Personal // Iceland Travel Part II // Western Iceland

(If you missed it, be sure to check out the photos from part I of the Iceland journey)

And in part II of the Iceland recap, we wrap up our time in the south and head north to western Iceland (yes, north to western Iceland). First you’ll take a glimpse at the Golden Circle where waterfalls are as plentiful as the tourists. The Golden Circle is most notably home to Gullfoss, a massive multi-tiered waterfall, but it’s also home to Bruarfoss, a lesser known but spectacularly blue waterfall tucked away. (I highly recommend the hike along the river to Bruarfoss).

After a night and very brief visit to Öxarárfoss and Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park, we began our long voyage northwest in search of puffins in Latrabjarg, the westernmost point of the island. The road to Latrabjarg is long, windy, and merely a packed dirt/gravel road with plenty of potholes (only exacerbated by the recent rains). Seeing puffins wasn’t a guarantee, the rain was on and off, and that little campervan was giving it all it had, but thanks to Julie’s skillful navigation of the roads, we made it and we were rewarded to the spectacle of a slew of puffins and shorebirds.

Making the most of our time all the way out in the westfjords, a pitstop to the dynjandi waterfall was in order. After traversing through some snowy landscapes and getting pelted by a sudden hailstorm while we were exploring the falls, we briskly roamed through Snaefellsness peninsula before capping off our trip with a final sunset at the famous Kirkjufellsfoss and Mt. Kirkjufell.