We had hoped to see the Northern Lights in Iceland but did not expect to see them so quickly. Shortly after taking off from Halifax, as the sun set and we passed over Newfoundland, the skies outside the plane lit up. Having grown up too far north to enjoy a true spring but too far south to properly see the Northern Lights, they far surpassed anything we had ever dreamed of.

From one horizon to the other, streaks of closely stacked vertical pillars fluttered across the sky. It quickly became clear how Indigenous and Norse myths describing the lights as spirits communicating with the living could take shape, as the aurora appeared, disappeared, and swayed across the dark night.

We were fortunate to witness the event for two reasons. First, cloudy weather later prevented us from ever seeing the phenomenon in Iceland itself. Second, we were travelling just as the sun reached its solar maximum, a period when the sun produces more sunspots on its surface, releasing greater amounts of energy. This cycle occurs approximately every 11 years.

Lava Flows & Blue Lagoons

Shortly before 5:00 AM, the plane began its descent to Keflavík International Airport, Iceland’s largest airport and the main entry point for tourists.

Landing at the airport felt like arriving back home in Newfoundland: the vibrating plane shifting under relentless crosswinds, a thick wet fog and driving rain obscuring the new landscape, and finally a sudden, abrupt thud as the plane struck the seemingly invisible tarmac.

Our first stop was the shuttle to Lotus Car Rental, where we picked up our manual Dacia Duster—who we would come to love over the next 12 days. Online reviews often compared the Duster to a mid-sized SUV, but with two suitcases, two XL duffle bags, and four hiking backpacks, we quickly realized it would be a tight squeeze. Rather than add extra costs so early in the trip, we decided to keep it. Because we had opted for full-coverage insurance, we were also given a portable Wi-Fi device that worked perfectly for at least four cell phones, a tablet, and a laptop—making roaming plans or travel SIM cards unnecessary.

Snugly packed into the car, the next priority was, of course, coffee and breakfast. With such an early arrival time, Keflavík was just waking up, and we stopped at Kökulist Bakery to recharge and make a plan.

Originally, we had thought we would head directly to the Blue Lagoon—a famous spa that uses warm water discharged from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station. The spa’s whitish-blue pools are produced by the high silica content of superheated seawater from the plant. Unfortunately, we had decided against making a booking, preferring some flexibility in case the plane was delayed—or if a volcano erupted nearby and forced a closure. Speaking of which, a volcano was erupting nearby.

Eldvörp–Svartsengi, more commonly known as the Svartsengi volcanic system, is an active volcanic area on the Reykjanes Peninsula near Keflavík International Airport, immediately adjacent to the well-known geothermal spring of the Blue Lagoon. The erupting fissure was the sixth event in the Sundhnúkur eruptions, ongoing since late 2023. Such eruptions are caused by the gradual splitting apart of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. “Svartsengi” translates to “black meadow” in Icelandic, a name that becomes clear as you leave the airport and head toward the Blue Lagoon and the now-abandoned town of Grindavík. Black fields of jagged rock stretch as far as the eye can see, representing thousands of years of eruptions, fissures, and lava flows. Driving into the Blue Lagoon, hoping to glimpse the active eruption through the thick mist, we quickly came across the severity of the lava flows and began to understand the challenges Icelanders face in maintaining a presence in the area. Sections of former roads were visible between lava flows and the human-made berms constructed over the past year to divert lava away from the vital Svartsengi Power Station.

As we left the Blue Lagoon parking lot, we managed to catch sight of yellow and orange spray erupting from the fissure two or three kilometres away, while reddish-tinged smoke drifted across the highway.

Reykjavik

It is a 45-minute drive from Keflavík to Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital and largest city. Of course, like any good rural Canadian east-coaster, our first stop in the big city was Costco. Between Costco, local grocery chains Bónus and Hagkaup (one of the few places to buy plastic travel coolers), and an outdoor gear store named Fjallakofinn, we stocked up on snacks, supplies, and camping gear we couldn’t bring, such as fuel canisters.

By 1:00 PM, we had finished our errands and had the full day ahead of us, but little sleep from the night before. We decided to nap in the car until our Airbnb check-in at 3:00 PM. Not being a good sleeper—especially in a new place—Scott left the others in the parking lot to explore part of downtown before walking to the cozy, spacious Airbnb near the airport.

After checking in, we sorted our gear more efficiently, prepped snacks, and took much-needed showers and naps. Around supper time we woke, feeling refreshed, and decided to walk downtown to see the famous basaltic church, Hallgrímskirkja, along with the nearby Rainbow Road, and to find some food. As midnight approached, we noticed more and more people heading out to bars and pubs, often already carrying a drink in hand. We (sadly) had to turn in early, since our first big adventure awaited the next morning.