WANDERLUST

WANDERLUST SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

Ready to jump back into international travel? ICELAND offers the chance to satisfy your taste for adventure in safety

By Angela Caraway-Carlton

ESCAPE

With a complement of waterfalls, ice caves, black sand beaches, and glacial volcanoes, Iceland offers an otherworldly escape for Americans who have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations. While a visit to the capital city of Reykjavik is a must-do, a two-hour drive to Iceland’s South Coast gives travelers access to some of the island’s most awe-inspiring attractions.

Southern Iceland’s wide-open spaces offer plenty of room to socially distance. While the Fagradalsfjall volcano—which began erupting near Reykjavik in March—remains untamed, Iceland has kept the COVID-19

MARKETA KALVACHOVA

Clockwise from above: Gljúfrabúi Waterfall; Reynisfjara Beach, South Iceland’s most famous; Thingvellir National Park, which sits in a rift caused by the separation of two tectonic plates; Secret Lagoon; Hikers in South Iceland; Geysir geothermal area; Basalt Sea Stacks at Reynisfjara Beach.

DENNIS WELSH pandemic under control by meticulously tracking cases. Today, U.S. citizens can visit if they’re fully vaccinated or can provide documentation of a prior infection. Upon arrival, visitors must take a PCR test and shelter in place until negative test results are received (typically within 6 to 24 hours). After that, you’re free to roam.

NATURAL BEAUTY ABOUNDS

The South Coast offers epic waterfalls, including Gljúfrabúi: Concealed by a cliff, it often sits unnoticed next to the tourist-favored, 200foot Seljalandsfoss waterfall. To get there you’ll wade through a shallow stream into a mossy cave, where gushing water theatrically cascades into a small pool lit as if by a spotlight. Or visit the mighty Gullfoss falls—unique in that you can take in their glory from above instead of below.

But Iceland offers more than just waterfalls. For bubbling mud pots and boiling hot springs, make your way to the Geysir geothermal area or try Thingvellir National Park (thingvellir.is/en), a UNESCO World Heritage Site that marks the place where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet and drift apart. If you skipped the Blue Lagoon, stop at the nearby Secret Lagoon ( s e c r e t l a g o o n . i s ) to dip in a lesscrowded, man-made pool fed by hot springs.

MARKETA KALVACHOVA

MARKETA KALVACHOVA

In Iceland, a glacier cave tour should be accompanied by a guide. A stay at Hotel Rangá is the perfect way to recharge in luxury after a long day spent exploring icy landscapes.

You’ll feel the power of Mother Nature on the volcanic black-sand beaches of Reynisfjara, where towering sea stacks jut from the Atlantic Ocean and powerful waves thunder ashore. The jagged basalt cliffs (a backdrop for cinematic works like Game of Thrones and Star Wars) are a perfect spot to snap Instagram-worthy pictures—but beware of sneaker waves, which have swept away unsuspecting visitors.

To see the landscape at a slower pace, opt for a tour via native Icelandic horses by making reservations at Skeidðvellir (skeidvellir.is), a horse-breeding farm. Guided tours take riders through scenic meadows in the shadows of volcanoes and glaciers.

If you visit southern Iceland during winter, explore the area’s ethereal ice caves with a guide from Southcoast Adventure (it’s dangerous to explore ice caves on your own) ( s o u t h a d v e n t u r e . i s ) . Inside a glacier atop the Katla volcano are wind-carved walls of curved ice in brilliant hues of blue. You’ll walk, crawl, and sometimes slide on your belly through mysterious passageways. Turn off your flashlight and the ice will twinkle like a star-filled sky.

BRAGI ÞÓR JÓSEFSSON

BRENT DARBY PHOTOGRAPHY LTD

ICELANDIC HOSPITALITY

To spend days exploring, refueling is key. Don’t miss lunch at Friðdheimar ( f r i d h e i m a r . i s ) , a beautiful greenhouse where you’ll dine on delicious tomato-inspired dishes and sip drinks among colorful crops. Or stop in at family-run Efstidalur Farm ( e f s t i d a l u r . i s ) , where they turn their cows’ milk into organic ice cream in a range of flavors every day.

When it’s time to recharge, opt for a stay at Hotel Rangá ( h o t e l r a n g a . i s ) , a luxury hotel perched along the East Rangá River. The countryside retreat recalls an elegant log cabin, with rooms boasting soaking tubs, balconies, and heated bathroom floors (welcome luxuries after outdoor explorations). Be sure to try the hotel’s

During a stay at Hotel Rangá, schedule a wake-up call to make sure you don’t miss the appearance of the aweinspiring northern lights.

geothermally heated hot tubs, where you can watch the wind ripple across the river as you soak alfresco.

In the evenings, the hotel is aglow with flickering candles as guests sip cocktails in the lounge and feast on Nordic cuisine like crispy arctic char, reindeer carpaccio, and puffin.

F r o m S e p t e m b e r t h r o u g h A p r i l , t h e h o t e l m a k e s p e e p i n g t h e n o r t h e r n l i g h t s a p r i o r i t y . I f t h e l i g h t s b e g i n d a n c i n g a c r o s s t h e s k i e s d u r i n g d i n n e r , r e s t a u r a n t g u e s t s a r e s u m m o n e d t o t h e h o t e l ’ s o b s e r v a t o r y t o w a t c h t h r o u g h t e l e s c o p e s . S c h e d u l e a w a k e - u p c a l l s o y o u d o n ’ t m i s s t h e s h o w i n c a s e t h e l i g h t s a p p e a r a f t e r y o u r b e d t i m e .

From the lights in the sky to the land itself, Iceland’s surreal and untamed beauty provides an ideal escape from the heat of summer—and from the unnaturally hectic pace of everyday life. (visiticeland.com) «

LAURENT LACROIX PHOTOGRAPHY

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