Teri's - The Wonders of Iceland Part 4

by Teri E. Popp, Tastemaker in Residence

We decided to take a day off of visiting volcanos, waterfalls, and glaciers, and viewed the island by another popular means of island travel--horseback riding.  Small, but powerful, the Icelandic horse, offers the adventurous traveler another means of traversing this otherworldly landscape.  We opted for a 5 hour, 25 kilometers ride, that entailed riding on a black sand beach before heading into marshes, through meadows and fields, with more than a few creek and river crossings.  Travelers should note that you will be riding English style rather than Western.

Our last day of touring was the easiest, as we saw the island by air and water.  First, we took off by air with Nordurflug Helicopters and hovered over Reykjavik.  We commenced flying over Glymur, the second tallest waterfall in Iceland.  After landing on Landjokull Glacier, we spent a few minutes walking around before making a hasty retreat as clouds bore down on us!  We then got a chance to see Thingvellir National Park and the Eurasion/North American tectonic plates from the air which gave us a great overview of the area that we had visited on our first day in Iceland.

We ended our day--and trip--with a relaxing evening at the Blue Lagoon.  This geothermal spa, located in a lava field in Grindavik near Keflavik is one of the most visited attractions on the island.  We sipped champagne while trying exfoliating mud masks.  Finishing the day with a gourmet meal at the spa's on-site restaurant, we vowed to return at a future date to enjoy more of the wonders of Iceland.