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