks northward. I’ve not…
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Photos: A Road Trip Around Snæfellsnes
Grapevine photographer Timothée Lambrecq recently took a road trip out the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The area is sometimes referred to as “Iceland in miniature” due to its diverse landscape: it’s the perfect road trip if you want to squeeze in seeing lava fields,…
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Saga Spots: Helgafell, The Holy Mountain
Just off the road linking Stykkishólmur to the rest of Snæfellsnes, Helgafell (“Holy Mountain”) rises 73 metres above the flat, bucolic landscape of Þórsnes headland. Although unassuming against the backdrop of Snæfellsnes’s rugged spine, it stands out as the tallest and most…
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The Once Sky: Two Days In Rif And Hellissandur
The colour, I am certain, has never existed before, and will never exist again. It has something to do with blue, grey, purple, orange, and yellow and yet is none of them. It coats the sky to our left as we drive…
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The Forgotten Fjord: Off The Beaten Track In Hvalfjörður
25km north of Reykjavík lies the secluded, undulating fjord of Hvalfjörður: the “Whale Fjord”. This 40km coastal route was once a part of Iceland’s circular Route One, connecting Reykjavík to the north and, eventually, the rest of the country. But in 1998,…
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A World Beneath Our Feet: The Víðgelmir Lava Cave
It becomes dark almost as soon as we begin our descent into Víðgelmir. It’s the kind of darkness to which your eyes will never adjust, and although above ground it’s a summery twelve degrees Celsius, the temperature has quickly dropped to near…
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Fjord Serenity Now! A Kayaking Day In Hvalfjörður
Kayaking has always been a favorite sport of mine because its effort-to-awesomeness ratio is incredibly low. Sure, pro kayakers can get up to all kinds of badassery, but if you’re a tourist interested in trying it for the first time or a…
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The Road To Glymur, The Highest Waterfall In Iceland
Glymur is the highest waterfall in Iceland, rising to an elevation of some 198 metres. To get there, it’s about a one hour drive from Reykjavík, followed by 40 minutes to an hour of walking from the parking lot to the waterfall…
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Speed-Dating An Old Friend: Driving The Ring Road In 2 Days
In a direct challenge to most internet commenters, two friends and I decided to spend two days circling the island in a grey rental car. While certainly not “preferable” to taking one’s time, driving Iceland’s storied Route 1—the ring road—in thirty-eight hours is…
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We Went West: 12 Hours In Sagaland
The Westfjords. Snæfellsnes. A petrol station. All places. What do they have in common? Well, they’re synonymous with western Iceland—and, of course, the west is the best. What about other parts of the west, though? Where are they? Are there any? How…
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Over The Hills: A Helicopter Ride To Langjökull Ice Tunnel
On a rare clear day in Reykjavík, I strapped myself into a helicopter for the first time in order to head out towards the recently-completed Langjökull Ice Tunnel. With not a cloud in sight, the sky was that beautiful Reykjavík azure, a…
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12 Hours On The Snæfellsnes Peninsula
For the short-term visitor and overworked resident, deciding how to spend the limited free time you have available can be a real challenge, as there is no shortage of great destinations reachable from the capital. For those that want to see as…
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OMG! #GVpics! The Week’s Best Iceland Instagrams
Wow! Can you believe that a week passed since the last #GVpics winner was announced? Time is FLYING round here. It’s terrifying! Where did this week go? We’re all gonna die! WTF! Aaaaaaa! But hey uh, in the meantime, Instagramming sure is…