“as it [Seljalandsfoss] faces west you can experience the sunset standing behind it”
Larus Sigurdarson, also known as Lalli Sig, is a professional freelance photographer living in Reykjavik. He photographs mostly people, both privately (portraits, weddings) and for advertisements. He tries to make the best he can of living in the beautiful landscapes in Iceland and often travels outside the capital area to incorporate that in his photos. He finds that you really don’t have to go all that far to get to some pretty spectacular locations. We here at Gayiceland.is asked Larus to tell us about his favourite places in Iceland.
Thingvellir
My absolute favorite place in Iceland is Þingvellir, mostly because I lived in Sweden when I was a kid, but I spent most of my summers in Iceland, living with my grandparents, who run a bus comany named “Þingvallaleið”, so I spent a lot of time there as a kid and I go there all the time to take photos, both landscape, like the above aurora borealis photo and to photograph people. I know it’s a very popular place and not much of a secret, sort of like our “Eiffel tower” but it’s still my absolute favorite place, perhaps mostly due to my childhood memories.
Seljalandsfoss
I really like the south coast of Iceland where Seljalandsfoss is, my favorite waterfall in Iceland. It’s really great being there around sunset, you can walk behind the waterfall and as it faces west you can experience the sunset standing behind it, something you’ll never forget seeing.
Reynisfjara and Dyrhólaey
A little further down the south coast is the beautiful beach of Reynisfjara, and Dyrhólaey. The beach at Reynisfjara is a black volcanic sand beach, very different from the yellow beaches most people are used to, and has a very interesting basalt column formation and the sea stacks at Vík (Víkurdrangar) are prominent along the horizon. There is also a basalt column cave that can sometimes be accessible but it depends on the tide. Be very careful in Reynisfjara, the ocean there is notoriously dangerous, a rogue wave can sweep you off your feet. The view from up on nearby Dyrhólaey is spectacular and there is a very beautiful lighthouse up there.
Reykjanes
I also really like Reykjanes peninsula and my favorite part is the sea stacks at Reykjanestá, nearby is the lighthouse Reykjanesviti. I like swimming in warm geothermal water, and near Reykjanesvirkjun, there is an area where they release hot water into the ocean, you have to be very careful there, the hot water is very dangerous, but when a little further away, it mixes in with the ocean water and makes it possible to bathe in it. Enter at your own risk but if you want something a little more safe, but want to stay away from the more traditional Blue Lagoon, there is a cave up north, near Mývatn, called Grjótagjá. The water temperature there is a like a warm hot tub and the place is perfect for bathing.
Rauðhólar
Last but not least, if you don’t have a lot of time, but still want to get out of the city, I really like Heiðmörk, and especially Rauðhólar, or “the Red Hills” that are just outside Árbær. That area is very similar to Dimmuborgir near Mývatn, but older, and on a smaller scale, and nearby area Heiðmörk both has Elliðárvatn, a pine tree forest, and a lava/moss plateau, and all within 15-20 minutes drive from downtown Reykjavík, perfect if you have a couple of hours to spare but still want to explore Icelandic nature at it’s best.
Larus Sigurðarson, Lalli Sig
larus@larus.is
www.larus.is
www.flickr.com/lallisig