Keflavik, Iceland 2

Our last day in Iceland today and quite a long trip – in Icelandic terms anyway – approximately 490 kilometres back to our starting point at Reykjavik – well Keflavik actually which is about 40 minutes further and right near the airport.

It was mainly a driving day with our big finish being a trip to the famous sulphur baths at the “Blue Lagoon”.

Adrienne had read in her research that most people driving the Ring Road around Iceland do it in a clockwise direction. The reasoning behind this is that “the most spectacular” sites are generally in the most visited areas in the west and south – so this is at the end of the round trip. We did our tour the opposite direction and would probably agree that the best “bang for your buck” sites had been early on. But we also got the best weather in that part as well !
Despite this, the scenery everywhere you go in Iceland is just incredible and memorable in its own way. Today’s drive was a long one – our longest of the trip – and had the least number of “sights” to see along the way. They were all still worth a visit !

First stop was Glambaer Museum where traditional Icelandic turf houses have been preserved. These were actually still inhabited up until 1947 ! They are built from large sods of earth cut into blocks with their roof covered in turf. Each tells the story of its occupant – the blacksmith for example – and retains the original setup and furnishing of the period.

Turf houses

The large sods …. on the left ! 😂

The day had started out overcast with some showers but at least managed to stay dry as we made our stops. Next was Borgarvirki – a hilltop basalt plug which had formed in the shape of a circle and which provided an almost perfect fortress. Rock pieces were used to create extra walls where needed and buildings within the structure. In its day, and with its sighting on a hill, it would have been a formidable target !

Borgarvirki

So much changing weather !

With our long trek today we were a bit limited on our time for stops as we had a booking at 4pm at the Blue Lagoon thermal baths near Keflavik. But with our weather improving as we moved further west, those stops we did make were worthwhile. Next was the Brakin Monument which overlooks the local area and estuary. It is said to honor a Celtic women, Porgerdur Brak, a nanny to Efill of the Sagas, from the “Settlement period”. She defended the boy from his father, who then killed her in the waters below.

The Brakin Monument overlooking the estuary

Our last drive toward Keflavik included a tunnel across a large fjord, Foraging – Hvalffjordur, as we headed toward Reykjavik. The tunnel was nearly 6 miles across ! By the time we reached the Blue Lagoon, the weather had cleared and we were looking forward to our visit to the baths.
The Blue Lagoon is probably one of the most visited places in Iceland requiring bookings well in advance. The thermal heated baths are quite an experience and include a swim up bar and “mud stations” which provide magic treatments to smooth and regenerate the skin – wasted on me though ! It was a fun experience and a nice way to end our holiday !

After leaving the Blue Lagoon about 6pm, we headed straight to our hotel in Keflavik, not too far from the airport. We had an early dinner in the restaurant downstairs – the quirky “Library Bar & Bistro”, decked out with library books and reading nooks and crannies throughout – and had a really nice meal. Then it was an early night – we need to be up by 4am for our flights !
Iceland has been an amazing experience – one we have all enjoyed immensely ! If it is on your list of places to visit, I think you would too !

Today’s Tour Trivia – Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. It currently has at least 6 times as many tourists each year than it has population – and the difference is growing !