INTO THE BLUE
Antonia Paget is awestruck during a trip to witness the power of Iceland’s volcanoes, glaciers and stunning waterfalls
NOTHING makes you feel as small or as humble as watching a towering iceberg break apart and flip upside down in the water in front of you.
A rare sight, and I was told it was one which we were lucky to see as we cruised in a boat across the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in southern Iceland.
This lagoon lies at the bottom of an offshoot of the Vatnajökull glacier – the largest icecap in Iceland, Europe’s largest glacier by volume and one of the seven natural wonders of our continent.
Electric blue icebergs, some streaked with black volcanic ash that fell hundreds of years ago, had broken off the glacier and were floating into the lagoon to melt away as the water met the sea.
We weaved in and out of these enormous icebergs on a bright yellow boat, watching closely for seals as they poked their heads above the water.
The tour was an awe-inspiring experience, even more so when we considered how a glacier formed over thousands of years was breaking apart before our eyes.
But this feeling of awe was not new on my visit to Iceland, in fact it characterised much of the trip.
As I scaled the Vatnajökull glacier itself and travelled along the south coast on Iceland’s only main road – Route 1 – I was left speechless by the breathtaking scenery, extraordinary views and cascading waterfalls that appeared at every turn.
I also found the many volcanoes that lie beneath the island nation’s surface a point of huge fascination too. Iceland has 130 – some are extinct, but many remain active and erupt frequently.
Three volcanoes lie under the Vatnajökull glacier – Oraefajokull, Bardarbunga and Grimsvotn.
Vatnajökull’s volcanoes have erupted 60 times in the last 800 years. And as I stood beneath the glacier – which is up to a kilometre thick in places – at Jökulsárlón lagoon, it was difficult not to feel the same reverence and respect that the locals experience for the forces of nature that shape this living land.
The glacier is of such importance to Iceland’s identity that the national airline, Icelandair, has decorated a plane with an image of the glacier in honour of its 80th anniversary.
Hand painted over 24 days by a team of artists, the Vatnajökull plane is an airborne work of art.
A flight on board the Boeing 757 jet gives you just a flavour of the many wonders the glacier has to offer and it isn’t just the exterior that has been inspired by the ice cap. The
With every slip of a tyre I feared we would roll off the mountain
interior looks like an ice cave too, decorated in turquoise and sapphire with special LED lighting, accompanied by a glacier soundtrack.
Aside from a flyover, the best way to see the glacier is up close in a ‘super jeep’.
I explored the vast expanse of the glacier – which covers 8% of Iceland’s landmass – in one of these specially modified vehicles adapted to drive effectively on the rocky roads at the bottom of the glacier and tackle the seemingly impassable snowdrifts at the top.
But believe me, this adventure is not for the faint-hearted!
My heart was pounding as we were driven up the glacier in one of the massive cars, and with every slip of a tyre on the snow I feared we would roll off the mountain.
But even the super jeep adrenalin seemed tame when I then mounted a snowmobile and set off at top speed across the glacier.
After the exhaustion of the glacier adventures, and returning to sea level, I calmed down over a plate of delicious seafood in the town of Hofn, famous for its lobster, before returning to my hotel.
There are plenty of places to stay when you explore this part of Iceland, including one of the many farm buildings converted into guest houses to help cope with the Icelandic tourist industry boom.
The Fosshotel Vatnajökull, where I cosied up for the night, is ideally placed for glacier explorers.
At the end of one of the many Vatnajökull offshoots, known as ‘tongues’, you can enjoy your breakfast as you look out at the icy peaks. The hotel is also only a short drive from hot geothermal pools, warmed by the sub-glacial volcanoes.
Bathing in these hot pools is an integral part of a visit to Iceland, with locals swearing the only way to warm up in the cold winters is with a dip. They’re not wrong.
Glacier World, an interactive exhibition centre featuring pictures and videos of the glacier and the Northern Lights dancing over the ice, is also only a stone’s throw away from the hotel.
This centre was set up by a farmer who lives under the shadow of the glacier, like generations of his family before him.
As I was shown around the centre I was allowed to try chunks of glacial ice, and while it does taste like normal ice (not much of a surprise) I was assured that it was probably the oldest thing I have ever eaten. Since it could be up to 1,000 years old, they’re probably correct!
Travelling away from Vatnajökull towards Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, and the airport for the flight home we passed glacial rivers which score through the valleys and create stunning waterfalls.
And when we stopped at Skógafoss we watched magical rainbows dancing in the spray as we strolled on a natural outcrop cut into the cliff that led behind the falling water.
Follow the winding glacial riverbeds further south and they take you to the stunning coast and some of the black volcanic sand beaches that ring Iceland.
We also called in at the Reynisdrangar basalt volcanic sea stacks which are well worth the trip, not least as the beach they stand alongside was once ranked as one of the 10 most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world.
Just another natural marvel in this wondrous land of ice and fire.