We had the thrill of climbing right into a volcano crater as we ascended the almost 400 heart-pounding steps.
Welcome to Romancing Reads.
Today, join me, Anne Webster, and my sister, Vera, as we explore the magnificent natural wonders of Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula with Snaefellsnes Excursions at Grundarfjordur, the second port on our Oceania Insignia Atlantic Glaciers and Harbours cruise.
Part 2, Grundarfjordur and Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
In Reykjavik, we boarded the deluxe Oceania Insignia cruise ship to begin a 17-day voyage called Atlantic Glaciers and Harboors, discovering Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
The next morning, we arrived at the port of Grundarfjordur, located on Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula, northwest of Reykjavik.
We eagerly got ready for our first shore excursion, one of the longer ones of our trip.
It was a 5hour bus tour entitled Highlights of Snaefellsnes, a particularly appropriate title as we would find out.
Each part of this tour was one highlight after another, considered to be an Iceland in miniature because it has so many features of Iceland's landscape all in this one area.
As we rode around the peninsula and viewed stunning volcanoes and glaciers, we could see why Iceland is known as the Land of Fire and Ice.
Our tour leader, Eliza, did a wonderful job of explaining the sights and telling us some of the history of Iceland.
At each of the stops, we explored, marveled, and took lots of pictures.
Mallarif.
first at Mallarif, we wandered down paths and gazed at the wonderful wide open vistas in every direction.
Around us were lava fields.
Nearby was a lovely lighthouse and black pebble beach, and as a majestic backdrop was the beautiful Snaefellsjokull glacier in the distance.
The most remarkable sight, however, and the focal point of this area were the impressive Landrangar lava pillars and cliffs, 2 huge lava formations by the basalt sea cliffs.
Eliza told us that depending on which version you believe, this natural ecological wonder was either formed by thousands of years of ocean waves battering these lava cliffs, or they were 2 gigantic trolls who roamed this area and one day were turned into stone.
Arnarstapi.
The next stop was a lovely little fishing village called Arnarstapi.
Here, we climbed paths leading right to the edge of absolutely breathtaking lava cliffs.
As we strolled along these incredible cliffs, marveling at the stunning scenery and eating some food we'd brought, we thought this had to be the most fantastic spot we'd ever had lunch.
Saxholl volcano and Snaefellsjokull glacier.
Further along at our next stop, we had the thrill of climbing right into a volcano crater.
As we ascended the almost 400 heart-pounding steps up the side of the volcano, we stopped periodically to catch our breath and admire the view.
Reaching the top of the thousandsyearsold Saxholl volcano, we were treated to the most magnificent 360-degree view of the peninsula, and the Snaefellsjokull glacier now seemed even closer to us.
We took some time to gaze in awe at both the view and the lava rock we were walking on before making our way back down.
An interesting fact we learned from our guide is that moss naturally grows on lava rock fields and helps to prevent soil erosion.
Icelanders know not to disturb it, but apparently Justin Bieber did not as he caused quite a controversy a few years ago by rolling on the moss while shooting a music video in Iceland.
Kirkjufell and Grundarfjordur.
Then came our final stop, the iconic Kirkjufell mountain and waterfall.
We could see this majestic mountain from our cruise ship.
And as we began our tour, we were very excited to walk to the waterfall and get up closer to take some incredible pictures.
Famous for its distinctive shape like a church steeple, Kirkjufell is considered one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.
It was also famously featured on the Game of Thrones TV series as Arrowhead Mountain.
From our vantage point at the waterfall, there was also a lovely view of Grundarfjordur.
A short while later, we arrived back in the small town of only 900 people, where we had time to wander the few quiet streets and browse in shops.
At 1 point, we had a rather alarming incident when Vera became locked in a washroom in one of the shops.
But afterward, it became a very amusing story to retell.
Tips and recommendations for exploring Grundarfjordur and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
I highly recommend our bus tour, Highlights of Snaefellsnes, which I booked online with Snaefellsnes Excursions.
My contact, Eliza Macgnoni, sent excellent detailed information, responded to all my emails promptly, and also happened to be our wonderful guide for the tour.
Bring your own lunch to eat at Arnarstapi so as to avoid crowded cafes and maximize your time at the beautiful sea cliffs.
Beware of using washrooms in which you use a key to lock the door from the inside.