The Vik Region
That morning, we left Kirkjubæjarklaustur to head to Hella for two nights. We had planned to spend the morning in the Vik area and the afternoon near Seljalandsfoss, getting closer to Thórsmörk, where we would spend the following day.
We set off around 9 AM under a clear blue sky and arrived in Vik by mid-morning. The village was a beauty in itself, so we took a moment to snap some photos of the church just north of the village.
The Vik Area
After a stint of shopping in Vik, we headed to Dyrhólaey a little farther down the road to enjoy the views, stunning panoramic vistas from that high vantage point. We took a long walk along the coastal paths, taking in the sights with wonder.
That year, there were an incredible number of puffins in the area, even more than at Latrabjarg a few days prior. These birds were social and let us get within just a few meters to take photos.
After all that bird-watching we satt down to enjoy a picnic with a magnificent view of the famous Reynisfjara beach below.
The Nauthúsagil Canyon
That afternoon we had planned a short hike in the Nauthúsagil Canyon, a few kilometers from Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We took the F249 for a few kilometers until we hit the canyon parking lot which was located well before the famous F249 river crossings, so rest assured you can get there in total safety with no technical driving.
We loved this short but very fun hike. First we entered a narrow canyon, skipping from stone to stone to keep our feet dry. Later on there was a roped section about 5 meters across, which we could cross with a bit of effort to avoid getting wet, before we reached a beautiful waterfall about ten meters tall cascading dramatically into the canyon.
On the way back, we stopped a few kilometers down the road to admire the US Navy DC3 plane wreckage, one of two famous crash sites in Iceland. We had visited this plane a few years ago in eastern Iceland, but it had recently been moved to this new location.
We headed to Hella in the late afternoon for dinner and a good night's rest.
