After the 2023 Greenland expedition 2023 (Read the Trip Report), I ran an optional extension workshop in Iceland that took our group from the northern port of Aukeryri (where we docked from our Greenland expedition) southeast and back to Reykjavik. The extension ran for six days and focused on the landscapes in this area of Iceland as the country transitioned from Autumn to Winter. The southeast of Iceland can be a bustling place, with tens of thousands of tourists visiting many of its iconic waterfalls and nature attractions. We aimed to avoid some tourist hot spots and instead focus on more remote and isolated locations that offer unsaturated opportunities. Of course, some locations (such as Jokulsarlon and Stokesness) are so iconic they are always a must-visit.
We spent our first few nights in the Myvatn area, visiting the local geothermal site at Namafjall and the spectacular Godafoss waterfall. The geothermal of this location never disappoints and offers an excellent opportunity to make grand landscapes and intimate detail photographs. We also explored the surrounding lake area, lava fields and the nearby coastal region of Husavik. Our drive southeast took us through a snow-covered landscape that provided some fabulous minimalist landscape opportunities before we turned in a more southerly direction and made our way to Stokesness and the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon area.
Once in the glacial lagoon area, we explored the black sand beach (diamond beach) and the nearby Fjallsarlon site. This smaller lagoon has long been a favourite of mine and was where I made what is still my favourite image of a glacier face back in 2010 (pictured below).
Iceland provided its usual mixed bag of weather throughout our trip, from sunny days to heavy snowfall. October is always an exciting time to be in Iceland as the weather is highly variable, and there are always opportunities to find the edges of the weather – where the best light is often found. We encountered heavy rain on our day passing through Vik, so we made brief stops only in this area.
As we neared the end of our extension, we explored the rugged basalt coastline around the Reyjkness peninsula before concluding our workshop in Keflavik with a farewell dinner and flights home the following morning.
I will run another Iceland extension after my 2024 Greenland Hidden Gems expedition. This time, we will explore the South West and the Sanefellsness peninsula region. Although this extension is primarily for participants of the 2024 Greenland expedition, I have decided to open it up to all interested. Places are limited to just eight, and some seats are already reserved. Please email me if you want more information or to join this landscape extension.
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