For this journey, we decided to drive all the way to our final destination, and find our way back to Reykjavík. Our first stop was the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. People say that this is the most famous black sanded beach in the world, and yes, it is marvelous. Imagine a combination of black sand, cold wind, gigantic waves, and massive rocky mountain formations with a naturally formed cave, all in the same spot. Standing in front of the sea will make you feel very small, considering the big size of the waves and the powerful currents. Staying away from the shore is smart. Some of these waves have been guilty of taking away tourists that don’t follow the rules, and sadly, most of them got lost forever.

Some cool facts about Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach:

• This beach located near a volcano has been living under the ice for hundreds of years. Its black sand formed while the volcano was active when the lava floated across the beach. It then cooled down when touching the cold water of the sea and broke apart.
• The rocky volcanic formations in the sea were formed by nature when the basaltic lava of the volcano cooled down to a specific temperature, creating a geological structure known as columnar joint or basalt columns.

After Reynisfjara, we made a pit stop in the town of Vik i Myrdal. This village is a small place in the southernmost part of Iceland. You might direct your attention to the church on top of the mountain with the red roof. This has become an icon to the town with a unique charm representing a living active religious community. You can grab a coffee in some of the cutest coffeehouses in town, and enjoy it with the cold weather of Iceland.

We then continue our journey to one of the most beautiful places you will ever see in your life: Sólheimajökull. As soon as you arrive at the glacier, you will enter in an astonishment phase with the magnificence encountered in Sólheimajökull. For locals or people that have been here before, the differences you find due to the quick climate change we have been experiencing during the past years are unquestionable. Located between two volcanoes, the name of the glacier means home of the sun glacier, and it is approximately 8 km long. If you are visiting this place, you have two choices. One of them is the simplest. Just be well dressed for the cold weather in different layers with a hat and gloves, and wear some good shoes for walking in the snow. Stroll between the ice formations and enjoy the ridges and voids. Of course, you need to be very careful. You will love the pictures in this place. If you prefer having someone guiding you through the glacier, you can always find some guided hiking tours.

If you are still on time with the daylight, we recommend you to go ahead and visit Seljalandsfoss, a grandiose waterfall. As most of the natural features in Iceland, this waterfall is colossal and has a nice path behind the waterfall itself where you can take a walk. The force in which the water comes from its origin is powerful, and if you have a lot of wind that day, you will end up really wet and cold. But it is worth it. Take the path for a short walk and enjoy the power of nature. Make sure you bring some extra clothes with you if you feel uncomfortable with wet clothes, or you can also use something waterproof.

If you are visiting in the winter time, you might have to do this on another day, but if you still have daylight available, then this is a must right now. Our next and last stop is Thingvellir National Park. The amazing thing of this place is based on the idea of its location and the history behind it: here the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. Throughout the years, they have been drifting apart very slowly, so don’t think you might see them move. They have been moving 2 cm per year. The valley created in the park serves as a walking path to the visitors of this place and allows you to take some amazing pictures of the beautiful gift of nature.