South Iceland

Where I Stayed: Hótel Skaftafell, Hótel Anna

Restaurant: Restaurant at Hótel Anna, it was quaint and adorable, and the food was delicious and fresh.

Church: Skálholt

Sites: Svartifoss, Jökulsárlón, Skaftafell, Vík, Skógafoss, Hvítserkur, Seljalandsfoss, Geysir, Gullfoss,

Experience: hiking on a glacier; glacier lagoon boat tour

South Iceland is probably my favorite part of the entire country. If I could live out the rest of my days anywhere, it’d probably be there.

It’s probably most famous for the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption that disrupted flights for a few weeks in 2010, but South Iceland is home to the original Geysir and some of the most incredible waterfalls I’ve ever seen: Svartifoss, Skógafoss, Gullfoss, and Seljalandsfoss. It’s also an area where you can find hauntingly beautiful black beaches, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, and Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Iceland.

One of the most incredible moments of my life was seeing Vatnajökull for the first time. All I can really say is that it was the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never really been reduced to tears by simply seeing something that’s naturally occurring. But the way those mountains covered in glaciers played out in front of my eyes as I rounded a corner off the east fjords was something I’ll never forget. It looked like a jumbo oil painting placed right in the middle of the road. Had I been driving, I probably would have crashed the car.

South Iceland definitely tops my list of places to return to. Something about it just calls to me and keeps begging me to return. I’d love to spend some more time exploring the black beaches in Vik and watching the Aurora Borealis dance over Jökulsárlón.