Waterfalls, Glaciers, and Trolls: Exploring the South Coast of Iceland
The shuttle bus shook gently as we crossed over the mountains. Or at least, we were told they were mountains. The low-lying clouds covered much of the landscape, shrouding hills, and distant volcanos in thick fog. After about twenty minutes of poor visibility, the road veered back down the mountain trail, the clouds dispersing to reveal the landscape; craggy lava fields, the coastline, volcanic mountains, and waterfalls of the south coast of Iceland.
The south coast of Iceland is one of the most popular places to visit, for obvious reasons; this area is what most people picture when they imagine Iceland. Soaring waterfalls, wild ocean waves, volcanoes, icy glaciers, and the adorable Icelandic horses in the fields. It’s a photographer’s dream, even on overcast days. And, after two visits to this country, it’s my favourite area of Iceland so far.
Seeing the Main Sites in 1 Day
Since I was only in Iceland for 2.5 days, it didn’t make sense to rent a car. Instead, I used BusTravel Iceland for this tour. It was my second visit to Iceland, and the second bus tour I had taken in the country. To be honest, I was hesitant because our first experience with Reykjavík Excursions in 2012 was pretty awful. However, after reading reviews and hearing feedback from other travellers about Bustravel Iceland, we gave them a try. We weren’t disappointed at all.
Our guide for the day, Bogi, was friendly and knowledgeable with lots of stories (which I loved). He made extra stops for me to take some quick photos, and was easy to talk to when I had questions. Another major perk; Bustravel Iceland is one of few companies that runs the majority of their tours on a daily basis, including the south coast tour, which includes some of Iceland’s most amazing sights.
Skógafoss
At 60m high and 25m wide, Skógafoss is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland. It also comes with an old legend which tells of a Viking by the name of Þrasi Þórólfsson who buried a chest of treasure in the cave behind the falls. According to the story, the chest was found years later by some locals, but they were only able to grab the ring from the side of the chest before it disappeared again- not to be seen since. Today, the ring from the chest is said to be found on the church door at Skógar.
Whether you believe in the legend or not, visitors are (sadly) not allowed behind the falls. However, there are 500+ steps you can take to view the falls from above, or, if you aren’t afraid to get a bit wet- go up close to the bottom. On sunny days you can often see 1 or 2 rainbows in the mist and spray, but even in cloudy weather there is no doubt that Skógafoss is a stunning waterfall.
Sólheimajökull
Another famous attraction in Iceland is it’s many glaciers, and Sólheimajökull is a popular stop for travellers exploring Iceland’s south coast. You’ll have to walk about 10-15 minutes past the parking lot to really see it, but once you do it’s amazing. Especially when you learn that it covers one of Iceland’s major volcanos: Katla, which hasn’t erupted since 1918 and, as such, is expected to blow at any time.
As amazing at this glacier is, it’s heart breaking to hear how quickly it’s disappearing. Our guide for the day, Bogi, showed us where the glacier started less than 50 years ago when he was a child, compared to where it is today. The difference is astounding; so much so that I couldn’t capture it in my photos. What I can tell you, to give you an idea, is that the lagoon in front of the glacier, used to be glacier as well.
When you visit Sólheimajökull you will notice a sign, asking visitors to stop well before the glacier. Not only does this help protect the glacier from melting and disappearing that much faster, but it’s also a caution sign for visitors. The area around the glacier is steep and slippery, making it easy to fall. The glacier is also given to moving, which can shake the earth around it. So, out of respect for the environment, and personal safety, it’s strongly advised to stay behind the sign.
Vík
Vík is the southernmost city of Iceland, and the perfect place for a lunch stop. Most tours will stop here for about an hour or so break midway through the tour. There is a cafeteria style restaurant for lunch which serves soups, hamburgers, and sandwiches for about $10-15 CDN, but you could also always bring your own. There’s also a shop nearby selling traditional Icelandic souvenirs and clothing, and of course you can explore the town a bit.
One of the most prominent buildings in the town is the red-roofed church on top of the hill. Not only is it beautiful against the backdrop of the mountains, but it’s also a safety zone. Should the volcano Katla explode, it will likely trigger a flash flood of glacier water. It is believed that this church on the hill would be the only building to survive such a flood, and therefore is the escape route for all in the area.
Reynisfjara: The Black Sand Beach
This black pebble beach with massive basalt columns is world-famous but although the scenery is amazing, my favorite part about this site is the legend that goes along with it. Icelandic culture is full of myths and legends, and according to one of these stories, the massive stacks just off the shoreline were once trolls. The legend tells that two trolls were caught by the sun fishing just off the shoreline, and were turned to stone and remain there to this day.
This is definitely an awesome place to explore and take photos but it’s important to note that the tide and undercurrent are incredibly strong here, so stay well away from the shoreline. The waves come high and can be quite unpredictable- I got a bit too close and ended up soaking my feet in the frigid surf while taking a photo.
Sejalandsfoss
Another stunning waterfall, Sejalandsfoss sadly doesn’t come with legends of hidden treasure, but you can walk behind it! The path is usually closed in winter due to icy conditions, however was open for exploring during my visit. While the view wasn’t as pretty as those found on google images (mainly because of the grey sky) it was still an awesome experience. If you decided to go behind, be careful as it is very slippery, and prepare to get quite wet.
If you don’t want to walk behind, head to the small bridge across the river in front. It’s a perfect place to take photos and far enough away that the dozens of people walking behind the falls barely show in your pictures.
