This morning we woke up right next to one of Iceland’s biggest waterfalls, Skógafoss, with a 180ft drop and measuring 75ft wide. We could hear the mighty roar of the falls as soon as we opened the doors to our campervan so we decided to suit up in our rain gear and head over to take it all in.
I would simply describe Skógafoss in two words: powerful and wet. We had a lot of fun taking pictures but both of us were absolutely drenched after 30 seconds of being at the base of the waterfall. Don’t believe me? just look at my camera!
Satisfied after receiving our daily dose of a waterfall for the day, we headed to our next destination which was a hike to a plane wreck! The drive from Skógafoss to the trailhead for the Sólheimasandur plane wreck was a quick 10-minute drive. However, it would be another 45 minutes of hiking 2.3 miles on black sand and gravel before we would catch our first sight of the downed plane.
You might be wondering why there’s a plane crash in the middle of nowhere just as we did. The United States’ Navy DC-3 plane was left on the black sand beach where it crash-landed onto a black sand beach after running out of fuel. Apparently, it wasn’t actually out of fuel though, the pilot just switched it to the wrong fuel tank. Oops. Thankfully everyone survived the crash.
The worst part about this whole experience was by far the 45-minute hike back to the parking lot. Everything else was amazing!
After all that walking, we decided to head to Vik to restock on some groceries and grab some food at a local brewpub.
With our stomachs full, it was now time to rejuvenate our bodies. Next up was a visit to Iceland’s oldest public swimming pool!
Seljavallalaug pool is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland. The pool was built in 1923 by Björn Andrésson and others who wanted to provide the locals of Seljavellir with a place to learn to swim. Since 1927, swimming lessons were conducted in the pool as a part of compulsory education.
However, we didn’t actually come here to swim in the pool. While browsing reviews for the pool, I actually learned from one review that there was a hidden hot spring a few hundred feet past the pool, so that was where we headed.
After soaking and relaxing in the hot spring, our bodies felt so rejuvenated. I even alternated between dips in the freezing river next to the hot spring and hopping back into the warm waters. We left when it started to get dark out and headed to our next campsite completely satisfied with our adventure-filled day.
Tonight we’re staying at a campground right next to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall so after dinner, we decided to take a stroll to see this beautiful waterfall at night. See you tomorrow!
Today’s daily route and stops: