ICELAND 2020
6 Day Trip from Reykjavik to Höfn, and back.
Hours of Daylight in March: 10
Temperature: Snowfall, 33 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Northern Lights: Opportune time of the year due to long nights but difficult to predict visibility.
What to Expect: Waterfalls, volcanos, glaciers, geysers, geothermal pools, great design, great Icelandic yogurts and relaxing long drives with insane views.
DAY 1
3 hour drive from Reykjavik to Vik.
Airbnb in Vik - Paradise Gotur Cottage
The perfect 2-person, cozy and isolated cottages with incredible views. These cottages included everything from basic kitchen supplies, coffee/tea, and even international outlet adapters - because forgetting your own is a nightmare. The best part was catching the sunrise every morning. I would set my alarm before the first light, forced myself out of bed, relocated to the couch and just watched the mountain view appear as the sun went up...while someone snoozed away.
DAY 2
We woke up to countless missed calls and texts from our parents at 5am only to find out a travel ban would be going into effect for the United States on March 15th due to the Coronavirus. We were a bit skeptical at first not knowing how serious this might get, but things were changing by the minute. We were contemplating re-booking a flight to come back home, or just sticking with our itinerary. It honestly didn’t feel right to rush the decision so we decided that it would be best to stick to our itinerary and just be mindful of our surroundings.
World War II Plane
Who would have thought an abandoned U.S. Navy DC-3 plane from 1973 would have turned out to become one of Iceland’s popular tourist attraction.
Reynisfjara Sand Beach
Pretty black beach due to volcanic explosions and the most dangerous due to the waters of the Atlantic sneaker waves.
DAY 3
Diamond Beach
The beach of endless diamond icebergs broken off from Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier that are then fallen into the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and washed up on to Diamond Beach.
Hotel in Höfn - Hotel Höfn
Leaving our isolated cottage to head to a hotel, we weren’t really sure what to expect. However, when we got there, the staff was incredibly prepared to make cleaning and sanitizing the norm. Bottles of hand sanitizer were in each high traffic area and gloves were supplied required at the breakfast buffet. Everyone was calm, cautious and our stay was great.
DAY 4
Vestrahorn & Stokksnes
Vestrahorn on the Stokksnes peninsula is one of the most loved Icelandic landscapes by photographers/videographers. This was also the last location my drone got to see due to the strong winds blowing sand into the motors, causing them to lock up.
DAY 5
6 Hour drive from Höfn back to Reykjavik.
Hotel in Reykjavik - Miogarour by Center Hotels
Getting to Reykjavik was a little nerve-racking due to a higher population than Vik and Höfn. Once we arrived there, our nerves settled as we encountered another great hotel with staff already taking precautions. The restaurant part of the hotel was still open to guests. We didn't even realize seating was 6 feet apart until our server pointed it out. We watched as the staff wiped tables down from top to bottom, covering every crevice on tables and chairs once customers finished dining. Iceland was on top of their game!
DAY 6
Blue Lagoon
Geothermal pool, face masks and smoothies.
Nikon Shots by Michael Mucciaccio.
Drone shots by yours truly <3