Searching for the Northern Lights in Iceland
In March, we embarked on a five-day trip to Iceland. The outbreak of the 2008 financial crisis led to a devaluation of the Icelandic currency, making travel to this special destination much more affordable. We booked through Askja Reizen, which offers a special tour in their lineup to explore the southern part of Iceland with a rental car. If you visit Iceland during our winter months, keep in mind that many interior roads, which provide faster connections between the north and south, are closed to regular cars. The Ring Road 1, which encircles the entire island, remains open throughout the year.
For us, this trip was primarily a photography expedition, and we had planned in advance what we wanted to see. Foremost on our list was the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, even though we knew that a significant amount of luck would be required. We anxiously monitored the Aurora Borealis Forecast website in the days leading up to our departure. This website can provide a fairly accurate prediction of the intensity of the Northern Lights just a few hours in advance. The Northern Lights are linked to solar eruptions, where large quantities of charged particles are ejected into space from the sun. These solar particles contain a lot of energy, which is eventually released and radiated in the form of colorful Northern Lights at altitudes ranging from 80 to 1000 kilometers. So, we were eagerly looking forward to witnessing this phenomenon.
Upon arrival in Reykjavik, we picked up our car from Avis. In almost all trips to Iceland, the first stop is at the famous Blue Lagoon hot springs. This tourist attraction is located between the airport and the capital, but since most return flights are early in the morning, it’s best to visit it on the way to Reykjavik. Blue Lagoon is only signposted in the local language from the main road, so you need to be attentive. Fortunately, it wasn’t too crowded when we visited, but we would later discover that we wouldn’t encounter as many people along the way. After several hours of relaxation in the warm water and some necessary scrubbing, we continued our journey to Reykjavik. We stayed at the Klöpp Center Hotel, which was centrally located near the waterfront. According to the forecasts, there wasn’t much chance of seeing the Northern Lights, but we decided to take a chance. With a view of the sea, we didn’t suffer too much from light pollution over the capital. We positioned ourselves at the famous Viking monument, and we were clearly not alone. Our hopes of instant success were rising. Some die-hard enthusiasts closely monitored the most up-to-date predictions and advised us to stay put, despite the increasing cold. That evening, we were overwhelmed by the beautiful Northern Lights. Green glows appeared from all directions above our heads. I was even surprised at how clearly you could see this spectacle with the naked eye. Around 3 a.m., we finally returned to the hotel because we had to start our journey early the next day.
That morning, we had a 470km drive ahead of us. We quickly left the relatively small capital behind and found ourselves in various landscapes. A desolate volcanic area stretches around the famous and infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which erupted in March 2010 and caused European air traffic to be grounded for days. Along Ring Road 1, there’s an old farm that was buried under lava and has been converted into a museum with many photos depicting what happened there. A little further, we passed by the Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, which provide a taste of the Skogafoss waterfalls. The sun was shining brightly, creating a beautiful rainbow in the water spray. Just before the village of Vik, we passed by the Dyrholaey cape: 120 meters high with a large hole on the sea side. It’s the southernmost point of Iceland. A bit further, you can admire the rock formations of Reynisdrangar. A beautiful black beach with tall rock spikes in the water offers plenty of photographic opportunities. In the summer, it’s also teeming with puffins that come ashore in mass from May onwards. Further on lies the Skaftafell National Park, and a little further towards Höfn, we finally reached the famous Jökulsarlon glacier lagoon just before sunset. Unfortunately, the best evening light had already disappeared, but even in less than ideal conditions, it’s an impressive location. After our first encounter, we continued to Gerdi Farm where we stayed overnight. The atmosphere there was very cozy, and everyone staying there wanted to see the Northern Lights above the glacier lagoon. After dinner, we hurried back to Jökulsarlon, but this time, we were less lucky than the previous evening in Reykjavik.
The next day, the sun was back, and shortly afterward, we enjoyed beautiful reflections on the Jökulsarlon glacier lake. The lake is relatively new as it formed only in the winter of 1934. However, it has grown rapidly due to the melting of the glaciers themselves, now covering over 23 square kilometers. The lake always has icebergs with beautiful ice formations. In the summer, you can even take boat trips on amphibious vehicles. After several hours of pure enjoyment in this unique environment, we had to continue our journey as we were expected for a glacier walk in Skaftafell National Park in the early afternoon. Equipped with special shoes featuring XXXL spikes, we ventured onto the ice. The guide provided extensive information about the effects of global warming and showed us how much the ice had melted and moved towards the sea. After an hour and a half of walking on the glacier, we also made a trip to Svartifoss, a beautiful waterfall surrounded by symmetrical basalt columns resembling an organ. That night, we stayed at the Skaftafell Fosshotel and once again witnessed the spectacular Northern Lights. Unlike our first experiences in Reykjavik, here we were in complete darkness, which added an extra dimension to the whole experience.
After a short night, we continued our journey towards the Gullfoss waterfalls. But before we got there, we made a detour to the turf village of Vendur. Most guides direct tourists on the Ring Road to the turf church of Nupsstaour, but that has been inaccessible for over a year. Vendur offers a nice alternative for those who want to admire this typical Icelandic architectural style.
After Vendur, we headed to Geysir, perhaps the most famous geyser in the world. Geysir is the centerpiece of this geothermal park. Geysir itself no longer erupts, but the smaller Strokkur is still very active. It shoots a water jet 10 to 20 meters into the air at five-minute intervals. The surrounding hot springs mainly emit a kind of foul-smelling steam, and most of them have a very distinct color.
About ten kilometers further, we arrived at Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall. The water falls in two stages, 32 meters into the Hvita river. We stayed nearby at the Gullfoss Hotel with the same name. That evening, we tried once again to witness the Northern Lights, but there was no colored sky to be seen that night. However, there were thousands of stars, but no Northern Lights.
The next morning, there was a light dusting of snow. After a second visit to Gullfoss
, we continued to the plains of Thingvellir. Most of Iceland’s history was written in this National Park. Europe’s oldest parliament, the Alpingi, originated here. The largest lake in Iceland is also located here. Definitely worth a visit.
The snow gradually turned into rain as we headed back to the capital. So, there was no Northern Lights to be seen that evening. We went to bed early because we had to wake up very early to catch our flight back to Amsterdam.
Iceland in winter is also very much worth it. Like in many places, you need to be lucky with the weather, especially for a photography trip. But this certainly applies to Iceland. If you travel here in winter and it’s overcast and gloomy all week, you’ll likely get a much less positive impression of this island full of bizarre natural phenomena.
Stijn Cavens
