Iceland late winter roundtrip
I had the opportunity to take a couple of weeks off from work and I decided to do a photo trip around Iceland. I have a project in mind which involves visiting all the coastal towns in Iceland so this trip contributed to that, but apart from that I had nothing specific planned. The route I took is about 2000km, a lot of ground to cover in 6 days.
Due to Covid there are no tourists. On the positive side you have the place to yourself and it’s easy to get accommodation without booking ahead but the downside is that almost all the wonderful restaurants dotted throughout the country are closed. So this trip was only about photography!
Winter season can be both rewarding and unpredictable for photographers. You get snowy mountains, beautiful clouds, clean air, rugged coastlines battered by rough seas and stormy weather. But you also get rain, blizzards and no visibility. A four-wheel drive car is essential and so is monitoring the weather forecast and road conditions. Be prepared to change your plans as you may not be able to get to where you want to.
On the trip I used the GFX50R paired with the GF32-64 and GF100-200 lenses, along with the XT2 + XF10-24 lens. The GFX50R and GF32-64 combo is incredible for landscape photography. Image quality is just stunning and I particularly like how it deals with clouds.
Day 1 - From Reykjavík to Siglufjörður
I drove off on Sunday morning with the plan to visit all the coastal towns on the way to Siglufjörður. They are: Hvammstangi, Blönduós, Skagaströnd, Sauðárkrókur, Hofsós and Siglufjörður. The weather was extremely windy but fine for photography with moody skies and patches of sun.
The drive from Reykjavík is not very exciting in terms of scenery until you get to the east of Skagafjörður. Siglufjörður, however, is one of my favorite towns in Iceland. It was the center of the herring industry for decades but fell into decline when the herring disappeared. My father and grandfather used to work there back in the day, my father as the captain of a herring boat and my grandfather as a fisherman and, in later years, spotting herring shoals from an airplane. Siglufjörður has recently experienced a revival from tourism and is now (except for Covid) a lively town in a dramatic setting.
I stayed at Siglunes Guesthouse which provides good accommodation at a reasonable price, and has a fantastic Moroccan-style restaurant - go figure.
Day 2 - From Siglufjörður to Húsavík
The coastal towns from Siglufjörður to Húsavík are: Ólafsfjörður, Dalvík, Árskógsströnd, Hauganes, Hjalteyri, Akureyri, Svalbarðsströnd, Grenivík and Húsavík. So a busy day and a lot of photos. Got to Húsavík around 5pm and a had a good walk around town. Rented an apartment for the night and spent the evening editing photos.
Similar weather as on Sunday but a bit less windy and better visibility.
Day 3 - From Húsavík to Þórshöfn
The coastal villages from Húsavík to Þorshöfn are: Kópasker, Raufarhöfn and Þórshöfn.
The extreme northeast part of Iceland is not often visited, being remote and not really interesting except perhaps for Langanes. I have been to Langanes a long time ago but otherwise the area is new to me. Inland close by are of course Ásbyrgi and Jökulsá á Fjöllum, both dramatic and unique locations normally teeming with tourists.
East of Þórshöfn is Heiðarfjall mountain, the former site of a cold-war radar station and military camp. There’s a road up there which is not too difficult for a good car and from the top you have a great view north to Fontur and south over Eiðisvík.
Weather was much less windy but still with good visibility and nice clouds. Stayed at a nice guesthouse in Þórshöfn called Lyngholt.
Day 4 - From Þorshöfn to Seyðisfjörður
The oastal villages from Þorshöfn to Seyðisfjörður are: Bakkafjörður, Vopnafjörður, Borgarfjörður eystri and Seyðisfjörður. I did not manage to get to Borgarfjörður eystri due to lack of time.
The East fjords are well worth a visit, featuring deep fjords and high mountains. In recent times Egilsstaðir and the area east from there have been transformed by improved roads, tourism and industry into vibrant communities in a beautiful setting. The huge aluminium smelter in Reyðarfjörður is not a pretty sight but it does bring immense economic benefits to the region.
Seyðifsjörður is one of the most interesting towns in Iceland. It’s long history and beautiful location make it well worth a visit. It is situated at the bottom of a fjord under high mountains, reachable only by a mountain pass. This winter, after heavy rains, mud slides destroyed a number of houses but miraculously nobody was harmed.
The day started off overcast with snow showers but around Vopnafjörður it cleared up and by the time I arrived in Seyðisfjörður it was calm and sunny. I stayed at Hotel Alda, which is operated out of three old, stately houses - very nice.
Day 5 - From Seyðisfjörður to Djúpivogur
The coastal villages from Seyðisfjörður to Djúpivogur are: Reyðarfjörður, Eskifjörður, Neskaupsstaður, Fáskrúðsfjörður, Stöðvarfjörður, Breiðdalsvík and Djúpivogur.
The day started off sunny and calm but shortly after lunch a snow storm came in. It then cleared up a little bit in the afternoon. So for photography this meant: beautiful morning, no visibility for a couple of hours, followed by stormy and moody weather with good visibility.
Djúpivogur is a town I’ve been to frequently for work. As usual I stayed at Hótel Framtíð, where I think I was the only guest.
Day 6 - From Djúpivogur to Reykjavík
I had planned to stop at Vík for one or two days where my parents were spending the weekend. However, the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday was terrible so they cancelled and I decided to finish the trip and drive all the way to Reykjavík.
The drive from Djúpivogur to Reykjavík is 550km. Quite a lot in normal circumstances but on this day it took me almost 10 hours. Road conditions around Höfn were particularly bad with zero visibility at times due to drift snow. Zero visibility means you have to stop the car on the road because you can’t see where you are going anymore.
Only one photo from this day. Taken at Skeiðarársandur when the weather had cleared up somewhat. Lómagnúpur, one of the most iconic mountains in Iceland, in the background.
