Our 7-day cruise with Windstar around Iceland, about which you can read more in my previous Iceland blog, was designed to showcase some of the country’s most iconic sights and hidden gems to explore more of Iceland with ease.
This roundtrip enabled us to also visit off-the-beaten-path destinations around the island, without having to arrange all transfers and accommodations yourself!
Iceland lies atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, one of the only places on earth where tectonic plates meet and where the North American and Eurasian plates are slowly drifting apart.
This is what makes Iceland so geologically active, with frequent volcanic eruptions, as recently became clear again through a small eruption south of Reykjavik.
It also makes the island very diverse and interesting to explore with its dramatic nature, photogenic desolate areas and hot springs dotting the landscape.
Exploring Iceland roundtrip
The yacht-style ship of our Windstar Cruise made it possible to visit smaller ports, which the bigger ships usually don't have access to!
Because of this every day was a new adventure, whilst docking in small fishing villages, exploring rugged nature with fierce waterfalls and stops at the fjords in the east, north and west.
I will happily tell you all about our exact route with 5 stops and some of Iceland's highlights in this blog, with, as always, many of my own pictures:
Reykjavik
The cruise began and ended in the main port of Reykjavik. This vibrant city is known for its unique combination of modern culture and ancient traditions, which we explored for 2 extra days.
Read all about that in my previous Reykjavik sightseeing blog.
Heimaey & Surtsey - Westman Islands
We docked first at the volcanic islands of Surtsey and Heimaey, part of the Westman Islands. Surtsey is a Unesco Site, a rock that rose from the sea in 1960 and one of the youngest islands in the world!
And Heimaey is famous for its dramatic landscape, shaped by a volcanic eruption in 1973, creating a unique contrast with the small town. Luckily everyone survived the eruption, which unfortunately did devastate many houses.
Now this area forms a nature reserve with several hiking trails, easy to reach on just a 5-minute walk from the port.
Here you can see the unique shapes of the lava formations, now covered by greenery and lupines in summertime. And if you're up for it you can also hike all the way to the top of Eldfell, the volcano that caused the eruption, offering stunning views of the island and the surrounding sea.
Seyðisfjörður
Our second stop was a 2-day stay in this small town in the Eastfjords, nestled at the end of a long fjord, surrounded by mountains, making it one of Iceland’s hidden gems.
Seyðisfjörður is known for its colorful wooden houses, artistic community, and stunning natural surroundings. It has a rich cultural heritage, with influences from early settlers from Norway and Denmark.
On the first day we had a complementary Windstar Discovery experience in the quaint light blue church in town. A real Icelandic music performance, which was nothing less than extraordinary!
After which we explored the authentic and photogenic town with murals, rainbow walkway, cute shops and even a waterfall, cascading in a series of spectacular drops, on the edge of town.
When sailing into Seyðisfjörður the Búðareyrarfoss waterfall will immediately catch your eye, with its picturesque location, adding to the idyllic atmosphere of the area.
It’s easily accessible on foot, just a 10-minute walk from the port, and is one of the many waterfalls in the Seyðisfjörður area. While this is not the most dramatic waterfall, you can also walk on to the more famous Gufufoss a bit further away, to experience even more of this region's beauty.
A landscape typical of the Eastfjords region, surrounded by towering mountains and lush greenery. This area offers plenty of opportunities to capture the beauty of Iceland’s natural landscapes, especially in summer with the lupine flowers all around!
The tranquility and diversity of Seyðisfjörður made it one of our favourite stops on the cruise.
We also did 2 shore excursions via Windstar, not included in the cruise package, but these can be booked separately:
Chasing waterfalls in Seyðisfjörður
This tour is perfect if you like rugged nature and waterfalls as much as I do, but want to avoid the crowds that some famous waterfalls in Iceland attract. The 2,5-hour tour includes:
A short drive through the fjord, offering beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes.
