Icelandic Adventures
GCSE and A Level Geographers enjoyed a long weekend exploring the dramatic landscape of Iceland.
Olivia in Year 11 reports back on the highlights of their trip.
‘On the last day of term, we departed from Heathrow to be met, 3 hours later, by an unfathomably beautiful view of southwest Iceland. Our first three nights’ accommodation was idyllic. Located in Hvolsvöllur, we had access to multiple jaw-dropping sights on the infamous golden circle. The second day took us for a warm, early morning dip in the secret lagoon: a man-made pool, and the oldest swimming pool in the country, surrounded by mossy lava fields, billowing steam and geothermal hotspots. Our next stop, Gullfoss, or ‘golden falls’, was a contender for the highlight of the holiday: a two-tiered, 105 feet waterfall, believed to be formed by fierce glacial floods at the end of our last ice age. We continued to the Haukadalur geothermal area to see the exciting eruptions of Geysir and Strokkur, as well as fumaroles, hot springs, and mud pits dyed vividly by sulfur, copper and iron minerals. At Kerid Crater, formed through the depletion of a magma reserve in a red rocked cone volcano, we admired the neon blue lake, renowned for its rich contrast of colours, before heading to the magical landscapes of the Iceland’s first national park of Þingvellir. Hiking through the gap between two tectonic plates, we enjoyed panoramic views of the Iceland’s first national park, home to the world’s oldest operating parliament before it moved to Reykjavík.
Day 3 began with a high-tech, interactive and educational exhibition at the Lava Centre, where we learned about various local eruptions and their catastrophic effects. Next, we saw Seljalandsfoss, a dreamy location featured in Justine Bieber’s music video, ‘I’ll Show You.’ The 65m tall waterfall gets its water from Eyjafjallajökull Glacier which flows into the Seljalands River and towards the coast. Reynishverfi Beach was next on our list, with its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning seascape. According to Icelandic folklore, the rocky stacks are said to be beach trolls that pulled ships from the ocean to shore, turning to stone when they went out too late and dawn broke on the horizon! On our way to the next geographical marvel, we stopped at the town of Vik, a small picturesque town, where we learned of the locals’ evacuation plans – to a church on the top of a hill – should Volcano Katla erupt. Sólheimajökull Glacier was startling testament to the horrifying rate of climate change, having retreated about a kilometre over the last decade; nevertheless, its crevasses, rugged ridges, and sinkholes are monumental. To finish the day, we found ourselves on an observation deck overlooking Skógafoss waterfall, well known for its double rainbows on sunny days, which have inspired folk tales of buried treasures.
On day 4, we were wowed by the turbine halls of the amazing Hellisheiði, Iceland’s largest geothermal power station, learning about how they produce electricity and hot water for the region. Then, we drove around Hvalfjörður, a 30km long, 5km wide fjord, arriving at Hraunafoss and Barnafoss, which translate as lava waterfalls and children’s waterfalls. The former is a collection of countless creeks and cascades streaming out of the lava over a distance of about 900 meters; the latter is home to a series of icy blue rapids contrasting to the mossy black rocks. The day ended on a high at Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot springs in Europe, with a flow rate of 180 litres per second, at a piping hot 97 degrees – definitely not a recommended swim spot, despite the sublime landscape and swirling steam.
On our last day, we caught some final, memorable geographical and cultural sights with a tour of Reykjavik, taking in the Icelandic parliament, ‘Althing’, and Hallgrimskirkja Church, with its unique design based on the hexagonal basalt columns we’d seen on Reynishverfi Beach. Finally, we visited Nátthagi Valley. After two recent eruptions, Fagradalsfjall Volcano caused a fissure east of the volcano to erupt again in August 2022, creating new lava fields, covering an amazing 4.8km area. After this, we travelled to Keflavík, ready to depart for London after a holiday packed with spectacular sensations and phenomena. We were all captivated by the beauty of Iceland and its stories – I’m sure everyone is already dying to go back.’