Stopping for a photo op on our drive along Iceland’s East Coast
Iceland’s wild and rugged East Coast was both our favorite and most stressful part of circumnavigating Iceland in winter. We had arrived at Hali Country Hotel the evening before just ahead of a winter storm that brought several inches of snow mixed with freezing rain overnight. Following our own advice from our post Tips for Driving Iceland’s Ring Road in Winter, we kept careful watch over the road conditions on the Vegagerdin.is website.
We drove for hours with just one lane plowed
In winter, Iceland has just 4 to 6 hours of daylight so we hit the road for our drive up north in the dark. Plows had only cleared one lane (not ours) and icy roads made things slow going. We started to wonder if all the plows heading south was a sign that we were insane. Reindeer only live in East Iceland and it wasn’t long before we saw the first reindeer crossing sign. Then reindeer quickly outnumbered the 109 cars (yes, I counted) we would see on our 10 hour drive that day.
As dawn finally began to illuminate our surroundings, we were literally surrounded by beauty. Bright yellow lighthouses perched on craggy cliffs above black sand beaches. The Atlantic crashed wildly over lava rocks, leaving white foamy legs chasing the waves back into the ocean.
Should we be concerned parts of this bridge are missing?
We crossed questionable one-lane bridges before coming to roadside half frozen waterfalls spraying their mist up into the air.
Guard rails are a rare sight in Iceland
Our SADCars Land Cruiser was perfect for getting us out to lighthouses like this
Then suddenly we would emerge from between the mountains and the road would snake along the seaside cliffs again. It was so picturesque, we literally wanted to stop every couple of hundred meters to take more photos! The solitude of every black sand beach seemed to beckon us to stop but we reluctantly had to press on as the daylight quickly dwindled.
Iceland’s East Fjords
The residents of East Iceland are few and far between, but the occasional house decked out in all its Christmas finest makes an appearance as the road weaves along some of Iceland’s most beautiful fjords.
Reyðarfjörður is one of the most populated villages with around 1,100 residents. We found our first gas station since leaving Hali Country Hotel and a tiny cafe and gift store to grab a quick Icelandic hot dog. We couldn’t hit the road again though before posing with a Subaru station wagon turned monster truck (much to the amusement of several locals), which we imagine is perfect for navigating Iceland’s rugged East Coast!
Our drive finally took us inland shortly after Reyðarfjörður and night quickly descended upon us. I’m sure the beautiful scenery continued all the way to Mývatn but in the pitch black, we couldn’t see a thing. Iceland’s East Coast is definitely a drive we’d love to do in summer when the midnight sun would give us the leeway to stop and explore!
Our Route
Would you like to explore Iceland’s East Coast?
Jennifer Dombrowski
Jennifer Dombrowski is a location independent globe trotter and bases herself in Prata di Pordenone, Italy. She works as a social media and innovation strategist in higher education and is a regular contributor on johnnyjet.com. Her website, jdombstravels.com, is the 2012 Destinology Travel Bloggy Best Newcomer award winner. Google+
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We’re Jennifer and Tim and we love traveling! We are just one ordinary couple who have found that travel brought us closer together, taught us patience, the art of compromise, and how to truly appreciate the diversity of this extraordinary world. So far, we've visited 37 countries, lived in the United States and Italy, and Tim has lived in Korea. And we do it all while both holding down full time jobs. 
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19 comments
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Shing
January 15, 2013 at 6:55 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
The east of Iceland looks stunning, especially the fjords and waterfalls! Did you manage to see Vatnajökull Glacier too? I’m going to Iceland for the first time next month and I’m so excited to see it’s diverse typography!
Shing recently posted..Cultural Hotspots: Florence and Pisa in 48 hours
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 15th, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Hi Shing! We did go glacier hiking, but on a different glacier. We saw the Vatnajökull Glacier and actually have a post coming tomorrow on the glacier lagoon. You’ll have a fantastic time in Iceland! Let us know if you have any questions or need suggestions.
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memographer
January 15, 2013 at 7:42 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Seems like it was a great adventure. Love the pics. I am getting cold by just looking at them
I guess, Santa freed rain deers till next New Year
I have never been in Iceland. But, stories like this make me want to go there more and more.
memographer recently posted..A Walk in Christmasy New York
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 15th, 2013 at 10:01 pm
We saw reindeer at the beach too. It must be where they go to vacation after Christmas.
Definitely add Iceland to your must visit list because it is an amazing destination!
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memographer
January 15, 2013 at 10:11 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Raindeers on the beach vacation- that’s funny
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Leigh
January 16, 2013 at 4:04 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Looks like a great adventure and one I’d love to do though I’ll pass on the icy roads. Lucky you seeing reindeer too. Hope you run into hot springs every day.
Leigh recently posted..Luminous Landscapes: Entranced by Light in Bryce Canyon NP
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 16th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
We definitely could have done without the icy roads, but it was definitely worth it to see landscapes like this at a time of the year when practically no one else is around.
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Ambika
January 16, 2013 at 2:59 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
HeyJen n Tim,
Happy New Year!
I was looking forward to your trip report on Iceland. Great read & looks you had a fun adventure.
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 16th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Happy New Year, Ambika! We had a terrific time in Iceland and still have quite a bit more to write about from the trip!
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Ali
January 16, 2013 at 4:00 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Looks like such a gorgeous country to drive through, but those roads do NOT look like fun!
Ali recently posted..How to Make a Travel Budget
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 17th, 2013 at 8:39 pm
No, the roads were definitely not fun at times. My heart was racing a few different times when we hit sheets of ice. But seeing these landscapes in winter definitely outweighed the road conditions.
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Ashleen Moreen
January 17, 2013 at 1:32 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Looks like you are having so much fun and I really love the icy place.
It is adventurous and I would love to come to this place.
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 17th, 2013 at 8:40 pm
Definitely go to Iceland, Ashley! We’re already plotting our return. Next time we want to drive the Ring Road in summer though.
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Andrea
January 17, 2013 at 9:17 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Beautiful! How nice to be surrounded by almost nothing but reindeer and landscape
Andrea recently posted..Be Over the Top in Atlantic City: Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 17th, 2013 at 8:43 pm
It really was! This part of Iceland doesn’t have many residents, but I am jealous of the ones that do live there and see stunning scenes like these every day.
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Petite Adventures
January 17, 2013 at 4:15 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Stunning photos – I can’t wait to explore Iceland!
Kate xo petite-adventures.blogspot.ca
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 17th, 2013 at 9:26 pm
Thanks, Kate!
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Bethany
January 17, 2013 at 10:49 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
You are really making me miss Iceland. There was so much we didn’t get to see and now I really want to return. The landscape there is so calm & surreal and there are SO many places to just stop and check out.
Bethany recently posted..All My Favorite Drinks Come From Lake Erie Islands
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 18th, 2013 at 10:17 am
We want to go back a third time! With the limited daylight and some parts of the island completely inaccessible because of road closures, there is still a lot we didn’t see. Shoulder season hitch hiking around Iceland trip, anyone?
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