Iceland is a small but vast country. It is an island in the North Atlantic, about halfway between North America and Europe and it is roughly circular in shape, which is a factor that led to the development of the Ring Road.
Route 1, as it is also known and as it is marked, is roughly 800 miles long, making it possible to complete in less than two days, but there would be no point in doing so. Every three hour drive I planned on the route turned into a six hour drive, because there is so much to see.
Since the 1980s, Iceland has grown in popularity as a tourist destination. Many who visit stay in and around the capital of Reykjavik with a few excursions - or day trips - out to popular destinations like the Blue Lagoon, or the Gullfoss waterfall.
Since 1974, it has been possible to follow the mostly two-lane Ring Road along the coast, across the northern interior and back along the opposite coast. The trip usually begins in Reykjavik and is driven in an either clockwise, or counter-clockwise direction, ending back in the capital. Most drivers choose the easterly direction.
The climate of Iceland is more moderate than you might expect given its location just below the Arctic Circle. During the spring and summer months the temperature averages in the high 40Fs and 50Fs. This means that in contrast to the colder and barren sub-climates, there is enough energy from the sun to produce abundant plant life. It's not all lava and rocks. Conditions can change quickly. You can feel uncomfortably warm, in the summer sun, and the next moment be facing strong winds, heavy rain and colder temperatures.
I began my Ring Road journey in Reykjavik. It took me seven days. My stops were Vik, Hof, Eglisstadir, Akureyri, the western fjords, one small town just north of Reykjavik, followed by one final, half-day drive back to the capital.
To make sure I saw as much of the country as possible I spent two days in Reykjavik, before beginning the drive, which included one day trip to a national park and the Gullfoss waterfall.
As you may know, there has been a volcano erupting in southern Iceland for the past several months and the lava flow has not stopped. It was my intention to see it on the first day of my Ring Road trip, but the weather conditions were so harsh, it was too dangerous. So I missed that experience.
In my planning, I included a detour into an area known as the western fjords(upper left on map). This was worth the extra effort, but if I were to offer any advice I would suggest taking a day or two in the western fjords, if you wish to see them. A lot of time is spent driving, back and forth from one end of each inlet to the next and high into mountainous regions. If you don't give yourself enough time, you will spend it all driving with no time for hiking or other activities.
Above: The black sand beach at Vik.
The south coast of Iceland is the warmest and the most full of plant life. It can range from thick grasses and fields of Lupine to miles and endless miles of moss covered lava rock.
My first stops, in Vik and Hof, showed me all the variations. Because of its volcanic history, many beaches along the coastline are covered in black sand, but the most well-known and popular tourist stop is the black sand beach in Vik, a very small town about two hours east of the capital.
I had never seen a glacier before, but as I reached the far eastern coastline and began my turn north, in the distance, I saw huge ice fields that were shaped like frozen rivers seeming to be in motion between the mountains. They are moving, but very slowly. There are a number of companies offering guided walking tours close to, or on some of the eastern glaciers.
Further north, but still on the east coast, you'll come upon another black sand beach, this one sprinkled with small and medium sized icebergs. The icebergs come from a nearby glacial lagoon. After large chunks of ice break off at the end of a nearby glacier field, they float into a lake and slowly make their way through a small river into the sea.
Some of the smaller chunks of ice don't make it all the way to the ocean and end up on the beach, known as Diamond Beach, because of the way the icebergs glisten in the sun.
When driving the Ring Road there are a few things to remember.
It is a two-lane highway. The speed limit is usually 90KPH, or 55MPH. The highway is built like a spine, elevated about six to eight feet above the surrounding landscape. Although there are picnic spots and other points where you can pull off the road to take in the views, the road itself leaves very little margin for error. You need to concentrate on staying in your lane. I did see the aftermath of one accident, in which a driver dove over the side.
There are fuel stops and places to eat along the way, but they are often very distant from each other. I suggest topping off your tank whenever you can and getting food whenever you can. The Ring Road is remote and there is very little incentive to open a restaurant unless it is part of a hotel. You may end up eating at a gas station.
There are stretches of the highway that turn into gravel or dirt, but they are all passable in good weather. Almost all the rental cars have manual transmissions and most are four-wheel drive.
As a solo traveler I found the Ring Road journey humbling and at times lonely.
Humbling because of the awesome display of nature. You do not have to be a geologist to scan the landscape and understand that you are a live witness to a very recent volcanic and seismic upheaval that is continuing to shape Iceland today. At any moment and in a variety of places, it could all erupt again, as it is right now in the south, near Reykjavik.
Although Iceland's Ring Road trip is a bucket list destination for many people, only a few hundred people are driving the route on any given day during the peak of the tourist season. You may go an entire day without a conversation, but the scenery is endlessly surprising and breath-taking.
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© Dean Pagani 2021
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© Dean Pagani 2021