Iceland 3. Water by Anna Garcia

I was trying to think of a fitting name for this post until I found the best one. Everything we visited this day, and everything we did was related to water. We visited a geyser, two waterfalls and a hot pool. So, I hope you liked this decision!

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This morning we completed the remaining part of the Golden Circle. We started by visiting Geysir, and with that, the first geyser I’ve seen in my life. The weather started to be colder this morning, and sometimes it was a bit complicated to stay outdoors for a long time.

Later on we went to Gullfoss. I’ve always seen a lot of images of this waterfall, and I don’t know why, I’ve always imagined this waterfall from a different point of view. We visited this waterfall in Winter, so I assume some viewpoints are closed during this season. While visiting this waterfall, we experienced one of the worst moments of cold during this trip. Our hands were completely frozen and we needed to stay for a while in a warm space and then, continue the journey.

After visiting Gullfoss we realized that we had visited all the landmarks of the Golden Circle that interested us. So, we decided to change our plans a little, move to the south coast of Iceland and explored this beautiful area. Visiting the south of Iceland was one of the major reasons we wanted to visit this country. It was our first time in Iceland and we wanted, of course, to visit the Golden Circle area. But, I felt that from the moment we moved south, is where our journey really started.

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First of all we visited the well-known Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We didn’t walk behind the waterfall, because it was really cold and we didn’t want to catch a cold. But instead of that, we enjoyed the views from the front of the waterfall. The combination of the afternoon sun and the drizzle of the moment created tiny rainbows on the little waterfall that is next to Seljalandsfoss, and it was really beautiful to see that contrast.

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Although it was getting dark and it was snowing quite a bit, we decided to do an express visit to Seljavallalaug. During the walk, the snow stopped, so we could enjoy the views. The top of the mountains were covered with snow, and it was really interesting and sharpened the contrast between the white and green colors. Once we arrived, the temperature of the water was not too hot. Instead of having a swim, we enjoyed the views as it was getting darker every minute.

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After that, we said goodbye to an another extraordinary day in Iceland. We went to sleep because we wanted to wake up really early. Due to the weather conditions, our original plan was forced to be changed. So, keep reading if you want to know where we went on the next day. I promise it will not disappoint you!

Iceland 2. Golden and Blue by Anna Garcia

Good morning from Iceland! We woke up early in the morning, a while before the sunrise. To be honest, that night I slept on one of the best beds I’ve ever slept in my entire life. So, when I woke up the only thing I could think about was returning to bed and continue sleeping.

I immediately changed my mind once we were on the road again, heading to our first destination of the well kown Golden CircleÞingvellir. I remember that when we were on the road, it started to snow a little bit, and I was super happy to see the snow. The weather forecast only showed clouds, and I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland covered in snow. I was worried because on our first day in Iceland, we didn’t see any snow. Well, if you continue reading this blog, you’ll find out that finally we saw tons and tons of snow.

When we were arriving to Þingvellir, we saw a frozen lake, so we stopped there to walk on the ice and take some pictures. This was the first time I walked on a frozen lake, and it was a great experience!

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Once we entered into the National Park, we were interested in visiting the Öxarárfoss waterfall. It was raining a bit, but we started walking inside the park searching the wall of water. When we arrived, we noticed that there was a car park just in a few metres next to the waterfall. It would have been easier if we had chosen the correct entrance.

We stayed a bit at Þingvellir and then we headed south to visit Kerið. We drove through a different road than the one we planned, to see a variation of the landscape. I remember that we stopped many times during this short journey, that we arrived to the crater much later than we expected.

I would have loved to see the crater covered with snow, but the weather during the previous weeks was not cold enough. But anyway, I loved the views! Walking on a crater was an amazing moment!

As the afternoon approached, it was time to return to Reykjanes, our beloved peninsula. We bought tickets for the Blue Lagoon, and we couldn't be more excited about that.

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We entered the Lagoon at approximately 18:00. We were relaxed for hours enjoying the warm water and the facilities of the Blue Lagoon. I found the contrast of the blue water with the fog and steam really exciting. So, although it was hard to get out of the water, I could not resist the urge to take pictures with my cameras.

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Time passed very quickly and without realizing it, it was completely dark. We spent hours and hours inside the water, but we wanted to remain there. We thought there would be a chance to see the Northern Lights from the water, but the sky was covered with clouds. We were not disappointed either. We still had many nights in this country and with a bit of luck, we could still spot them. So, do you think we saw them? 

Iceland 1. Reykjanes by Anna Garcia

As some of you may know, my two biggest passions in this world are photography and travelling. And what better if I can do both at the same time, right? Since I started showing my work here, I thought a lot about opening a new section on my website, one that offers me the possibility to narrate my journey, showcase my images as well as my point of view  in a more personal way. So, welcome to this new section! I hope that you enjoy knowing me a little bit more!

I don’t really remember the exact moment in time when I started being interested in Iceland, but one thing that I’m sure of is that for a long time, it has been my idyllic country to visit. Since last December, @tropicalbert and I started talking about the possibility of making it happen. Things were more complicated than we expected, but finally, the 18th of February we embarked on a dream of a lifetime.

We arrived at Keflavik airport very early in the morning. We were immersed in a heavy fog and we could barely see our surroundings. But, with our new car and with much desire to discover this island…we hit the road! We started driving through the roads of the Reykjanes peninsula and from this moment on, we saw the beginning of great days to come!

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It was our first day in Iceland and I’ll never forget it. We didn’t plan this part of the journey. We focused the rest of the trip on the southern roads and the golden circle, yet here is when we realized beauty was all over this country. We sort of...explored, and it worked. Every single road we took and every single mountain we saw left us speechless.

We started our morning driving south, discovering some of the peninsula’s geothermal areas and the bridge between two continents. It was the first spot we visited in Iceland, and I was impressed. Not by the bridge or by the geographical separation between these two continents. I was impressed by a different aspect. I was shocked when I was observing the landscape and realized that wherever I looked, it was impossible to see anything created by humans (except for the bridge, of course). There was nothing but nature and I loved it.

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Then we visited the Gunnuhver geothermal area. Iceland in February can be a bit harsh, especially if you come from a Mediterranean climate like ours. But visiting these geothermal areas was a great idea to stay warm while enjoying the landscape.

Later on we hit the road again and headed to the Krýsuvík-Seltún area. Of course, we stopped many times along the road to take pictures. One thing that I’ve learned in Iceland is that it’s almost impossible to arrive to your destination on time. You’ll need more time than you expected, because the beauty of the landscape will force you to stop along the road. Just driving through the roads of this island is worth it.  

It was getting dark, and we were supposed to spend the night in Reykjavik. So, we decided to drive back to the capital by exploring a different and new road by the Kleifarvatn lake, and we didn’t regret about this decision.

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At night, we visited the beautiful city of Reykjavik. We spent a little time wandering its streets and looking at its colorful houses, but after a while, we decided to go to sleep as we had a big day planned for tomorrow. But don’t worry, I’m sure that Reykjavik is going to reappear during this trip!