Hringvegur Plus #2: Reykjavik and Fagradalsfjall

Reykjavik

We managed to get all of our COVID tests (negative!) done and completed multiple trip plans, packing and settling all the details at home and took off for Iceland on Icelandair. 

Coming in to Keflavik

We like Icelandair because it’s a direct (less than eight-hour) flight from Denver to Reykjavik. It’s an overnight flight, so I always book a hotel the night of travel so that we can get in right away to shower and nap. 

Reykjavik

So, we booked the Hotel Klettur in Reykjavik and a shuttle to get us there from the airport. 

Photo: Booking.com

Ironically, I selected the Hotel Klettur because it was the hotel we were (originally) scheduled to stay in with our Greenland trip. 

We figured it would be easy just to return to the same place. After the Greenland trip cancelled, I saw no need to change. 

I have no strong preferences for hotels in Reykjavik. Had we not had a car to pick up in town, I might have skipped Reykjavik altogether. I had been there several times before and, with COVID, we were avoiding people. 

Interesting rocks in the Hotel Klettur's lower level; Photo: Booking.com

The Hotel Klettur room was small and the hotel was a bit away from the tourist areas (hence not as many restaurants nearby), but it was clean and serviceable and the staff was quite nice. 

 

The room was a typical European hotel room; Photo: Booking.com

Our rental car was set to be picked up in the early afternoon and, although I had planned on cabbing it, Scott wanted to walk! I never saw that coming. It was about two miles, most of it on a walking path by a major highway. 

The day was quite a bit warmer than one would have expected for Iceland (I was rethinking all my packing and dying for some iced tea). The route didn’t have many food options, so we ended up eating smash burgers at a fast-food place that didn’t have ice for the drinks. 

Just tell us the right place!

Still a bit jet-lagged, hot and still craving a cold drink, we completed the last leg of the walk only to discover that the rental car office had moved! Oddly, I had had a premonition that picking up a car in Reykjavik would be a problem. I was afraid that the office would be closed, but the move was not unexpected. 

Oddly, this has happened to us before, despite that the address we walked to was listed on all the confirmations and the Europcar website (heck, they even had directions!). 

All they had was a hand-printed paper note taped to the door. The new location was another mile-ish. 

Quite a hike!

We should have called and made them pick us up, but we slogged on. When we told them that we were surprised that they had not changed the address on all the communications, the clerks just shrugged. Oh, well.  At least it was a very nice car. 

The map held up for the full trip

I had also made arrangements to have GPS for the trip. We had an international plan for our phones, but planned to be judicious with data, so a local GPS seemed to make sense. Plus, we knew phone service would be spotty in areas and you can’t connect to your phone maps without service. 

I expected it to be a situation where they activate the in-car navigation system. Instead it was an ancient Garmin – the same model we had when GPS first became available. 

We did use it a few times, but generally found our phones to be better. 

And, I had an excellent map that I used most of the time. As it turns out, we never incurred additional data charges, so I think using our own is better. I don’t think I’ll rent a GPS in the future.

The only way to pay is via a cell phone

In Iceland, you need cell service. We found several situations where the only way to pay for parking was via a QR code link to a payment site. Plus, many of our accommodations sent last-minute check-in details, such as which unit and where the key was, via email. 

There were places – mainly in Vestfirðir – where there was no service, but a phone is still necessary. 

Fagradalsfjall

Anyway, once we got the car, Scott decided he wanted to go see the volcano. 

This is what we wanted to see, but didn't; Photo: VisitIceland.com

Now, I admit, I had not researched access since we planned to visit in three weeks and a volcano is the very definition of dynamic. Scott had done a little reading on it and I thought he knew what to expect. 

We vaguely knew there were some parking areas in Grindavík that accessed trail where you could see the volcano. We also knew the routes had moved as the volcano advanced and changed. 

So, without much (any?) planning, we headed out to the Reykjanes Peninsula looking for the trail. 

We knew you could hike, but we didn't know how far; Photo: Hit Iceland

I mentioned that the eruption was unexpected. That may be a surprise since Iceland is famously active from a volcanic point of view (remember Eyjafjallajökull in 2010?) and there are currently 30 active volcano systems there. However, despite its decidedly volcanic appearance, there had been no eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula in 800 years. 

