Guide to Iceland’s southern coast

It’s easy to find advice and guides to Iceland’s famed Golden Circle, and yes, this well-trafficked and easy route from Reykjavik is definitely worth doing. However, beyond the Golden Circle, there’s so much to see in Southern Iceland. Here’s where to go and what to see on Iceland’s southern coast along the Ring Road.

Touring Iceland’s Southern Coast

iceland southern coast

From Reykjavik, take the Ring Road (Route 1) and head southeast, doing the following. You’ll want at least 2-3 days to enjoy this region at your leisure, though it is possible to drive out and back in one long day with very few stops (not recommended). Here’s where to go:

Hveragerði: 

This town 45 km from Reykjavik is home to the wonderful Reykjadalur hot springs river hike. We’ve included it in our post on Iceland hot springs off the beaten path. Follow the signage through the main street of this tiny town to find the trailhead, and then hike 3.5 km (one way) up into the hills to find the hot springs river. The reward of the steaming bath that awaits makes the hike well worth the effort! Even young kids can do this hike with enough time to take it slow (it does get steep).

iceland hot springs

Hvolsvöllur:

Continue past the pretty town of Selfoss and stop at Hvolsvöllur to visit the LAVA Centre. We’ve included details in our post on Iceland national parks. This brand new center does a great job of explaining the volcanic activity of Iceland, which will be very useful information as you tour the natural formations of the southern end of the island.

Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss: 

These waterfalls are definitely worth the stop. As you drive, you’ll see plenty of others, but most are on private property, behind the quaint farms of this region. At Seljalandsfoss, you can walk behind the falls, and explore two additional on a walking path to the left. At Skogafoss, you can hike up the steep stairs to the top of the waterfall, or, if you’re ambitious, you can continue on the start of the Fimmvörðuháls trail. This 25 km trail between Skógar and Þórsmörk is divided into three sections, the first of which is called Waterfall Way. Families can do this as an out-and-back on nice days. (To do the whole trail, a GPS unit or guide is necessary, and most people do it in two days.) Also at Skogafoss is a very good museum: standard admission gets you into a transportation museum and history/folk museum, or you can buy a reduced ticket for just the outdoor buildings of the folk museum side, which include historic sod farm buildings, a schoolhouse, church, and outbuildings. We recommend this option.

Vik:

vik

This little coastal town at the very southern end of Iceland is known for its black sand beaches at Reynisfjara. The turn off Route 1 for the beach is just west of town, and a great place to see the basalt column geological formations Iceland is known for. You can also see puffins, apparently, but we only saw other sea birds making their nests in the cliffs. Vik has a public swimming pool (as do most Icelandic towns) and is a good place to refuel.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur:

We loved this little village, which a lovely waterfall at the end of town (take the hike up it to the impressive lake at the top) and Kirkjugolf (church floor). This natural rock formation was once mistaken for a manmade church floor. It’s located just a few meters down the road from the N1 gas station and easy to access.

iceland

Skaftafell:

iceland

The most accessible gateway to the largest glacier in Iceland (and Europe), Skaftafell houses the visitor center for the national park, Vatnagokull. Families can take lots of great day hikes here with views of the glacier and Skaftafoss (waterfall), or can hire a guide for a glacier walk (it’s not permissible or safe to walk on the glacier on one’s own). It’s also home to impressive ice cave touring. There’s a nice campground here, if you want to make Skaftafell a turn-around point.

Have you toured the Southern Coast of Iceland? Where do you recommend stopping?

 

 

 

Dominican Republic with kids: 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua

Located in the countryside outside of Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic, the 27 Waterfalls of Damajuana is the most talked-about experience on the north side of the island. Is it worthy of the hype? In a word, yes.

27-waterfalls

What is the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua?

The 27 Charcos of Damajagua is exactly what it sounds like: 27 waterfalls in a row in the middle of the Dominican jungle. Unregulated until 2004, the waterfalls are now controlled by a private company thanks to Peace Corps volunteer Joe Kennedy (yes, of those Kennedys), and there’s quite the operation at the site. When you arrive, either by tour group or on your own, you’ll now find a dirt parking lot, tour booth, bathrooms and lockers, and outdoor dining area. Your group is paired with a guide from the falls, and you opt between navigating 27, 12, 7, or just one waterfall.

