Overlanding in Iceland and the Faroe Islands (in winter)

We left on October 5, 2021 The Netherlands, which was preparing for the fall. Eight months later we were back in Etten-Leur. We made a trip through Northern Europe, ten countries in winter. We have then driven and sailed more than 26.000 kilometers. Quite a lot actually…

After a lap around the Baltic Sea we started our Iceland-trip. The turbulent crossing to Iceland, the primal forces and rawness of Iceland and the special climate of the Faroe Islands.

To Iceland

After our round of the Baltic Sea, we first drove to the Netherlands at the end of February 2022 to get our Covid booster shot. This is not possible anywhere else in Europe.

The ferry to Iceland

In Hirtshals, in the north of Denmark (location here ) we take the ferry to Seyðisfjordur, the port city on the east side of Iceland (location here ). Everything is new to us; checking in on the ferry, the long sea journey ahead, our own cabin on the boat and life on board.

The crossing takes 3 nights with a stop in Torshavn (Location here ) on the Faroe Islands. We had reserved an outside cabin and enjoyed the luxury on board. Despite the sometimes rough seas, we often sat in the bar on the top deck where there was live music in the evenings. Only the self-service restaurant was open, but the range of meals was good and varied. Sleeping with rough seas was a challenge at times, but we didn't get sick and managed to get a good night's sleep.

The stop in Torshavn was promising. On the way back we stayed in the Faroe Islands for a week and now the sun was shining!

After another rough night on the ferry we arrived in Seyðisfjörður. The sun shone promisingly and there seemed to be hardly any snow. It even seemed a bit spring.

Our route across Iceland

We left on March 15, 2022 Seyðisfjordur and drove around Iceland against the clock, for a trip of, so plenty of time to see a lot. We thought we might do a second round, clockwise.

After 7 weeks, we had driven about 5.300 km, we concluded that once around the island was enough for us for now.

The highlights

The climate

We were told that you can experience four seasons in one day in Iceland. We did not immediately expect that we would end up in wintery conditions in the first days of the relative spring.

Later, especially the first weeks in March and early April 2022, we still encountered harsh conditions. So bad that we had to turn around once, because we literally threatened to be snowed in.

Fortunately, the weather did indeed change every day and we were still able to go to the Westfjords driving where we were headed.

On April 18, 2022 we could even wear our T-shirt on top of the Myrdalsjokullglacier (location here ) enjoying our lunch.

Wildlife

Not all animals in the wild are wildlife, but we did enjoy many beautiful animals in their natural environment.

At the beginning of May 2022 we were lucky enough to get in Borgarfjordur (Location here ) near the breeding ground of thousands of puffins to take these pictures. What beautiful birds.

We concluded our winter adventure in Iceland with a whale watching tour.

Beautiful landscapes

The nature of Iceland is indescribable. The roughness of the volcanic subsurface, the purity of the ever-changing landscapes and the diversity of the views always challenge you to continue exploring.

The fjord coast

The Icelandic fjords are completely different from the Norwegian fjords, but the pounding ocean and harsh climate complete the spectacle.

Craters, volcanoes and lava

Iceland was created from volcanic activity and that process of formation continues today. We were allowed to witness that and that is fantastic.

Volcanic activity

In a number of places, the volcanic activity is visible, audible and smellable.

Geyser

De Geysir, the namesake of our water heater, is no longer active, but the nearby hot spring is just as spectacular.

Waterfalls

We encountered or visited countless waterfalls along the way. One more intense than the other.

Even more landscapes

We were amazed along the way. The landscapes keep changing.

The Glaciers of the South Coast

Two large glaciers dominate the south coast of Iceland, the Myrdalsjokull and the Vatnajökull. We were lucky that we could drive a long way to the first glacier by car. In winter most inland roads are closed, but despite the warning sign we took a chance.

The view on top is fabulous and as mentioned before we can enjoy it on top in our T-shirt.

At the foot of the glaciers, the picture is very different. The melting process offers a completely different spectacle.

Hot Pots

The Hot Pots are an experience in themselves. Especially on the north and east side of the island there are many publicly accessible hot springs. Despite the cold, it is wonderful to take a warm bath in this.

The ice artworks of the South Coast

Ice cave

Accompanied by a guide, we went exploring in an ice cave at the end of one of the glaciers. How beautiful is that.

Diamond beach

The natural ice diamonds of Diamond beach (Location here ) are world famous and beautiful every time.

Farewell to Iceland

There is much more to tell about Iceland. The special cities, the special history and the encounters. Much is in our blogs, much more is in our heads and we save that for personal stories.

The Faroe Islands

After two nights of sailing we arrived in Torshavn, where we disembarked this time with our Milady Landy.

The sheep islands welcomed us with good weather.

We took full advantage of the calm weather and walked a lot.

The roads are good and almost all islands are accessible by road. Only to the island Mikladalur (Location here ) we went with a ferry. We had to hike the last part to the memorial for James Bond, but we were happy to do that.

The ferry Norrona from Smyril-Line took us across a calm sea back to Denmark where it was spring. Great after all that winter cold!

Also read: Copenhagen | 10 tips for a low budget city trip