Sunset at the at Kirkjufell Waterfall.Credit: iStock
The volcano was made famous by Jules Verne’s novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and its splendour looms over the landscape on approach. On a clear day, you can see the volcano from Reykjavik, but you only grasp its magnitude when up close. Snaefellsjokull is thought to have erupted most recently between AD50 and AD350 and here, the landscape has been moulded and shaped by lava flows and extreme weather conditions.
The Londrangar basalt cliffs are one of the most interesting volcanic remains, carved out of surrounding rocks by erosion and the sea. Nicknamed the Rocky Castle, the two protruding pillars jut out from the land’s surface like two jagged giant teeth. With the North Atlantic Ocean on one side and moss-topped lava fields on the other, their presence seems almost ominous.
As the sea hurtles wave after wave at the cliffs and the adjacent fields glisten green, I remember the local woman from the cafe telling me that farmers have never utilised these surrounding fields due to whisperings about elves residing here… Right now, staring out into the vastness, I almost believe it to be true.
THE DETAILS
The Snaefellsnes & Golden Circle self-drive tour by 50 Degrees North is a premium 10-day experience priced at $10,525 per person. It includes car hire, airport transfers, and stays in rural boutique hotels and a central Reykjavik hotel. Activities like snorkelling in Silfra, glacier walks, Blue Lagoon entry, a Viking Sushi Adventure boat tour, and more are also included.
See fiftydegreesnorth.com
The writer was a guest of 50 Degrees North.
Source link : https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/fairytales-seem-real-in-this-supernatural-part-of-europe-20240311-p5fbc9.html
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Publish date : 2024-03-21 07:00:00
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