South Coast
When it comes to local destinations in Iceland, the South Coast is, without a doubt, the most popular one. Not only its close proximity to the capital makes it desirable for so many visitors, but the fact that it has everything one could ask for, cascading waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers, and black sand beaches.
The South Shore of Iceland stretches from the greater Reykjavík area in the west to the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in the east. Furthermore, it is always possible to combine this trip with the beloved Golden Circle as well, where one could visit the Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, the volcanic crater Kerið and one of the biggest waterfalls in the country, Gullfoss.
Every single day, thousands of visitors decide to travel to this area, which was formed during the last Ice Age. The famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which erupted in 2010 and paralyzed the air traffic in Europe is located along this path, just like Hekla, another notorious volcano.
Two popular attractions here are the Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls. When the weather conditions are ideal, visitors can walk behind the water curtain at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, a local celebrity you might remember from the „Game of Thrones” show. As we follow the road further south, we can see the majestic Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which offers glacier hike tours all year round.
Across this glacier, there is a more recent memento of the past, namely the DC-3 Plane Wreck, which crashed into Sólheimasandur in 1973 and is fighting with the elements of the harsh Icelandic weather ever since then.
One of the most visited areas in this region is Reynisfjara, the world-famous black sand beach, which a few years ago was rated as one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole world. The surrounding cliffs, Reynisdrangar are home to countless puffin families during the summer months.
Without a doubt, one of the most popular destinations on this route is the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and the neighboring Diamond Beach, latter was formed by the clear pieces of ice, that are breaking off the lagoon’s icebergs and slowly floating back the black sand beach on the coastline.
