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| Godifoss Photo credit: Donna Specht |
When I first visited Iceland a few years ago a comparison with Ecuador's Galapagos Islands came to my mind: It is a unique sanctuary in the populated West with pristine, beautifully preserved wild nature. Because of its isolation, great distance from the mainland and cold climate it was preserved from human degradation of the environment. Lacking the abundance of unique wildlife found on the Galapagos Islands, Iceland’s wealth of natural wonders is greater than on any other place on Earth.
It is also one of the only places where a visitor can see the Earth under construction. It is, without exaggeration, an environmental giant, a naturalist paradise. One of the wonderful things on Iceland is the purity and freshness of plain tap water. Icelanders laugh when you ask for imported bottles. Adding to this their delicious organic food with lots of fish, lamb and vegetables, it’s easy to understand why the number of visitors is steadily growing despite of the fact that it is among the more expensive countries in Europe due to its very short tourist’s season.
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| In a geyser. Photo credit: Donna Specht |
Come to Iceland with Sierra Club! The trip takes place Aug. 11 to 20, 10 days/9 nights. Sierra Club members pay $2,950; non-members pay $3,050 (checks payable Sierra Club). The price includes hotel accommodations (based on double occupancy), private charter coach, Icelandic guide, 12 meals and entrance to Blue Lagoon. Airfare is extra; group international airfare available. Optional pre-trip to Greenland offered. For complete itinerary and application, contact Leader Donna Specht at (714) 963-6345 and donnaspecht@juno.com; or Co-Leader Ana Cadez, (626) 372-5866, ana@bt-store.com.
This is the main reason why Donna Specht, an experienced Sierra Club leader who has led many international trips, and I decided to repeat the Iceland tour we did for Sierra Club in 2013. We would like to give Sierra Club members the opportunity to visit Iceland in mid-August 2016 when the island is strikingly green, the days are longer and temperature is predominantly pleasant. It’s a perfect time for hiking and exploring its stunning landscapes shaped by glaciers and volcanoes.
Iceland is about the size of Kentucky and scarcely populated with just over 300,000 residents, the majority of whom live in their two largest cities, Reykjavik in southwest and Akureyri in far north. Yet, it is reach in history, traditions and literature from the time of Vikings who settled the island in 871. Before then, Iceland was essentially empty.
Our journey is a combination of sightseeing, exploring and easy to moderate hiking. We will be travelling in our chartered coach together with an experienced English-speaking tour guide from Iceland. We will enjoy a guided tour of Reykjavik, the northernmost capital city of Europe. It is a sophisticated urban center with museums and galleries, concert hall, lots of boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Next day we start our journey around island, by visiting the Snaefellsnes Peninsula where we hike and explore the coastal trails above sea cliffs and bizarre rock formations.
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| Gulifoss Photo credit: Donna Specht |
The Peninsula is dominated by volcano Snaefellsjokull, which inspired French author Jules Verne to place the entrance to the interior of our planet in his 1864 famous novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth." On our way north, we enjoy hike around the rim of an extinct crater Grabrok. A little further on, we stop for lunch at the country farm where we see the famed Icelandic horses.
From here the road takes us along a fertile valley with deep green grassy meadows dotted with white sheep grazing. Occasionally, one can spot a herd of wild horses grazing or running. Upon arriving in Akureyri, we'll enjoy a walking tour of this urban gem, situated in a scenic fjord. We spend the night in brand new studio apartments.
The next day we travel to Lake Myvatn national park, known for its amazing natural wonders and as a nesting place for many species of arctic birds. On the way we stop and walk to the Godafoss waterfall for breathtaking views. We continue to Lake Myvatn where we first see the region’s unique “pseudo craters.” The walk around the rim of a few of these small and beautiful craters covered with deep green grass and wildflowers is simply unforgettable. And so are other amazing geological features and formations we will visit and explore around Lake Myvatn: Grjotagja caves with hot underground water, a walk among bizarre lava formations at Dimmuborgir, lava fields and bubbling mud flats. We overnight at a small country hotel.
Each day that follows we will enjoy the incredible diversity of nature and landscape, towering cliffs and remote fjords, breathtaking waterfalls Iceland is famous for, among them Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe and Iceland’s “Niagara” we visit in the north. From the east, we follow the national “Ring Road No. 1” (circle road) which takes us south along the scenic east fjords, rugged coastline and quiet fishing villages.
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| Blue Lagoon Photo credit: Donna Specht |
One of the highlights of our trip is an optional amphibian boat tour among the floating icebergs on the famous Glacier Lagoon Jokulsarlon we visit in southwest. It is one of Iceland’s most photographed sights and a setting of four Hollywood movies. From here we travel along the majestic glaciers flowing down from Vatnajokull massive icecap and the roots of volcano Ejafjallajokull, famous for erupting in 2010 and bringing European air traffic to a standstill. At a small visitor center that opened after the eruption, we see a video showing the massive eruption and the devastation that followed.
The tour continues northward to visit Iceland’s classic attractions, the geothermal area of Geysir and the spouting geyser Strokkur, which erupts at 5- to 10-minute intervals. Only a few miles farther north and you're at the beautiful, majestic Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall), one of Iceland’s most popular attractions. We will take time to view it close up and from high above.
On the way back to Reykjavik, tour members will explore Thingvellir National Park which lies in a rift valley basin. It’s an amazing place to visit from a geological and historic point of view. It sits at the top of mid-Atlantic ridge that carves its way north and east into the island’s interior tearing it apart. We will have enough time to walk through the impressive rift valley and stand on a bluff and see the ridge. The park was also a site of many historic events and it remains the ultimate symbol of Iceland’s independence and unity.
The trip ends with a relaxing soak in the milky blue waters of the Blue Lagoon south of Reykjavik, Iceland’s most famous tourist attraction. Trully, an amazing place!