Reykjavík, ICELAND – Who knew studying geography could be so fun – or beautiful?
On a picturesque road trip taking in the Icelandic landscape, me and my fellow geography students found ourselves mesmerized by a waterfall, a black sand beach, a melting glacier and even a thermal bath.
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Before we got to the natural highlights that Iceland has to offer, we took a tour of Reykjavík and saw the famous Hallgrímskikja cathedral, which was unfortunately closed.
With just an hour to explore the beautiful Nordic capital on our own, my friend and I made a beeline to the impressive Harpa Concert Hall. Made of glass, it looks like fish scales and the Northern Lights. We also popped into a few of the city’s quaint souvenir shops.
The next day we took in Iceland’s famous natural sights.
At the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, we were able to walk all the way around to the back and get a view at the curtain of water as it fell. It was one of my favorite parts of visiting Iceland.
Near the town of Vík, we saw a stunning black sand beach and took an exhilarating walk along the Solheimokull glacier.
There, we bore witness to the detrimental impacts of climate change, as a 60-meter deep lake had formed at the foot of the glacier. Our guide told us it had formed in the past 20 years that he had been working there.
It was really sad, as the glacier was no longer filling the valley as it had before.
After a good night’s sleep at a farmhouse, we were re-energised for another full day of geographical fun.
So off we went bright and early to spend an hour and a quarter relaxing in an hot Icelandic thermal bath. The baths would have been perfect if not for the moss and algae resulting from the au naturel approach.
We didn’t stay relaxed for long, as next we undertook a sightseeing tour of a geyser field and the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The marsh land between the two sides of the ridge was so pretty.
Despite the pouring rain, the views on both walks more than made up for being drenched in slightly sulfuric rainwater.
The final day comprised of an hour-long guided tour of Iceland’s second largest lava tunnel, terminating in an unforgettable light show, before we made the two-and-a-half-hour flight back to London.
My trip to Iceland was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, one I greatly recommend.
Manuel Bernardo Tavares Moreira Belo Carmona is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