And an easy hike to 12 of the area’s stunning waterfalls, such as Selbrekkufoss and Vestdalsfossar, all located near each other.
The starting point of the hike is about a 45 minute walk from the harbor and only 6 minutes by car to Parking Vestdalsfossar.
Perfect if you want to experience the raw and untouched beauty of Iceland in a more tranquil setting, which felt like we had this place all to ourselves!
Akureyri
On our way to our 3rd stop, we even crossed the Arctic Circle, something really unique celebrated by Windstar in a special way!
Akureyri is known as the ‘Capital of the North’, Iceland’s second-largest city and a hub of culture and activity at a unique location just south of the Arctic Circle.
From here we did a day trip to the nearby Mývatn region: the Jewels of the North Tour. A full 8 hour excursion, including lunch, which took us to some of the most stunning and unique landscapes of Northern Iceland, including:
Goðafoss
One of Iceland’s most famous falls for good reason and known as 'Waterfall of the Gods'.
Easy to reach through walkways from the parking, including several viewing platforms.
These waterfalls are quite impressive with water flowing from the Skjálfandafljót river over a horseshoe-shaped falls.
According to Icelandic sagas, one of Iceland’s most important religious events took place here, where statues of Norse gods were thrown into the falls to symbolize the nation’s conversion to Christianity.
Námaskarð
This geothermal area is truly otherworldly. A desolate landscape with bubbling mud pools, fumaroles and earth colors ranging from bright yellow to deep red, created by its high sulfur content, makes it evident why Iceland is called the Land of Fire and Ice.
Here, the forces that shaped our planet are still at work, creating a dramatic terrain that feels like stepping onto another planet.
Near Námaskarð, you can also see one of the few places on earth where the effects of plate tectonics are visible above ground!
Dimmuborgir
Also known as the ’Dark Castles’, this is a large area of unusually shaped lava fields. The formations are the result of a volcanic eruption, with Icelandic legends suggesting that they are the home of trolls and other mythical creatures.
Skútustaðir at Lake Mývatn
Our last stop of this tour was this nature reserve surrounded by lava fields, volcanoes, hot springs, and unique geological formations.
Lake Mývatn is perfect for bird watching and if you’re interested in geothermal activity. Skútustaðir lies on the southside of the lake and consists of pseudo craters, created by steam explosions when lava flowed over the wetland.
We also had a local lunch here at Fosshótel Mývatn, the oldest hotel in Iceland, known for its charming atmosphere and traditional cuisine, combined with that warm Icelandic hospitality.
Both excursions were exceptional and enabled us to experience even more of Iceland's dramatic landscapes and rich cultural history.
Ísafjörður
Our 4th stop was a town in the remote Westfjords. Ísafjörður is quite authentic, surrounded by mountains. We did not take a guided tour here, but should have to see more. Instead, we walked around town which is quite colorful and unique, but also very quiet and lacking facilities.
The landscape around town is rugged and pristine, but should be explored by car to be able to see more.
Grundarfjörður
Our last stop was supposed to be Grundarfjörður, located on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. With the highlight being Kirkjufell mountain. One of Iceland’s most photographed landmarks and featured in the Game of Thrones series season 6 and 7.
Unfortunately, the weather gods were not in our favor, prohibiting us from docking in this port. While a small, yacht-style ship has many perks, one of the downsides is that it sometimes is less flexible and more vulnerable in harsh-weather conditions.
We were quite sad about this, as we had a full day excursion planned at this stop, but safety always come first of course!
And we're happy to come back for this, as the area is just a 2-hour drive from Reykjavik.
Read all about the capital of Iceland in my Reykjavik guide-top 10.
Our Windstar Cruise adventure was a real dream come true and even exceeded our expectations.
Exploring Iceland on this roundtrip was an unforgettable experience that we’ll cherish forever, although I would love to come back to see even more of this spectacular and diverse volcanic island, as there is still so much to explore!
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