Hella Travel Guide

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My Lonely Planet only afforded Reynisfjara a few sentences and I suppose, other than saying that it is a volcanic (black) beach with splendid views back down to Dyrhólaey and has a superb display of basalt columns, there is not a lot else to say! It is, however, a beautiful spot. Beautiful in its loneliness and solitude. Not as brutal as its formidable and unstoppable sister at Dyrhólaey but the sea here is still to be feared and awed, respected and not toyed with.

The black sands, grey, thundering sea, huge columns like an organ for Poseidon and dark sky make this a wild and forlone place to be. I loved it. I was lucky enough for it to hail here - huge chunky balls of icy white against the otherwise black backdrop - spectacular!

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I think this has to be one of my very favourite places in Iceland. It was so incredibly dramatic and alive. The energy of the swollen sea crashing, smashing and pounding everything it could reach - relentless and formidable. Dyrholaey is best known and recognised for its huge arch of stone... but it was the hungry, merciless sea that had me absolutely enthralled, here.
The sea was an angry grey, the beach and the rocks black and charcoal and the sky a colour somewhere in between. The hail storm was severe; giant, white ball of ice that whipped and stung us,,, but it was all part of this wonderful, wonderful place,,, this really could be the land that time forgot - untame and untameable!

(and the drive from the main road to here is tantilising too)

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Skogafoss is a big, angry, powerfall (but beautiful) waterfall. It thunders down from the cliff top stream that feeds it, smashing the black volcanic ash. The colours here are borderline technicolour - the back volcanic ash, the green, green grash and the white spray from the falls.

Climb to the top - you may have to take a small pause on the way up... there are many steps!!!
Once at the top you can look down and follow the water's drop (dizzy dizzy!) before climbing over the style to take a walk along the stream that eventually becomes the falling water. It is beautiful and, if the sight does not take your breath away, the chances are the wind will!!!

Skogafoss is 62m high. Apparently a man called Prasi, hid a chest of gold behind the falls and sometimes you can almost see it... glittering away, sparkling..... I am not sure but I did find a rainbow to go over.

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Seljalandsfoss is beautiful, tall and tumbling.
Make sure you have your waterproofs on and be careful with your camera because you can walk around the back of the waterfall and you will, naturally, get rather wet!
You can also go down, behind the falls, to the green pool that the water cascades into - NB here you WILL get drenched!

There are other waterfalls along this stretch and plenty of brooks trailing off from them. It is a very pretty place to take a small walk.

Here at the Saga Centre you will get an idea of how the area was formed. You will get a headphone on and they will tell you all about it (you can choose between the language Icelandic, English and German).
At the Saga Centre you can view Icelandic art. When I was there, there was a little artcollection of a regional artist.
Another part of the building has stuff from over the years. Like typewriters, telephones and general ledger.
This Saga Centre is really interesting to watch. You will get an idea how the region was formed and see what kind of equipment was used during the years.

This restaurant has the usual meals: burgers, grills and pizzas. The prices are between
ISK 750 and ISK 2690.