Iceland & Greenland Cruise (August) 2024: Day 10: Reykjavik, part 1
Day 9 was another sea day. So we had a back-to-back sea day with the sightseeing cruise to Prince Christian Sound. I can't remember a single thing about Day 9; and to make matters worse, I don't have any pictures taken on that day. I am guessing we did a lot of walking around the ship to complete our steps. We most likely listened to live bands and or went to see a show or attended another informative talk about Greenlandic culture. What I do remember about this cruise (not the ports-of-call) is that I was quite bored, sad to admit that. I suppose many things have changed since my last cruise (2019) but the vibe on European cruises are completely different, more subdued and not loud and activities were not packed to the rafters - well at least activities that I was interested in. The idea it seems is to relax, which is good if that is what you came here for.
Day 10 was the penultimate day of this cruise and today we arrived back to where we started - Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. The day started wet and windy and we have a full day and a half here. When we got to the parking lot of the port area, we found out that there is a free shuttle to downtown.
We rented a car to use for the day so we can go about exploring the sights. However, the car had to be picked up at the airport, which is a 45-minute bus ride from the city.
The airport.
Leaving the city to our first destination.
We haven't gone far when the downpour began. I was scared. Being from California, we haven't seen this heavy rain in a very long while.
Kerid is a volcanic crater lake in South Iceland along the Golden Circle, which is a popular tourist route hitting 3 main attractions: Thingvellir NP, Geysir Geothermal Area and Gulfoss waterfall. It is a 190-mile path that begins and ends in Reykjavik. Well, on this day we hit two of the three main attractions and added Kerid crater to our list.
However, the inhospitable weather - torrential rain and blustery wind - made it impossible to do anything here than take a photo of the crater. Where I was standing when I took this photo I could barely hold my ground.
Despite that, the crater is beautiful. It is said to be one of the most visually stunning geological wonder of this country. It is said that Kerid crater is 6500 years old, making it roughly half the age of most volcanic craters in Iceland. This is the major reason why Kerid's slopes are red in color rather than a volcanic black; the iron deposits are, geologically speaking, fresh.
After leaving Kerid Crater, we got behind a tour bus. I jokingly told the husband to follow it and it will lead us to another attraction.
My joke turned out to be true - although my husband was still following the GPS and not the bus, but we ended up at the same parking lot. The rain did not let up.
Gulfoss means "golden falls". Gullfoss is not your average waterfall; it's a two-tiered cascade that plunges into a narrow canyon. The first drop is 11 metres, followed by a more dramatic 21-metre drop. This double-cascade design adds to the waterfall's visual drama and impact.
The airport.
Leaving the city to our first destination.
We haven't gone far when the downpour began. I was scared. Being from California, we haven't seen this heavy rain in a very long while.
Kerid is a volcanic crater lake in South Iceland along the Golden Circle, which is a popular tourist route hitting 3 main attractions: Thingvellir NP, Geysir Geothermal Area and Gulfoss waterfall. It is a 190-mile path that begins and ends in Reykjavik. Well, on this day we hit two of the three main attractions and added Kerid crater to our list.
However, the inhospitable weather - torrential rain and blustery wind - made it impossible to do anything here than take a photo of the crater. Where I was standing when I took this photo I could barely hold my ground.
Despite that, the crater is beautiful. It is said to be one of the most visually stunning geological wonder of this country. It is said that Kerid crater is 6500 years old, making it roughly half the age of most volcanic craters in Iceland. This is the major reason why Kerid's slopes are red in color rather than a volcanic black; the iron deposits are, geologically speaking, fresh.
After leaving Kerid Crater, we got behind a tour bus. I jokingly told the husband to follow it and it will lead us to another attraction.
My joke turned out to be true - although my husband was still following the GPS and not the bus, but we ended up at the same parking lot. The rain did not let up.
Gulfoss means "golden falls". Gullfoss is not your average waterfall; it's a two-tiered cascade that plunges into a narrow canyon. The first drop is 11 metres, followed by a more dramatic 21-metre drop. This double-cascade design adds to the waterfall's visual drama and impact.
Beautiful captures of the golden waterfalls!
ReplyDeleteWaterfalls looks amazing, Great pics and videos.
ReplyDeleteIf it didn't look so cold that caldera could be in Costa Rica! Happy holidays and travels in 2026!
ReplyDeleteI'm very impressed. You guys are intrepid adventurers braving the cold, wind, and rain to check things out.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos - that waterfall is amazing
ReplyDeleteStunning photos.
ReplyDeleteGlad you visited the sights even though the weather was windy, cold and raining.
ReplyDelete...I guess that you needed a rain coat or two!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those waterfalls are amazing and such wonderful photos ~ lovely series of photos of your travels ~ thanks,
ReplyDelete'
https://anartistreflects.com
Honest review! It’s a bit of a bummer when the ship's energy doesn't match what you’re looking for, but at least the scenery in that part of the world is hard to beat.
ReplyDelete