Southern Iceland

Where the beaches are black

The high winds are making it difficult, if not dangerous, to travel. But the resistance against the car is the only sign of the strength of the wind. The landscape - a desert of volcanic rock void of swaying trees and blowing grass - makes it otherwise difficult to gauge the conditions outside.

"Are there really no trees in Iceland?" On the highway out of the capital Reykjavik I reflected on my friend's pre-departure question with amusement. With not a tree or blade of grass in sight, it honestly feels like we have just landed on the moon. The feeling is unsettling: such a vast landscape with nothing to break the scenery is something which is going to take some time to adjust to. We are headed for the small, but picturesque, town of Vik i Myrdal in the south of the country, but as we are discovering, the journey there is going to be a treacherous one. Leaving Reykjavik one Saturday afternoon we encounter strong winds. The road, known as Route One, is lined with yellow guideposts which help the driver to distinguish between the road and the lunar landscape of black molten lava with rocks and small stones which meet it on either side. The sky is a dull grey and apart from some areas of grey-green moss, the rocky terrain is void of any visible vegetation. It's this sort of terrain that gives the country the status of being one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe and the world; almost four-fifths of Iceland is uninhabited and mostly uninhabitable.

During the early years of Viking settlement, Iceland was deforested because of the need for land for agriculture, and for wood to produce heat and build houses and boats. The island's volcanic nature also contributed towards the loss of trees. Although the island is slowly being re-forested, the absence of trees is bound to strike any first-time visitor to the country.

On the road we get a glimpse of one of Iceland's divine natural resources - the steam rising above the rocky hills from the nearby hydro-energy power plants. Iceland is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; a hotspot of geothermal activity. Natural hot water supplies the population with inexpensive, pollution-free heating while hydro-electrical power is also produced. Like Japan, Iceland has many hot springs and the hot water is also used for open-air swimming pools around the country. The abundant supply of clean energy is said to be enough to supply all the electricity needed by mainland Europe.

We pass Selfoss, an industrial centre and the largest town in southern Iceland. The barren landscape continues but we now catch a glimpse of the ocean. With the wind still lashing outside, we have little choice but to drive at a slow 60km/hr. An hour or so later we approach Skogafoss, which from a distance looks like any other waterfall. It is not until we pull up in the adjacent carpark that we can truly appreciate how spectacular it is.

There has been a steady increase in foreign tourists to Iceland over recent years and this can be seen in the numbers of tour buses on the road during the peak season. In fact, the total number of tourists is expected to climb to over 400,000 this year, thus eclipsing the population of around 300,000. But, our timing is perfect. We arrive in between the many day-trippers which travel from Reykjavik. The sun is shining, creating a rainbow through the cascading water and misty surrounds. The colours are magnificent: bright blue sky, white tumbling water, the spectrum of the rainbow and the green moss-encrusted rocks shimmering under the pounding water. The scenery is both dramatic and mystical - the perfect setting for a fantasy story. Perhaps it is here that the elves and trolls, which feature strongly in Icelandic folktale, live. As one Icelander explained: "Elves usually reside in rock formations. To us their homes appear merely as rocks but to them they appear as glorious palaces." Legend also has it that a chest of treasure was hidden behind the falls, but it is yet to be found. We take the path which leads around the side of the underlying pool and below the falls which drop from a height of 62 metres. The path is slippery and although the wind is not strong here as it was back on the road, it is difficult to avoid the spray of the water being blown against the rocks and path behind. The view looking up from under- neath the thundering waterfall provides a unique perspective of the gallons and gallons of water which gush down from the Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers emptying into the falls.

It is getting late, not that it's a question of daylight. At this time of year, the sky is light almost round-the-clock, and during the summer the magic of the midnitur sol (or midnight sun) takes over. Nevertheless it's time we get to the hotel. We drive along the winding road through green hills dotted with quaint farmhouses, some dating back to the early nineteenth century. Baby lambs, goats and horses can be seen dozing in the sunny paddocks. The scenery is overwhelmingly picturesque and the sun is shining brightly. The landscape here is vastly different from the volcanic mono- colour surroundings along the road leaving Reykjavik. Now, the sea is close on our right side and the rocky green mountains rise up on the other. The rocky tops of the mountains are an unrivaled habitat to many species of bird, including the puffin which flock to Iceland's southern coastline to breed during the summer.

After a two-and-a-half hour journey we arrive in the small town of Vik, population 350, and get our first glimpse of Reynisdrangur; the rocks which make Iceland's southernmost town famous. As night eventually falls the howling winds seem to strengthen, making it difficult to fall asleep. The next morning we awaken to similar weather conditions. The dining room, where breakfast is served, faces the beach and Reynisdrangur. Breakfast includes Skyr - a healthy, high protein, low fat dairy product which is said to contribute to the long lifespans of Icelanders.

We head off to get a better view of the rocks from the black volcanic beach of Reynisfjara, which was named one of the ten most beautiful island beaches in the world by Islands Magazine in 1991. Three basalt rock pillars rise up to 66 metres from the sea, the sun behind creating a silhouette. According to local folklore the rocks are in fact trolls which were turned to stone at sunrise. With a deadline to get back to Reykjavik by midday, we leave Vik. We stop further along the beach on the west side of Reynisdrangur where we also view Dyrholaey, a 120 metre headland with an archway large enough to be sailed through. We ignore the temptation to stop and photograph the endless examples of charming countryside, content on having seen some of the most unique and stunning landscape around.

Text & photos: Zoë Robert