Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [92]
HAUKADALUR
A pleasant 2km stroll north of the steaming springs is Haukadalur, a major centre of learning in Viking times. As with many saga sites, there isn’t a lot to see now, but it’s a picturesque walk. The Icelandic Forestry Commission (yes, there really is one!) has planted thousands of trees in the area.
HORSE RIDING
It’s possible to rent horses from Hótel Geysir. Rates start at Ikr4000 for a one-hour horse trek. Experienced riders can do a day trip to Gullfoss (Ikr12,000 including lunch).
Sleeping & Eating
Geysir campsite (sites per person Ikr900; May-Sep) Stay at this campsite and you’ll get to marvel at the spouting springs before the coach parties arrive. Pay at Hótel Geysir, where you can use the hot tub and pool for free.
Hótel Geysir ( 480 6800; www.geysircenter.com; s/d from Ikr12,100/17,500; closed Jan; ) Accommodation is in spick, span and tasteful alpine-style cabins; there’s a geothermal pool (open mid-April to August) and two hot pots, and the hotel can arrange horse rides (see above). Some of the newer ‘luxury’ rooms overlook the geyser field. The hotel restaurant (mains Ikr2200 to Ikr4000) already has a prime view of the geysers, and serves good meaty dishes such as reindeer steak with truffle gravy.
There’s a reasonable cafe (snacks Ikr300-1200; 9am-7pm) inside the Geysir Centre.
Getting There & Away
From June to August, scheduled Trex ( 551 1166; www.bogf.is) bus 2/2a runs from the BSÍ bus station in Reykjavík to Geysir and Gullfoss (at 8.30am, plus also at 11am in July and August; Ikr3300 one way) and back, a circuit of around 8½ hours.
Also from mid-June to August, the Reykjavík Excursions ( 580 5400; www.re.is) daily bus 6/6a (8.30am, return Ikr7000) stops at Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss for at least 45 minutes each, before returning to Reykjavík.
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RAFTING IN SOUTHWEST ICELAND
The great glacial rivers of southwest Iceland provide some wonderful opportunities for white-water rafting. Arctic Rafting ( 562 7000; www.arcticrafting.is; Jun–early Sep) offers something to suit everyone, from an easy 3½-hour River Fun trip (Ikr6990, with pick-up Ikr9990) to the experienced-rafters-only adrenalin rush down the Hólmsá (Ikr9990, with pick-up Ikr14,990). You have to be at least 12 years old for most of the trips. It’s best to book ahead – and bring a swimsuit.
The company can pick you up from Reykjavík and hotels on the southwest coast, but if you want to save on the pick-up cost, you can drive there yourself. The Arctic Rafting HQ is at Drumboddsstaðir; head 7km north from Reykholt on Rte 358 (a minor road running parallel to Rte 35), then take the signposted right turn – it’s about 2.5km further along on a bone-shaking dirt track.
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Very popular Golden Circle tours run year-round from Reykjavík (Click here).
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GULLFOSS
Iceland’s most famous waterfall, Gullfoss is a spectacular double cascade. It drops 32m, kicking up a sheer wall of spray before thundering away down a narrow ravine. On sunny days the spray creates shimmering rainbows, and it’s also magical in winter when the falls glitter with ice. On grey, drizzly days, mist can envelop the second drop, making Gullfoss slightly underwhelming.
The falls came within a hair’s breadth of destruction during the 1920s, when a team of foreign investors wanted to dam the Hvitá river for a hydroelectric project. The landowner, Tómas Tómasson, refused to sell to them, but the developers went behind his back and obtained permission directly from the government. Tómasson’s daughter, Sigríður, walked to Reykjav