Padinago's trip to Iceland in 2023

Day 21 - Driving to Keflavik and exploring Reykjanes Peninsula

(The map above doesn't give the exact route because of the eruption in Grindavik, but we drove on the southern coastline!)

Breakfast around 7.40am and then we leave. We try to reach Selvogsviti but the road is so bad that we decide to turn back. Watch the two video's. The first one is when we drive back and we have to stop (see the end of the video) to assess the situation of the road. The second one is after we had assessed the situation correctly...
Then we drive to Strandarkirkja. When we take a look over the sea banks we notice many seals on the rocks. Great! Then we drive on via Herdísarvík, Eldong, Graenesvatn, the Seltún geothermal area in Krýsuvík with hot springs where we take a long walk and then to Kleifarvatn.
We drive back south and stop at Krýsuvíkurkirkja for some nice pictures.
Then we drive to Hópsnes. This is a peninsule with many shipwrecks and the lighthouse 'Hópsnesviti'. There are information signs at some of the ship wrecks.
There are approximately 400 documented shipwrecks around the coast of Iceland, with estimates suggesting there could be as many as 1000 since the island's settlement!
When we drive up to Gunnuhver, we want to walk around but the wind is so bad that it blows the smoke of the smelly hot spring to us and we cannot see anything, we even have to stop moving because we bump into other people. We run back and walk to the other side.
Then we continue to Valahnúkamöl and we pass 'Reykjanesviti'. Beautiful rough scenery where the lava floated into the sea and beautiful rock formation can be seen there. There we see suddenly a double organ with a sign, it was used for the Hollywood movie ‘Vulcano man’ with Lard Zrickssong (performed by Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdottir (Rachel McAdams).
We drive to Brú Milli Heimsálfa, a bridge between two continental plates (the North American plate and the Eurasian plate). Just a photo stop.
Then to our last stop of our holiday Stafnesviti, a lighthouse.
Then up to Keflavik, check in at the airport hotel, return the car and pack for our flight back home tomorrow (we thought...).
It has been a fantastic adventure and we have a very good experience with the icelandic people!

Selvogsviti

Driving back from Selvogsviti on Guðnabær where we had to stop to assess the situation

After a correct assessment part 2 of the drive...
Strandarkirkja We on the shore of Strandarkirkja

The shore of Strandarkirkja
What are you looking at? Herdísarvík The Seltún geothermal area in Krýsuvík

The Seltún geothermal area in Krýsuvík

A hot spring in the Seltún geothermal area in Krýsuvík
Kleifarvatn Krýsuvíkurkirkja We near the Hópsnes peninsula Wild life on the road... Hópsnesviti The Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson III Ship Wreck on Hópsnes We at the smelly Gunnuhver

Gunnuhver
Reykjanesviti This five-foot-tall bronze bird at Valahnúkamöl is a memorial to a species that was hunted out of existence (I mean the great auk!) Valahnúkamöl

Valahnúkamöl
‘Vulcano man’ at Valahnúkamöl Brú Milli Heimsálfa Stafnesviti

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