When you think of Iceland, you think of a rural landscape, with glaciers, volcanoes and hot springs.  This image is often that of Southern Iceland, a vast and expansive region that is reached by car or bus from Reykjavik with out any difficult. When in the region you’ll need a car to get around and here are some of the best places to see.

Þingvellir

A popular national park and a UNESCO world heritage site. The park includes a valley that is reference in many Icelandic sagas and is where tectonic activity is clearly visible. It’s still spreading at a rate of half centimetre per year between the North American and Eurasian plates. Visitors can take a walk through the rift. 

Geysir

The original geyser (a vent in the earths surface that periodically ejects a column of hot water and steam) and one of the most popular stops in Iceland. This high-powered spring can hurl water up to 70 metres in the air however it’s currently inactive. There are however 30 other geysers nearby including the Strokker geyser that shoots the water up 15 metres in the air.

Gulfoss 

A beautiful 32-metre-high double water fall on the Hvita River and the largest volume fall in the whole of Europe. There is a gift shop and café on site for you to sit and enjoy the falls over a hot drink. 

The Golden Circle

Þingvellir, Geysir and Gulfoss make up Iceland’s famed Golden Circle and many companies offer day trips to see all three. We recommend staying in the area, and travel and hospitality award winner Uthlid Cottages is perfectly position for you to visit all three with ease.

Skogar

A small fishing village and location of the magnificent Skogafoss waterfalls as well as the Skogasafn.

Skogafoss waterfall is 60 metres high and 25 metres wide. Access to see the falls is free and open all year round, there are even metal stairs on the side for anyone wishing to get to the top. If you’re lucky then on a sunny day you may be able to see rainbow at the base of the falls, a truly unique sight.

Only a few minutes from the falls lies the Skogafsn, a cultural and heritage centre. It’s made up of open-air, folk and technical museums. The open-air museum showcases the lives of Icelanders in the 20th century. Each building is filled with antique furniture, fishing equipment, cooking tools and traditional costume.  The folk museum is a cultural heritage collection of more than 15,000 regional folk artefacts dating back to the Viking age. The technical museum is an exhibition hall documenting the history and evolution of Icelandic transport, communication and technologies in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Black Sand Beaches

There are beautiful beaches all over Europe but none more so unique than the black sand beach of the southern coast of Iceland. The beach stretches five kilometres and is a sight to behold. The quaint coastal town of Vik is the place to head to if you plan to spend the day at the black sand beach.

Eyrarbakki 

An old fishing village and one of Iceland hidden gems. Once an important trading town that played a crucial part in the growth of the economy and acted as a cultural centre. Eyrarbakki today is a museum town with many of the old wooden houses renovated and turned into heritage museums.

Travel and Hospitality Award winner Hotel Vos is a great coast town and the perfect base from which to visit Skogar, the black sand beach and Eyrarbakki.

Southern Iceland