Iceland's south coast is home to some of the most beautiful scenic attractions in the country. From hiking a glacier to walking behind a picturesque waterfall and witnessing the world-famous black sand beach, visitors to Iceland say travelling the south coast is an “experience of a lifetime.” Narcity’s Ashna Bharkhada visited Iceland for the first time and totally recommends taking the trip, especially to check out this unreal south coast adventure. Follow along as she journeys across "the land of fire and ice!"
Category
🏖
TravelTranscript
00:00 Huh, tastes pretty good.
00:01 Bring waterproof everything because you're gonna get soaked.
00:05 I'm at the Black Sand Beach and this is amazing.
00:09 Today we're leaving the capital city behind
00:11 and venturing out to Iceland's scenic south coast.
00:13 Come along with me as I take you on a 12 hour tour
00:16 with Arctic Adventures that people say
00:18 is an experience of a lifetime.
00:20 I'm visiting breathtaking waterfalls,
00:22 a world famous black sand beach,
00:24 but what I'm looking forward to the most
00:26 is hiking a glacier.
00:27 I follow along my journey in the land of fire and ice.
00:29 The bus picked us up at 8 a.m. in Reykjavik by our hotel.
00:32 Then we headed south to the first stop on our tour,
00:35 Sallilandfoss Waterfalls.
00:37 Iceland has about 9,000 waterfalls across the country.
00:40 This falls is particularly popular amongst tourists
00:42 because you can walk behind it.
00:44 It's very misty.
00:45 We head up the flight of stairs
00:50 and can see the water crashing down on the ground below.
00:53 Sallilandfoss is 60 meters tall
00:55 and has a naturally carved deep alcove
00:57 that allows tourists to get behind the water.
00:59 It was such a cool experience.
01:00 I've never been behind a waterfall before.
01:03 First waterfall and I'm already soaking wet.
01:06 So it's true what they say,
01:08 bring waterproof everything
01:10 because you're gonna get soaked.
01:12 So I need some water.
01:14 And my tour guide told me to fill it in the stream
01:17 because this is spring water,
01:19 the freshest water you can get here in Iceland.
01:22 All right, let's try this out.
01:28 - What?
01:29 (laughing)
01:30 - You have to bend down and fill it up.
01:32 - Bend down and fill it up, okay.
01:34 - Every lake in Iceland is drinkable
01:42 and this water is extremely pure.
01:45 - Okay, well, there's no bugs.
01:47 - Bugs. - I don't think.
01:48 (laughing)
01:50 Okay, let's try it.
01:51 - Where do you come from?
01:52 - From Canada.
01:53 Okay, okay, let's try this water.
01:54 Let's try this water.
01:55 Let's see.
01:56 (water rushing)
01:59 I have to film it this way.
02:01 (laughing)
02:03 Okay, just tried the water.
02:04 It's actually really good.
02:05 Cheers, fresh spring water.
02:09 Next we're checking out Skóafoss, the forest waterfall.
02:13 My first reaction is it's gorgeous.
02:16 Skóafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland.
02:18 It stands 200 feet tall and 83 feet wide.
02:22 Visitors can climb up the steep staircase beside the falls
02:24 to catch some amazing viewpoints,
02:26 but I was too happy just playing in the water.
02:28 On sunny days, you can usually see a rainbow
02:30 through the mist.
02:32 Our third stop of the day is the iconic Black Sand Beach.
02:35 I've never seen anything like it before.
02:37 The waves and strong currents make the beach
02:39 extremely dangerous to swim in.
02:41 (wind blowing)
02:44 If you don't like the weather in Iceland,
02:46 wait a minute because it will change.
02:48 It absolutely has.
02:49 It's raining, it's cold, it's windy now.
02:53 Visitors are warned about the potential dangers
02:55 with signs posted at the entrance.
02:56 Unfortunately, it started to pour when we got there,
02:59 but that didn't stop me from getting my hands dirty.
03:01 So the black sand at Black Sand Beach
03:03 actually comes from volcanic ash and black rock.
03:06 The beach is also known for its black basalt sea stacks,
03:09 which are formed when lava cools down suddenly.
03:11 The cape beside the ocean is covered
03:13 with these beautiful rock formations,
03:14 and across the water you can see spiky stacks
03:17 rising from the ocean.
03:18 This was definitely an unforgettable experience.
03:21 Absolutely soaked.
03:23 My hair, look, there's like water coming out of it.
03:26 Time to eat some lunch.
03:28 I've definitely worked up a daffodil.
03:30 Our final stop of the day
03:31 is hiking the Soljemálokul Glacier.
03:33 There are 269 named glaciers in Iceland,
03:36 and about 10% of the country is covered in ice.
03:39 We're walking to the glacier.
03:40 I've got some hiking boots.
03:43 I got, it looks like an ice pick.
03:47 Some crampons.
03:50 I haven't even started hiking yet, I'm already tired.
03:53 All right, let's go.
03:54 Glacier hiking is very dangerous without a guide,
03:57 especially if you're a noob like me.
03:58 So before we make our way up,
04:00 we're taught how to use the equipment properly to stay safe.
04:02 So let's say the terrain is going down in front of me,
04:05 it's a little bit higher behind me.
04:07 I have this thing, I can stick it to the ice behind me,
04:10 and every step I do, I can carry this behind me
04:12 and put my weight on it.
04:13 It takes about 30 minutes
04:15 to reach our destination on the tongue.
04:16 And let me tell you, the views are breathtaking.
04:19 The ice is covered with black ash
04:21 that's been left over from volcanic eruptions in the past.
04:24 Our guide explains to the group how glaciers are formed.
04:26 - Every winter we have a snowfall in here,
04:28 and then during summer it doesn't melt,
04:30 and next winter we have another one,
04:32 and another layer, and another, another, another,
04:34 and this goes on for hundreds of years, yeah?
04:36 - We're all getting a little thirsty at this point,
04:38 so our guide teaches us how to do a Viking pushup.
04:41 (water splashing)
04:43 (laughing)
04:46 - Whoever else.
04:46 - The Viking pushup.
04:49 I can't do pushups,
04:50 but I have to see what the water tastes like.
04:52 - Really.
04:53 Oh, it's pretty good.
04:57 It does taste earthy.
04:58 - Yeah.
04:59 - Then we make our way back to the bus.
05:01 What a way to end a beautiful tour.
05:03 By the time we get back to Reykjavik, it's 8 p.m.
05:06 I'm exhausted.
05:07 As for the tour, it's true what they say,
05:09 it is an experience of a lifetime.
05:11 I would highly recommend taking a trip
05:13 to Iceland's picturesque south coast.
05:15 If you've toured Iceland before or have plans on doing so,
05:18 let us know what your favorite part is in the comments.
05:20 (upbeat music)
05:23 (upbeat music)