Iceland's South Coast: Road trip adventure to Sky Lagoon

Finally, the time has come! Your heart pounds with joy every passing second as you think about the land of volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls and glaciers. Just a moment later, at Keflavik Airport, you take a long, deep breath – adventure is in the air! You pick up the keys to your hire car, then you're ready to go. Iceland is absolutely gorgeous! After just a few miles, the full beauty of the country unfolds before you, making it almost impossible to concentrate on the road, and your first leg of the journey leaves you eager for more. And it's only just the beginning! When you arrive in Selfoss, first things first: time to settle in and relax.

You're awoken by your lust for adventure, and before you know it, you're sitting behind the wheel of your hire car, ready to discover the most beautiful spots the South Coast has to offer. Your eyes are glued to the rugged landscape. Then you reach the first must-see: the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. You watch as its foaming waters cascade 197 feet into the depths, and you're burning to see what's behind the curtain. And you're in luck! You can actually go behind the fall's thundering curtain of water! But be careful, it's slippery back there! Your finger starts to cramp as you snap pics like mad, trying to capture this incredible moment from every angle. Can it get any more beautiful than this? Oh, yes, it can! The Skogafoss waterfall kicks it up a notch with a misty spray that, with the right lighting, creates two brightly shining rainbows – just like in a movie. In fact, Skogafoss has actually been used as the backdrop for several films!
And the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck is yet another cinematic wonder. You leave your hire car in the car park and trek through the lonely landscape feeling the cool breeze and gazing at the pitch-black rocks, the mountains in the distance and the sea. Then suddenly, the mysterious wreck appears. You just can't get enough of the rugged beauty, so you head out and hike along the steep cliffs of the Dyrholaey Peninsula to the black sands of Reynisfjara Beach.

Clear the stage for the Golden Circle! Grab the wheel and zoom towards the Kerid Crater (optional, admission payable on site). What awaits you? A true spectacle of colours! The vibrant blue crater lake meets red volcanic rock, and the morning sunlight makes the colours shine even brighter. Thundering torrents of water provide a promising soundtrack that accompanies you on your way to the mighty Gullfoss before the hot water fountains of the Strokkur, Stóri and The Great Geysir shoot metres high into the air out of seemingly nowhere in the Haukadalur geothermal area. Once you've snapped a few pics to capture the memories, you're off to Thingvellir National Park, where the movements of the North American and Eurasian Plates have created the dramatic and rugged Almannagjá rift! And almost nowhere else in the world would you get such an unobstructed view of them as here – simply wow! Next stop: the second waterfall, the roaring Öxarárfoss, which quickly sneaks its way into your photo album.
Just a little while later, you arrive in Reykholt. After having seen and experienced so many incredible things, it's more than difficult to decide what impressed you the most. But one thing's for sure: you'll definitely remember the Golden Circle!

The first rays of the day's sun accompany you along your way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The area has tons to offer: steep cliffs, deep volcanic craters, dramatic waterfalls and cute seals. And all of that is exactly what welcomes you during your first stop at Ytri-Tunga beach. A little further west, the Bjarnafoss plunges 262 feet into the depths surrounded by moss-covered lava fields that lead you to the lonely Búdakirkja, The Black Church of Búdir, which stands in the barren landscape like a painting. Back behind the wheel, you constantly find yourself in awe. From the depths of the narrow Raudfeldsgjá gorge, you reach a stone bridge in the middle of the rugged cliffs, where the surf fiercely crashes against the steadfast rock. At the black lava pearl beach Djúpalónssandur, you feel like you've entered another world. The pitch-black sand and an old shipwreck immediately give you goosebumps. The curving stairs beside the Trail Geldingafell lead you to the next highlight: the Saxhóll crater. Southwest of here, you can't take your eyes off the majestic glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano, which proudly dominates the peninsula. Attention, 'Game of Thrones' fans: a stop at Kirkjufell is a must, as behind it lies the famous 'Arrowhead Mountain' with the roaring Kirkjufellsfoss.