How is it our last full day in Iceland already? Didn’t we just get here? Five days really isn’t enough time to spend in this beautiful country. Lucky for you guys, I still have a handful of posts left, there’s just that much to see! This morning we’re being picked up once again for our tour of the South Shore. I’m really excited for today because this is where all the cool waterfalls and black sand beaches are. Even the drive out is beautiful as we pass waterfalls and snow-covered mountains.

This is the Skogafoss waterfall. We’ll stop here on our way back to Reykjavik this afternoon. I already can’t wait!

Our first stop is a short walk out to a glacier that I can’t for the life of me, remember the name of.

Look at the tiny people doing a glacier trek. They look like little dots here.

I love how blue the glacier looks.

I wish we had time to do a glacier trek ourselves, but we barely have enough time for everything we’re already doing. Add it to the list for next time.

This group is just getting ready to head out for their trek. Don’t they look excited?

Of interesting note – when our guide first starting taking tours out here, the glacier extended almost all the way back to the parking lot (which is way down around the corner and out of site). It’s massively shrunk over that 15 years or so.

Honestly, I’m not really sure what the point of this stop is. The glacier looks cool, but since we aren’t trekking on it, I think I would have rather spent more time at either of the waterfalls we will see later this afternoon and skipped this altogether.

Our next stop is the town of Vik where we stop for lunch. While everyone stands in line to order, Emma and I walk over to the Icewear store. They have a factory inside where clothes are made using Icelandic wool. They aren’t currently working today as it’s Sunday, but you can still see into the factory through the windows in the shop.

Our guide tells us a story about these rock formations – there were two Night Trolls that captured a ship and were pulling it back to shore. However Night Trolls can’t be outside when the sun comes up or they’ll turn to stone. The ship slowed these two down and when the sun came up, both the trolls and the ship turned to stone. You can kind of see it, right?

Vik is the furthest we go along the South Shore and frankly not really worth a stop unless you need a food break. Again, I would have rather spent less time here and more time at the waterfalls, but I guess we do need to eat. After lunch, we head back the way we came. Our next stop is the black sand beaches.

In the summer, I think this area would look quite striking, with the black sand and green hills. But while we’re here, it’s almost completely covered in snow and kind of hard to see. But that gives it its own beauty. How often do you see snow on the beach?

Just a few weeks prior, someone drowned here at the beach by getting too close to the waves. Our guide (in the neon yellow vest) makes sure we stay far enough back, on the snow line. It’s always good to exercise caution around the ocean waves. Even for strong swimmers, the undertow can grab you and pull you under.

The basalt columns remind me of the Giants Causeway in Ireland. They are formed when a thick lava flow cools quickly, shrinks and fractures.

Just as we’re leaving the beach, the sun starts to come out! We haven’t seen it since our first day at the lava cave and I’m so happy it’s back. Right in time for our next stops, the Skogafoss and Sellenjafoss waterfalls. These are my favorite stops of this whole day and I can’t wait to share the pictures with you…in my next post!