The Vik region
This morning, we’re leaving Kirkjubæjarklaustur to head to Hella for two nights. We plan to spend the morning in the Vik area and the afternoon near Seljalandsfoss, getting closer to Thórsmörk where we’ll spend the day tomorrow.
We set off around 9 AM under a clear blue sky and arrive in Vik by mid-morning. This village is beautiful, and we take the opportunity to take some photos of the church to the north of the village.
The Vik Area
We do some shopping in Vik before heading towards Dyrhólaey a bit further on to enjoy the panoramic views from a higher vantage point. We take a long walk along the coastal paths, and the viewpoints are stunning.
This year, there are an incredible number of puffins here, even more than at Latrabjarg a few days ago. These birds are not very shy and allow us to get within a few meters to take photos.
We have a picnic here with a magnificent view of the famous Reynisfjara beach below.
The Nauthúsagil Canyon
In the afternoon, we plan to do a short hike in the Nauthúsagil Canyon. It’s a few kilometers from the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We take the F249 for a few kilometers, and the canyon parking is located before the famous river crossings on the F249, so no risks involved.
We loved this hike. It’s short but very fun. We enter a narrow canyon where we have to walk on stones to keep our feet dry. There is also a rope section about 5 meters long to cross a spot without getting our feet wet before reaching a beautiful waterfall about ten meters high that cascades into the canyon.
On the way back, we stop a few kilometers further at the wreck of the US Navy DC3 plane that crashed in Iceland. We had seen this plane a few years ago in eastern Iceland, but it has been moved here recently.
In the late afternoon, we head to Hella for dinner and to return to our accommodation.
