Stopping for a photo op on our drive along Iceland’s East Coast
Iceland’s wild and rugged East Coast was both our favorite and most stressful part of circumnavigating Iceland in winter. We had arrived at Hali Country Hotel the evening before just ahead of a winter storm that brought several inches of snow mixed with freezing rain overnight. Following our own advice from our post Tips for Driving Iceland’s Ring Road in Winter, we kept careful watch over the road conditions on the Vegagerdin.is website.
We drove for hours with just one lane plowed
In winter, Iceland has just 4 to 6 hours of daylight so we hit the road for our drive up north in the dark. Plows had only cleared one lane (not ours) and icy roads made things slow going. We started to wonder if all the plows heading south was a sign that we were insane. Reindeer only live in East Iceland and it wasn’t long before we saw the first reindeer crossing sign. Then reindeer quickly outnumbered the 109 cars (yes, I counted) we would see on our 10 hour drive that day.
As dawn finally began to illuminate our surroundings, we were literally surrounded by beauty. Bright yellow lighthouses perched on craggy cliffs above black sand beaches. The Atlantic crashed wildly over lava rocks, leaving white foamy legs chasing the waves back into the ocean.
Should we be concerned parts of this bridge are missing?
We crossed questionable one-lane bridges before coming to roadside half frozen waterfalls spraying their mist up into the air.
Guard rails are a rare sight in Iceland
Our SADCars Land Cruiser was perfect for getting us out to lighthouses like this
Then suddenly we would emerge from between the mountains and the road would snake along the seaside cliffs again. It was so picturesque, we literally wanted to stop every couple of hundred meters to take more photos! The solitude of every black sand beach seemed to beckon us to stop but we reluctantly had to press on as the daylight quickly dwindled.
Iceland’s East Fjords
The residents of East Iceland are few and far between, but the occasional house decked out in all its Christmas finest makes an appearance as the road weaves along some of Iceland’s most beautiful fjords.
Reyðarfjörður is one of the most populated villages with around 1,100 residents. We found our first gas station since leaving Hali Country Hotel and a tiny cafe and gift store to grab a quick Icelandic hot dog. We couldn’t hit the road again though before posing with a Subaru station wagon turned monster truck (much to the amusement of several locals), which we imagine is perfect for navigating Iceland’s rugged East Coast!
Our drive finally took us inland shortly after Reyðarfjörður and night quickly descended upon us. I’m sure the beautiful scenery continued all the way to Mývatn but in the pitch black, we couldn’t see a thing. Iceland’s East Coast is definitely a drive we’d love to do in summer when the midnight sun would give us the leeway to stop and explore!
Our Route
Would you like to explore Iceland’s East Coast?
Kay says
Seems like it was a great adventure. Love the pics. I am getting cold by just looking at them 🙂
I guess, Santa freed rain deers till next New Year 😉
I have never been in Iceland. But, stories like this make me want to go there more and more.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We saw reindeer at the beach too. It must be where they go to vacation after Christmas. 😉 Definitely add Iceland to your must visit list because it is an amazing destination!
Shing says
The east of Iceland looks stunning, especially the fjords and waterfalls! Did you manage to see Vatnajökull Glacier too? I’m going to Iceland for the first time next month and I’m so excited to see it’s diverse typography!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Shing! We did go glacier hiking, but on a different glacier. We saw the Vatnajökull Glacier and actually have a post coming tomorrow on the glacier lagoon. You’ll have a fantastic time in Iceland! Let us know if you have any questions or need suggestions.
Kay says
Raindeers on the beach vacation- that’s funny 🙂
Leigh says
Looks like a great adventure and one I’d love to do though I’ll pass on the icy roads. Lucky you seeing reindeer too. Hope you run into hot springs every day.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We definitely could have done without the icy roads, but it was definitely worth it to see landscapes like this at a time of the year when practically no one else is around.
Ambika says
HeyJen n Tim,
Happy New Year!
I was looking forward to your trip report on Iceland. Great read & looks you had a fun adventure.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Happy New Year, Ambika! We had a terrific time in Iceland and still have quite a bit more to write about from the trip!
Ali says
Looks like such a gorgeous country to drive through, but those roads do NOT look like fun!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
No, the roads were definitely not fun at times. My heart was racing a few different times when we hit sheets of ice. But seeing these landscapes in winter definitely outweighed the road conditions.
Ashleen Moreen says
Looks like you are having so much fun and I really love the icy place.
It is adventurous and I would love to come to this place.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Definitely go to Iceland, Ashley! We’re already plotting our return. Next time we want to drive the Ring Road in summer though.
Andrea says
Beautiful! How nice to be surrounded by almost nothing but reindeer and landscape
Jennifer Dombrowski says
It really was! This part of Iceland doesn’t have many residents, but I am jealous of the ones that do live there and see stunning scenes like these every day.
Petite Adventures says
Stunning photos – I can’t wait to explore Iceland!
Kate xo petite-adventures.blogspot.ca
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Thanks, Kate!
Bethany says
You are really making me miss Iceland. There was so much we didn’t get to see and now I really want to return. The landscape there is so calm & surreal and there are SO many places to just stop and check out.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We want to go back a third time! With the limited daylight and some parts of the island completely inaccessible because of road closures, there is still a lot we didn’t see. Shoulder season hitch hiking around Iceland trip, anyone?
Andy says
Iceland is such a beautiful place. One of my big regrets was not making it to the east coast when I was there. I certainly will on my next excursion there.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We literally were stopping every few miles to take photos. It was so picturesque! Hope you make it back to Iceland soon. It’s easily one of our favorite countries.
Bridget @ GreenGlobalTravel says
great photos! I would love to go to Iceland sometime soon. Thanks for sharing!