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    • About Us
    • About NatureTravelers.com
  • Our Travels
    • USA Travels Overview
    • 31 Days In Iceland
    • 15 Days In The Galapagos >
      • Galapagos Resources
    • 28 Days In South Africa
    • 43 Days In Costa Rica
    • Travels In Canada
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​​31 Days In Iceland

Day 15 - Southeast Iceland - Waterfalls, Beaches, Sheep, & Glaciers

8/30/2018

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Today was filled with variety as we made our way around the southeast corner of Iceland. We continued to enjoy the scenery as we drove, but we also stopped for a waterfall hike, a couple of walks on beaches, and a short walk to a glacier.
Southeast Iceland Drive
It was a gorgeous morning as we woke up by the lake at the Fáskrúðsfjörður campground and prepared for our day.
Fáskrúðsfjörður Campground - East Iceland
Fáskrúðsfjörður Campground - East Iceland
It was another morning of beautiful scenery driving around the fjords. Soon after leaving the campground, we were back on Hwy 1, Ring Road.
East Fjords Iceland
East Fjords Iceland
​Just before reaching the village of Breiðdalsvík, we turned right on Hwy 95 looking for the Flögufoss waterfall. We followed a dirt/gravel road for a bit ..... 
Driving to Flögufoss Waterfall - East Iceland
before we located the side road to the waterfall.
Driving to Flögufoss Waterfall - East Iceland
That road was pretty rough as we carefully drove our campervan in as far as we could toward the canyon in the photo above. We were the only people there, so we parked and started a short hike.
Flögufoss Waterfall - East Iceland
Some sheep watched us walk in and posed with the waterfall in the background as we approached.
Flögufoss Waterfall - East Iceland
Sheep At Flögufoss Waterfall - East Iceland
Flögufoss is about 60 meters (almost 200 feet) high, and it is even more interesting because the water flows through a natural arch at the top.
Flögufoss Waterfall - East Iceland
Flögufoss Waterfall - East Iceland
This was another favorite of ours partly because we had it to ourselves.

After our brief visit to Flögufoss, we returned to the Ring Road and continued our drive until Linda spotted a rocky beach she wanted to explore. We drove down the short rocky road and parked.
Ring Road, Beach - Southeast Iceland
Roadside Beach, Southeast Iceland
Linda is always on the lookout for rocky beaches where she might be able to find sea glass.

While she was on her search for glass, I wandered around with the camera. In this area of Iceland especially, we noticed lots of sheep on the beaches and wondered why that might be.

Well, we were told that the sheep often will go to the beaches to lick the salt off the rocks. That makes sense, but the sheep on this beach were also feeding on seaweed.
Sheep Eating Seaweed On Beach, Southeast Iceland
Sheep Eating Seaweed on Beach, Southeast Iceland
They definitely preferred the red variety.

That was interesting. I have to say I had never seen or expected to see sheep on beaches eating seaweed.

Linda didn't have any luck with her sea glass, so we continued west on the Ring Road passing yet more waterfalls.
Ring Road Waterfall, Southeast Iceland
Ring Road Waterfall, Southeast Iceland
Parking Above the Blue Cliffs, Southeast Iceland
As we drove, my eye was drawn to some colorful low cliffs along the beach. Seeing them jogged my memory. They must be the "Blue Cliffs" I saw photos of when doing my research.

So, we pulled off in the parking area above the cliffs, known as Blábjörg, and walked down to the beach.

Blábjörg, The Blue Cliffs, Southeast Iceland
Blábjörg, The Blue Cliffs, Southeast Iceland
Blábjörg, The Blue Cliffs, Southeast Iceland
Though there was a hint of blue tint, they looked more green to me. At any rate, the colors were really cool, and we enjoyed having this special place to ourselves for a little while.
​
Note there are directions if you click on the link above. Driving west from East Iceland, the cliffs were easy to spot, but driving east you wouldn't see them from the road.

Driving on, there was more rural mountain scenery with the clouds slowly blowing across the peaks.
Ring Road Scenery, Southeast Iceland
Eventually, we made our way to the coastal village of ​Djúpivogur where we visited this unusual bit of artwork on the bay.
Eggin í Gleðivík - the Eggs at Merry Bay, Djúpivogur, Iceland
Eggin í Gleðivík (the Eggs at Merry Bay) is an attraction that includes 34 granite eggs carved by the sculptor to represent the eggs of birds that nest in the area. Each egg has a different shape and color and is an attempt to replicate the actual eggs on a large scale.

It was a creative way to spruce up the plinths left over from an old fish processing enterprise. I wasn't familiar with the word "plinth", but those are the things the eggs are sitting on.

I'm not sure I'd go out of my way again to see it, but it has become a highlight if visiting Djúpivogur. 

Continuing, the views included more mountains, waterfalls, and sheep in the road.
Ring Road Mountains & Waterfalls, Southeast Iceland
Sheep On Ring Road, Southeast Iceland
We stopped at an overlook that had this view.
Ring Road Overlook, Southeast Iceland
We decided to backtrack so Linda could do some beach combing.
Southeast Iceland Beach
You have to be careful on the beaches in Iceland. "Sneaker" waves are common, and lots of tourists have been swept out to sea.

Even the smaller breaking waves are unpredictable. More than once, Linda found herself with water coming over her hiking boots from surprise waves, or she had to run to prevent getting soaked.

Once she was ready, we walked back to the van and continued along the Ring Road. More stunning beauty.
Ring Road Mountains, Southeast Iceland
​We made our way to Höfn, the second largest town in Southeast Iceland.

But on our way, we passed by the Giant Red Chair which is bolted to a rock next to the ocean in the middle of nowhere.

Big Red Chair, Giant Red Chair, Southeast Iceland
This chair, which is taller than a human, is often photographed, but there is limited, conflicting information as to why it's there.

​Reaching Höfn, we located our campground for the evening, but it was still too early to settle down. So we found an information center, got a couple local maps, and set out again.


Höfn is a relatively short drive to several glaciers (or glacier tongues) that creep out of the Vatnajökull National Park. ​
Glaciers Near Hofn, Southeast Iceland
We drove about 15 miles (25km) to ​​Hoffellsjökull glacier. We took a rocky road out to a parking area.
Hoffellsjökull Glacier, South Iceland near Höfn
From the parking area, we walked up and over a little hill and were treated to a nice look at the glacier and its lagoon.
Hoffellsjökull Glacier, South Iceland near Höfn
With a little zoom, we could see glacier blue ice caves.
Hoffellsjökull Glacier, South Iceland near Höfn
After hanging out a little while, we headed back to Höfn and checked into our campground for the evening.

We had some interesting variety today, and again the scenery was fantastic.


Day 15 Driving - 311k (193 miles)

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