Extra Stops
As mentioned earlier, I had an awesome driver (thanks Bogi!) who made a few extra stops along the way for us to take photos. Including the glacier which holds the now world-famous volcano Eyjafjallajökull (E15), which erupted in 2010 and caused flight cancellations across Europe.
We also stopped along the side of the road to take a peek at this traditional method of using natural caves at storage areas, and to learn about the old Icelandic houses; made of rocks and turf; can you spot it (in front of the barn, to the left- you can see a window and door).
Our day ended up being about 9.5 hours from pick up (around 9am) to drop off (about 6:30pm). It was fun, entertaining, and educational. Despite the grey skies, the south coast of Iceland was absolutely beautiful, and a must visit for anyone coming to Iceland.
We were guests if Bustravel Iceland for the South Coast tour, however all opinions (as always) are my own.
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It is great to see this adventure activities… lets have a plan your holiday adventures trip in Nepal to.
This is so awesome, I can’t wait to go on this tour myself. Vik has been on my wish list for ages so I’m excited to finally see it. Were you able to walk on the black sand beach?
Yes! You can’t walk too close to the shoreline because the waves are so big and powerful, so you need to stay a bit closer to the rocks. It’s pretty cool though.
This brings back such good memories. We were there in Sept. and had the most wonderful time. You pictures are stunning.
❥ tanvii.com
Thank you! This was my second visit, and it’s just so beautiful. So much to see.
Iceland is my favourite place on earth! Sadly when I went there the snow storm didn’t make it easy to travel around the country, but I really want to go back and visit the south coast. reading your post now, I just want to take the next flight and go. What a magical place to explore <3
Iceland is pretty spectacular. I didn’t get storms but lots of rain both times I went meaning I’ve missed the northern lights twice now 🙁 I need to go back too. haha
I’m planning to visit Iceland later this year! Absolutely can’t wait and especially excited to see all the incredible waterfalls! I love your photos! The Black Sand Beach looks so cool to visit too!
You will love it! South Iceland is a must and the black sand beach is incredible.
I absolutely love the south coast of Iceland. The Black Beaches were my favorite. So majestic!! I need to revisit in the summer.
The black sand beaches were awesome!
Amazing nature! I would be especially interested in the black beaches 😉
they are gorgeous!
Beautiful Photographs 🙂 I want to go to Iceland real bad now!
You should!
This is a great piece! Love the little stories behind each of the places too. It’s so hard not to feel heartbroken when you look at amazing natural sites like glaciers and see how quickly they’re changing but the trip looks beautiful.
I love the stories and legends! And agreed- sad to see such a negative impact of tourism and global warming.
Wow I love your travel photography ! The waterfalls are amazing :)!
Thank you!
I absolutely loved traveling through the southern part of Iceland. Looks like the weather co-operated for you as well which is nice!
Weather was ok- rainy to start and rainy at the end but it was pretty warm for February.
Beautiful pictures and great information. Pinning for later, thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
Thank you for your terrific post! If you were going to Iceland for a week in late July for the 1st time, would you take this 1 day bus tour of the south coast, or would you instead stay a day or 2 in Vik? Are there any tours that leave from Vik? We’d prefer not to have to rent a car and drive ourselves. Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
To be honest, I’m not sure if there are day tours that leave from Vik. I think at that point you would need to rent a car. There are, however, longer bus tours (about 14 hours) for day trips to the south that do more stops. Might be worth checking into that!
Every time I read a post on Iceland, it gets higher and higher on my bucket list. I’m not sure if I would want to rent a car so I’m bookmarking BusTravel Iceland for later!
BusTravel was awesome- highly recommend them.
We could absolutely see ourselves doing this tour. Iceland seems to be promoting itself as a hub city for Europe. This seems like a perfect way to spend a “Free” weekend in Iceland. Your pictures were absolutely beautiful and really carried me away to the land of trolls.
It’s a perfect stopover for sure!
Iceland was relatively unknown to me until about 18 months ago when other bloggers started sharing their trips – this is why I love travel blogging, it would not have been on my radar to visit, but now I am constantly thinking about it. It looks like you had a lot of fun, your driver did a great job!
Its such a popular spot now. So different than in 2012 when I first went. But it is gorgeous!
I need to get myself to Iceland. This looks absolutely gorgeous and the tour sounds like a great way to see a lot in a day.
We sure saw a lot in one day!
Your photos look amazing. I would love to do this trip. I spent a couple of days in Iceland but didn’t get the chance to get out of Reykjavik. I need a do-over trip.
A do-over is definitely needed!
[…] The two most popular tours are probably the golden circle which visits Þingvellir National Park, Selfoss waterfall, and a geyser among other highlights, and the south coast tour which visits the black sand beach of Vik, a glacier, and a couple of the country’s most popular waterfalls. After two visits to Iceland, I have done both tours and if you are limited to taking one I would suggest the south coast tour; the scenery is amazing and I preferred the stops offered here compared to those offered in the golden circle tour. I also suggest using Bustravel Iceland for their friendly and informative guides, comfortable busses, and the fact that they run many of their tours on a daily basis. Check out my experience with Bustravel Iceland on their southern Iceland tour here. […]
Thanks for the virtual tour of the South Coast of Iceland. Would love to visit the black beach, looks stunning. Great to know you can see all these places by bus!
The black beach was one of my favs!
Black Sand Beach is out of this world gorgeous! I can’t believe it actually exists!
It’s pretty amazing!