We wanted to do all 27, but the water level restricted us to 12. We went with Iguana Mama, and had a fun-loving guide, Raul. Our group of about 10 people were fitted with life vests and helmets (required), and we trekked almost two miles up a dirt trail. (The trail is around 3 km.) The youngest person in our group was eight, and the oldest was probably me, at age 40. The trail included steep wooden steps, rocks, and pretty severe inclines and declines, but overall was in good shape. The way was shaded as we hiked into the jungle canopy, and we were joined by a second guide, plus our guide who came with us from our cruise port.

charcos

When we reached the end of the trail to the 12 waterfalls (which took about 45 minutes), we climbed down another steep staircase and entered the river. In places, the water was only ankle deep, and in other places, over our heads. We began making our way back toward the ‘camp’ via the river, alternatively wading, swimming, jumping, sliding, and climbing in, over, under, and through the river. It was amazing.

At each of the 12 waterfalls, our guides would stop us and explain our options, which usually included leaping off a rock or outcropping into a deep pool of water below, sliding on our butts along naturally carved waterslides in the rock, or taking the ‘chicken’ way around waterfalls on questionable-looking ladders and staircases. Honestly, I think the most dangerous route was via those ladders!

climbing-waterfalls

Most of the time, I opted to jump (sometimes as much as 10 feet), but I also enjoyed sliding. The kids loved both options, and often, we’d climb back up ladders or ropes to do certain waterfalls a second time. There were groups ahead and behind us, which meant we had to keep to a schedule (see ’tips’ section below), but overall, we didn’t feel rushed. I don’t love heights, but I’m used to jumping off ledges, so the experience didn’t daunt me. If you REALLY don’t like heights, there are work-arounds for each waterfall, but they’re in the form of the aforementioned ladders, which, honestly, are just as scary.

In some places, you can swim underneath the waterfalls or explore partial caves carved out of the rock, and throughout the whole experience, the jungle canopy is above you, shading you and sheltering you. The sunlight cuts through gently (you don’t need sunglasses), and we didn’t find the hike or the swim to be buggy. The water is refreshing but not too cold.

waterfall-slide

The route down through the waterfalls took us about 1.5 hours, and afterward, we had a short hike back to the camp where we changed and had an included lunch of Dominican beans and rice, BBQed chicken, and a few kid pleasers like (oddly) spaghetti. Soda and rum and coke were included.

How to book a tour:

You can either arrive to the waterfalls on your own, taking a taxi from Amber Cove or an autobus from Puerto Plata, or you can book an excursion through Iguana Mama or Marysol Tours. The latter option is more expensive, but what you’re paying for is the convenience of the transportation (and the expensive gasoline required to make that happen). If you opt to arrive solo, you simply pay as you arrive (about $480 Dominican pesos for all 27), and guides are assigned to you on a first-come, first-served basis. This means you may have to wait a bit for the next guide.

waterfall-hiking

Tips for the waterfalls:

  • Book a tour early in the day to play in the water with fewer crowds. This ensures you won’t wait for a guide if you’re going solo, either.
  • Bring waterproof shoes (like Keens or Chacos) or an old pair of sneakers to get wet.
  • Put on bug spray and sun screen ahead of time.
  • Keep everything but your waterproof camera on the bus or in a locker.

Cost:

We booked a tour through Iguana Mama, because we wanted the convenience of a port pick-up. Our tour included lunch and cost just over $50 US per adult. If you opt out of a tour, the cost is significantly less per person (around $10), but does not include transportation or lunch. We were quoted everything from $40-100 US for a cab ride for five people from Amber Cove. It IS possible to negotiate a flat rate from taxis on the highway.

waterfalls

How to get there:

If you go on your own, get up-to-date directions at 27charcos.com. More information is found here.

27-waterfalls-of-Damagua