Iceland's south coast is home to some of the most beautiful scenic attractions in the country. From hiking a glacier to walking behind a picturesque waterfall and witnessing the world-famous black sand beach, visitors to Iceland say travelling the south coast is an “experience of a lifetime.” Narcity’s Ashna Bharkhada visited Iceland for the first time and totally recommends taking the trip, especially to check out this unreal south coast adventure. Follow along as she journeys across "the land of fire and ice!"
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00:00Huh. Tastes pretty good.
00:02Bring waterproof everything because you're gonna get soaked.
00:05I'm at the Black Sand Beach and this is amazing.
00:09Today we're leaving the capital city behind and venturing out to Iceland's scenic south coast.
00:14Come along with me as I take you on a 12-hour tour with Arctic Adventures
00:17that people say is an experience of a lifetime.
00:20I'm visiting breathtaking waterfalls, a world-famous black sand beach,
00:24but what I'm looking forward to the most is hiking a glacier.
00:27Follow along my journey in the land of fire and ice.
00:30The bus picked us up at 8 a.m. in Reykjavik by our hotel.
00:33Then we headed south to the first stop on our tour, Seljalandfoss waterfalls.
00:37Iceland has about 9,000 waterfalls across the country.
00:40This falls is particularly popular amongst tourists because you can walk behind it.
00:44It's very misty.
00:49We head up the flight of stairs and can see the water crashing down on the ground below.
00:53Seljalandfoss is 60 meters tall and has a naturally carved deep alcove
00:57that allows tourists to get behind the water.
00:59It was such a cool experience. I've never been behind a waterfall before.
01:03First waterfall and I'm already soaking wet.
01:07So it's true what they say, bring waterproof everything because you're going to get soaked.
01:12So I need some water and my tour guide told me to fill it in the stream
01:17because this is spring water, the freshest water you can get here in Iceland.
01:22All right, let's try this out.
01:27What?
01:30Just bend down and fill it up.
01:32Bend down and fill it up, okay.
01:39Every lake in Iceland is drinkable and this water is extremely pure.
01:44Okay, well, there's no bugs.
01:46Bugs.
01:47I don't think.
01:50Okay, let's try it.
01:51Where do you come from?
01:52From Canada. Okay, okay, let's try this water. Let's try this water.
01:56Let's see.
02:00I have to film it this way.
02:03Okay, just tried the water. It's actually really good.
02:08Cheers, fresh spring water.
02:10Next we're checking out Skoafoss, the forest waterfall.
02:14My first reaction is it's gorgeous.
02:16Skoafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland.
02:19It stands 200 feet tall and 83 feet wide.
02:22Visitors can climb up the steep staircase beside the falls to catch some amazing viewpoints.
02:26But I was too happy just playing in the water.
02:28On sunny days, you can usually see a rainbow through the mist.
02:31Our third stop of the day is the iconic Black Sand Beach.
02:35I've never seen anything like it before.
02:37The waves and strong currents make the beach extremely dangerous to swim in.
02:44If you don't like the weather in Iceland, wait a minute because it will change.
02:49It absolutely has. It's raining, it's cold, it's windy now.
02:53Visitors are warned about the potential dangers with signs posted at the entrance.
02:57Unfortunately, it started to pour when we got there, but that didn't stop me from getting my hands dirty.
03:02So the black sand at Black Sand Beach actually comes from volcanic ash and black rock.
03:07The beach is also known for its black basalt sea stacks, which are formed when lava cools down suddenly.
03:12The cape beside the ocean is covered with these beautiful rock formations.
03:15And across the water, you can see spiky stacks rising from the ocean.
03:18This was definitely an unforgettable experience.
03:21I'm absolutely soaked.
03:23My hair, look, there's like water coming out of it.
03:27Time to eat some lunch. I've definitely worked up a daffodil.
03:30Our final stop of the day is hiking the Soljemálokul Glacier.
03:33There are 269 named glaciers in Iceland and about 10% of the country is covered in ice.
03:39We're walking to the glacier.
03:41I've got some hiking boots.
03:45It looks like an ice pick.
03:47Some crampons.
03:49I haven't even started hiking yet. I'm already tired.
03:53Alright, let's go.
03:54Glacier hiking is very dangerous without a guide, especially if you're a noob like me.
03:58So before we make our way up, we're taught how to use the equipment properly to stay safe.
04:02So let's say the terrain is going down in front of me.
04:05It's a little bit higher behind me.
04:07I have this thing. I can stick it to the ice behind me.
04:10And every step I do, I can carry this behind me and put my weight on it.
04:14It takes about 30 minutes to reach our destination on the tongue.
04:17And let me tell you, the views are breathtaking.
04:20The ice is covered with black ash that's been left over from volcanic eruptions in the past.
04:24Our guide explains to the group how glaciers are formed.
04:27Every winter, we have a snowfall in here.
04:29And then during summer, it doesn't melt.
04:31And next winter, we have another one. And another layer. And another, another, another.
04:35And this goes on for hundreds of years.
04:37We're all getting a little thirsty at this point, so our guide teaches us how to do a Viking push-up.
04:44Woohoo!
04:46Whoever else!
04:48The Viking push-up!
04:50I can't do push-ups, but I have to see what the water tastes like.
04:53It's really cold.
04:56Oh! It tastes pretty good.
04:58It does taste earthy.
05:00Then we make our way back to the bus.
05:02What a way to end a beautiful tour.
05:04By the time we get back to Reykjavik, it's 8pm.
05:06I'm exhausted.
05:08As for the tour, it's true what they say.
05:10It is an experience of a lifetime.
05:12I highly recommend taking a trip to Iceland's picturesque south coast.
05:15If you've toured Iceland before or have plans on doing so, let us know what your favourite part is in the comments.