Iceland

Kirkjufell - Church Mountain

Wanted to start off 2020 with an image of one of my favorite places on the planet, Kirkjufell (also known as Church Mountain). Peaking at 463 metres (1519 feet) Kirkjufell is an impressive landmark on its own, but add a waterfall to the foreground and you get the the most photographed mountain in Iceland. This image was taken during an afternoon scouting visit in preparation for my sunset shot that evening. Even on an overcast mid-afterrnoon day, this place is just stunning.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Located along Iceland’s southern coast on Route #1, fed by the melting waters from the famed glacier-capped Eyjafjallajokull volcano, flows the breathtakingly beautiful Seljalandsfoss waterfall . This powerful 65 meter (215 feet) high waterfall plummets down into a crystal blue plunge pool then flows out into a pretty meadow. However, the path that runs behind the curtain of water is the main attraction. Here you can enjoy a truly unique viewpoint of the waterfall; however, you will most likely get a little wet due to the perpetual mist and spray of the falls.

Hverfjall Crater

Located near the eastern shore of Lake Myvatn in North Iceland stands Hverfjall, an impressive 4500 year old tephra explosion crater, measuring 396 meter (1,300 ft) high and 1 km in diameter. If you walk up the steep slope of this massive black ash cone, you are rewarded with an incredible view of the crater as well as the surrounding landscape. To provide a little perspective of the size, those tiny specs on the top right side are groups of people walking around the crater's rim. There are also people on the opposite side, but they are too small to see without enlarging the image.

Gullfoss - Upper Falls Staircase

Gullfoss, in Iceland's Golden Circle, is a massive waterfall which is composed of two distinct steps which fall at 90-degree angles to one another. The upper tier drops 12.5 metres (41 ft) and spans nearly 240 metres (800 ft) across, with the left side (pictured here) cascading down a nice rock staircase. The right side (not shown) rushes into a narrow throat then plunges down 32 metres (105 ft) into the lower canyon. This foss definite must see in Iceland.

Vík í Mýrdal

Captured here around 10pm is the picturesque village of Vík í Mýrdal. Vik is the southernmost village in Iceland, located on Route 1 around 180 km (110 mi) southeast of Reykjavík, on the coast of the northern Atlantic Ocean. Home to several amazing sites that should top your list while visiting Iceland, Vik is a definite must see destination.

Hvítserkur

Off the coast of the Vatnsnes Peninsula in North-West Iceland stands the majestic Hvítserkur, a 15 meter (50 ft) high monolithic basalt sea stack. As legend has it, this eroded volcanic dyke is a petrified troll. The troll lived in Strandir in the Wesfjords and wanted to tear down the bells at Þingeyraklaustur convent. Icelandic trolls don't like the sound or sight of churches or church-bells. Unfortunately, the troll got caught by the first rays of the sun and was turned into stone by daylight.

Jökulsárlón Sunset

Captured a young couple (standing on the point center left) enjoying a beautiful sunset at Jökulsárlón. Jokulsarlon is a large glacial lake in southeast Iceland, on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park, situated at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. It has developed into a large deep lake after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. At at over 248 meters (814 ft) deep, Jokulsarlon is now the deepest lake in Iceland.

Strokkur Geyser

Blasting water to heights of around 20 metres (60 feet) every five to ten minutes, the Strokkur Geyser (in the namesake area of Geysir) is one of the three major attractions on the world-famous Golden Circle route. Through the nineteenth century, the Strokkur Geyser erupted frequently and with magnificent force, reaching up to 60 meters (196 feet) high. A huge earthquake at the turn of the twentieth century blocked the water channels, and the geyser was dormant until humans intervened in 1963 to remove the blockage.

Reynisfjall Mountain

Backing Reynisfjara Beach, beside the small fishing village of Vík í Mýrdal in Iceland, stand a group of enormous hexagonal shaped basalt columns (known as the sea stacks). This amazing rock formation is the face of the 340 meter high Reynisfjall Mountain. On the left side of the image you can see the entrance to the beautiful Hálsanefshellir cave.

Svörtuloft Lighthouse

Located on the far western tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland stands the bright orange 12.8 meter high Svörtuloft Lighthouse. This concrete structure was built in 1931 to warn boats of the upcoming treacherous massive pitch black lava cliffs. As I was setting up my camera, a family arrived to view the colourful building. As luck would have it a little boy stayed by the lighthouse, leaning against it, as his family walked down towards the ocean. In that moment I was able to capture this image.

Svartifoss Waterfall

Svartifoss is one of the most unique waterfalls in South Iceland. Situated in Skaftafell National Park, which part of the massive Vatnajökull National Park. Svartifoss's name literally means "The Black Waterfall". The narrow and extremely elegant cascade drops 20 m (65 ft) from a crescent-shaped cliff, composed of magnificent hexagonal black basalt columns, into a calm aquamarine pool.

