The DC3 Plane Wreck
This morning, we headed west after spending three magnificent days in the Vik region. The weather was very clear, and we wanted to go see the famous DC3 plane wreck that crashed on the beach near here in November 1973.
We arrived there at 8:15AM, well before the sunrise. The site was not really well indicated but it was ultimately easy to find. The small car park was right next to Road number 1, and a sign in the car park confirmed that we were in the right place. Until recently it had not been possible to get near the plane by car, and a long hike was necessary to see it.
The advantage of getting there this early was that there was absolutely no one in the parking lotw we were the first!
There was exactly 4.1 km to hike to get near the plane, or 8.2 km in total to get there and back. It was a bit of a trek, and honestly there was not much to see on the way. There was no risk of getting lost, it seemed completely impossible as the route was well indicated by small yellow pegs. We walked on very old hiking trails that had been used for years, so the track was still very visible that day.
The walk seemed endless, and there was nothing for miles around. We really felt alone, isolated, and it was even a bit scary. The track was a long straight line that started from road number 1 and went right to the sea. It was only at the end, in the last 500 meters, that it turned left and plunged downhill, and that's when we saw the wreck. Ultimately, all this walking was building the suspense!
The sun was rising at the same time as we arrived, which made for some really cool photos. Obviously, the plane was in bad condition, rusting away, but the place remained a legendary for tourists who, like us, were interested in Iceland.
We'd always wanted to see this plane. We stayed a good half-hour on site, photographing it from all angles before leaving by the same route. On the way back, we met about twenty tourists who had the same idea as us.
There were often twenty cars in the car park, but given the distance between the plane and the parking lot, most end up alone on site. In total, from the car park to the site and back with a long photo break, we counted 2.5 hours. We left at 10:45AM heading west.
On the road, we planned to stop near Fludir at the Secret Lagoon to take a break. The place was really nice, and it wasn't very crowded compared to summer, anyway. After spending one hour basking in the warm waters of the Secret Lagoon, we decided to go eat near Reykholt at Fridheimar.
This was, in fact, a farm with numerous greenhouses heated by geothermal energy that produced an incredible quantity of tomatoes.
For a few years, the farm has therefore offered a restaurant where almost everything is made from tomatoes: alcohol, bread, soups... The place is nice and you can eat very well in a warm atmosphere in the middle of the greenhouses. The concept is surprising and very original!
At the end of the afternoon, we arrived near Stykkisholmur where we would spend two nights. That evening, the index for the auroras was very high; unfortunately, the sky was completely overcast and we wouldn't have the chance to see them elsewhere that night.
We spent the evening in the charming little port of Stykkisholmur where the snow was starting to fall, and the forecast was clear but very cold tomorrow...