Then, on March 19, a vent opened in the Fagradalsfjall system, which last erupted 6,000 years ago, and started to spew lava. 

The Fagradalsfjall system is three miles wide and nine miles long and sits between two other systems: Svartsengi and Krýsuvík. 

Kleifarvatn geothermal lake in Krýsuvík

This eruption was unique among the Icelandic volcanoes in that the magma appears to be channeling up from deep within the Earth’s mantle rather than from a chamber directly below a crater. This means that the eruption is expected to continue for perhaps years and the resulting formation is expected to be a shield volcano. 

Deep-Earth lava; Photo: Scott Stevens

The deep-Earth theory is supported by the composition of the lava, which is different than that found at most Icelandic eruptions. 

Although there are many ancient shield volcanoes on Earth, none has never been studied in real time. 

The eruption has ebbed and flowed, but has not stopped. 

Sometimes lava shoots into the air and the glow can be seen as far away as Reykjavik. 

We weren't there when this was happening; Photo: VolcanoDiscovery.com

Sometimes (like when we were there) it is fairly quiet. 

April 29 Satellite photo

The path has evolved as well, as multiple fissures have opened and closed. 

In May, two defensive barriers were built as an experiment to stop lava flowing into the Nátthagi valley where telecommunication cables are buried, and further on to the southern coastal road, the Suðurlandsvegur. However, within a week, the lava soon flowed over the top of eastern barrier. Lava flowed over the western barrier on within a month. (Satellite photo credit: Pierre Markuse from Hamm, Germany)

Lava flow blocked the main trails to viewing areas in June. A new 650-foot-long wall has been built and more barriers are planned, although it is expected that the lava will eventually flow over the area into the sea. A proposal to build a bridge over the road to allow the lava flow underneath was rejected. Lava now covers an area approaching two square miles and is 330 feet deep around the volcano. 

So, we found the parking area, which was fairly full, and, after using our cell phone to pay the parking fee, we headed off (without jackets, rain gear, walking sticks or water) to see what we could see. 

The trail

We had no clue where to go or how long it would take. 

After a mile or so, we rounded a corner and saw the lava flow. It was still smoking in some areas but had no active red lava. 

We made it to the lava flow

The sky was starting to cloud over and threaten rain and we were tired (we had just arrived that morning on an overnight flight, we had walked three miles to get our car, we had not had adequate water and it was probably 10 p.m. back home where our internal time clocks were still calibrated).

Pretty steep; Photo: Reykjavik Grapevine

We realized when we saw a huge steep hill that maybe – just maybe – we should have thought this through a bit more. 

We could not see the eruption (and had no idea if it was active) and it was clear that it would be at least another hour of slogging uphill to see anything.

We reluctantly (but wisely) turned back, deciding we would plan better for when we returned to Grindavík at the end of the trip. 

Photo: VisitIceland.com

In addition to helicopters overhead, we also saw some small plane tours, so we decided to look into that – and a few days later, we did book a flight out of Reykjavik.

Unfortunately, all the air tours are out of the old airport in Reykjavik rather than closer Keflavik. It looks like we now had a good reason to drive back to the city in addition to returning our first rental car. 

Back in Town

So, we drove back to town, pretty tired, but hungry. 

Photo: Reykjavik Kitchen

We had a lovely dinner at Reykjavik Kitchen, a very trendy-seeming place with an inventive menu that included both traditional Icelandic food (lamb and fish) and vegetarian/vegan options. Scott had fish soup with dill and I had a baked sweet potato with mushrooms, chickpeas and cashew coconut sauce. Yummy. 

No, we didn’t explore much of Reykjavik (except the car dealerships and big box stores along the road to the rental car office), but we’ve been to Reykjavik multiple times before. We were anxious to get on the road and see the country. 

I apologize that this blog has very few original photos. For some reason, almost everything I took at the volcano was not in focus (wrong settings). I promise more photos of mine in all the upcoming blogs.

An original photo of Bustarfell, Austfirðir

Trip date: August 13-September 1, 2021