Diamond Beach Ice

Sunset at Diamond Beach in East Iceland provides some interesting photographic opportunities. Captured here is one of the many pieces of glacier ice that has washed ashore. The setting sunlight sets the ice aglow like a stunning diamond, which provides a stark contrast against the black sand beach; thus, giving the name Diamond Beach.

Gluggafoss Waterfall

Gluggafoss Waterfall (also called Merkjárfoss or Window Falls) is often overlooked by travellers. What makes Gluggafoss unique is its geology where the river has created several holes and tunnels in the soft palagonite bedrock, called "gluggars", through which the water finds its way. This beautiful waterfall plunges 44 meters into a plunge pool and then broadens up in the lower falls and plunges another 8.5 meters into the river Merkjá.

Gullfoss Canyon

Gullfoss, also known as the Waterfalls of Gold, is one of the most popular and spectacular Waterfalls in all of Iceland. Captured here, looking down along the canyon edge, is the final 32 metres (105 ft) pluge down into the 20 metres (66 ft) wide and 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) long river canyon.

Malarrif Lighthouse

Looking up from the base of the 24.5 meter (80 feet) rocket-shaped Malarrif lighthouse, on the southwest coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Snæfellsjökull National Park, Iceland.

Malarrif

Towering 24.5 meters (80 feet) over the lava formations that form the cliffside on the southwest coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, is the scenic rocket-shaped Malarrif lighthouse. Built in 1917, Malarrif now acts as focal point of Snæfellsjökull National Park. Locals say that elves once uses these lava formations as a church.

Sunset Reflections at the Magma Hotel

Sunset view from the patio of our overnight accomodations at the serene and intimate Magma Hotel in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. www.magmahotel.is

Reynisdrangar at Reynisfjara Beach

Reynisdrangar are the remains of large and imposing basalt sea cliffs that shoot dramatically out of the ocean, under the looming cliffs of Mt. Reynisfjall, and just off of Reynisfjara black sand beach on the South Coast of Iceland by the village of Vík.

Sunset on Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Just before the entrance to the Magma Hotel on Meðallandsvegur Road, I viewed this beautiful Sunset shining down onto the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur at the base of the hillside. There was nobody around, so I was able to get out of the car and setup my gear to capture this image. www.magmahotel.is

Gljúfrafoss Waterfall

Gljúfrafoss waterfall, in South Iceland, is often overlooked by most travellers as the 40 metre (131 feet) high waterfall is hidden behind a considerable cliff. The waterfall is accessible only by wading through the Gljúfurá stream, through a cleft in the cliff wall, into a small enclosed carvern. You will get wet, but its worth the view.

Sunset over Sandfell

As the sun was setting behind Sandfell hill in the distance, a warm glow was cast over the entire lowland area, and this wonderful mist rolled in. I captured this image just outside our room at the Laxa Hotel, near Lake Mývatn in Northen Iceland.

Núpstaður Farm

No longer open to the public, Núpstaður is the easternmost farm in Katla Geopark and is known for its remarkable old turfed roof buildings which are representative of historical architecture in Iceland. Most notably, Núpstaður is home to the old turf chapel, which is one of the few remaining in the country today. If you look up into the mountain backdrop, you will see two waterfalls that cascade down into a river that provides water to the farm.

Sitting on the Edge

Near the Lóndrangar View Point on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland, I captured this brave adventurer (Stephanie MARC from France) sitting on the edge of a massive cliff looking out to the North Atlantic Ocean. You sure would not catch me sitting there on that edge.

Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach, located on the South Eastern Coast is Iceland, is a captivating strip of black sand belonging to the greater Breiðamerkursandur glacial plain, located at the exit of the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Here, icebergs which exit Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon wash up on shore, shimmering like Diamonds in the sun, in defiant stark contrast to the black sand beach.

Fossálar Waterfall/River

When you are driving the roads in Iceland, you can't avoid the feeling that you are on a long scenic journey. In your travels you often come across a place in the landscape that is not a natual wonder or popular tourist attraction, yet it just urges you to stop and take in the beauty before you. One such place is the Fossálar Waterfall just off Route 1 in the south.

Dyrhólaey Lighthouse

Dyrhólaey Lighthouse is a wonderful "Castle Shaped" lighthouse on the south coast of Iceland, near Vík í Mýrdal. From the lighthouse you have spectacular views in every direction. The Atlantic Ocean and the Dyrhólaey Rock to the South, the beautiful black lava Reynisdrangar Seastacks to the East, an endless black coastline to the West, and the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier to the North. A location well worth visiting.

Blue Hour Reflections at Magma

Blue hour view from the patio of our overnight accomodations at the serene and intimate Magma Hotel in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. www.magmahotel.is

Selfoss Contemplation

Captured this traveller, Indra Rudava, sitting quietly enjoying a magnificent rainbow cast over the majestic Selfoss Waterfalls in Northern Iceland. The river, Jökulsá á Fjöllum, that cascades over Selfoss originates as melt water from the glacier Vatnajökull and flows north into Öxarfjörður, a bay of the Arctic Sea.