The south of Iceland

But before you start there, the first highlight on the way from Keflavík to Reykjavík is the famous Blue Lagoon. Either you take a bath in the hot water here or you visit the impressive infinity pool of the Sky Lagoon in Kópavogur.

You should take a day or two for the capital itself, our blog post lists the must sees from Hallgrímskirkja to the boutiques and design scene on Laugarvegur to the Harpa concert hall and the hip Old Port with its restaurants, galleries, bars and museums.

Once you've explored the capital, head north off the ring road for a few miles and then turn east onto the Golden Circle at Mosfellsbaer. A few kilometers later, Thingvellir National Park awaits you with its wide chasms. There you can hike along Lake Thingvallavatn, where the world's first parliament, the Althing, met more than 1,000 years ago, or go snorkeling or diving in the Silfra fissure

If you leave the national park and continue east, you will soon reach the namesake of all springs in the world, the geyser Strokkur. Be careful which way the wind is blowing so you don't get a scalding hot shower and then drive a few more kilometers to the golden waterfall Gullfoss.

Here there is more of a cold shower, but very often one or even more rainbows, which also gave the waterfall its name. The Golden Circle then takes you further south and over the ancient bishopric of Skálholt, where you can sample homemade cakes at the café next to the church.

If you have a little more time, then in Hvollsvöllur we strongly recommend you first visit the interactive Lava Center, where you can learn all about volcanoes and volcanic eruptions, and then take a short walk at Gluggafoss, north of the mighty glacial river Markarfljót.

You can reach this lesser-known, but still very beautiful waterfall via road 261 from Hvolsvöllur. In this area you will also find great holiday homes, some even with a view over wide farmland to the sea.

Seljalandsfoss is only a few kilometers as the crow flies to the south. What makes it so special is the opportunity to hike behind the waterfall and look through the veils of water to the wide plain of the Markarfljót.

You may remember the 1,651 meter high Eyjafjallajökull from the volcanic eruption in 2010: After the eruption of the stratovolcano under the glacier, its kilometer-high ash cloud brought air traffic between Europe and North America to a standstill for several days and its pronunciation caused newscasters to despair.

You can book a guided tour of the glacier or simply continue along the ring road on the south coast. Before you reach the next spectacular waterfall, you pass farms, high cliffs from which small rivulets tumble from time to time, and lava caves such as Rútshellir, which were once used as sheep shelters or pantries.

If you don't feel like blowing holes, then you better take your time and explore the region around Skógafoss. As well as the impressive waterfall, be sure to visit Skógar's local history museum, explore the turf houses and admire over 6,000 artefacts dating back to the Viking Age.

A wooden platform was built above Skógafoss, from which you have a breathtaking view over the majestic waterfall south to the Atlantic. From the platform, the trail takes you upstream, and while there are still some spectacular waterfalls in the next few miles, few visitors go further.

When you're back on the ring road to continue along the south coast, you might as well leave your jackets on. A few minutes after Skógar you will reach a parking lot on the right side of the road.

If you don't fancy planes, then after Skógar take the first left turn, heading north, and drive to the glacier tongue of Sólheimajökull. Here you can book a tour with a guide and crampons on the glacier or walk the paths to the glacier yourself.

Another 15 minutes' drive later, be sure to detour south on road 218 to the 120 meter high Dyrhólaey headland. From the top you have a breathtaking view of the Atlantic and a seemingly endless sandy beach that stretches from here almost to Skógár.

Thousands of seabirds, including Iceland's heraldic bird, the puffin, nest in the cliff's cavities, perch on the narrowest ledges and feed their offspring with fish from the sea. Dyrhólaey means "door hole", the name comes from the huge rock arch that the sea has carved out of the headland over thousands of years and through which even a daring pilot has piloted his small plane.

If you think you have a little time to breathe now, you're wrong. Again only a few kilometers further the black sandy beach of Reynisfjara is waiting for you. If the Dyrhólaey cliffs were too windy for you, then this beach might be a good option for a picnic. But pay close attention to how far the waves rush up onto the beach, lest you be caught off guard by the dangerous Atlantic waves! If you heed the danger signs, there's no better place to watch the Atlantic Ocean roar with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

As soon as you come from the parking lot onto the beach, Reynisfjall is on your left, a 340 m high tufa mountain that was created by a volcanic eruption under a glacier and around which seagulls circle with loud cries. The mighty basalt columns at the foot of the mountain and the cave Hálsanefshellir further to the east are particularly exciting and a great photo motif.

If you continue east on the ring road on the south coast, you will pass the village of Vík and then cross Mýrdalssandur, the alluvial plain of the 1,493 meter high Mýrdalsjökull, which is criss-crossed by many small watercourses.

If you are interested in this mysterious volcano and in a mystery series, why not stream Katla on Netflix before your trip. A large part was filmed in Vík and the surrounding area, and an eruption of Katla plays an important role.

Scientists believe this is one of the largest single-eruption lava flows in the world. The extent of the lava flow is about 580 square kilometers.

If you're traveling by jeep, you could drive from here along dirt roads to Landmannalaugar, or circumnavigate Mýrdalsjökull north to finally come back into populated areas near Gluggafoss. But be careful and well prepared, there are no gas stations, villages or shops in the mountainous area of Fjallabak National Park.

However, if you continue to take the ring road east, you will reach the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. There is a lot to see and do in the municipal area, whether you are interested in a hike above the village, waterfalls or basalt columns. Of course, the Fjadrárgljúfur gorge is particularly famous, which received worldwide attention through Justin Bieber's video "I'll show you" and has since experienced a boom in visitors.

This area became world famous when there was a volcanic eruption in Grímsvötn below Skeidarárjökull in 1996.

Coming from the west via the ring road, you can already see a forested area on a mountainside between glacier tongues in front of you: Skaftafell National Park, which is part of Vatnajökull National Park, the second largest national park in Europe.

If you have spent enough time in Skaftafell National Park and travel further east, you will pass glacier tongues of Vatnajöküll again and again. Short dead-end slopes lead to some, some with breathtaking picnic spots.

Jökulsárlón Lagoon has been part of Vatnajökull National Park for a few years. The basin in which the lagoon was formed was carved out by the glacial tongue of Breidamerkurjökull, part of Vatnajökull.

Depending on the current, some of them are then washed back onto the black lava sand beach, which lives up to its name "Diamond Beach", especially at sunrise, when the icebergs glisten in the sun.

The last stage in the south (approx. 80 km) runs mostly within sight of the glacier tongues that push themselves from the Vatnajökull plateau glacier into the foreland. And after you have passed a few farms, you will reach the coastal town of Höfn. Here you can stay, shop, refuel or simply dine on excellent fish and chips at the Hafnarbudin snack bar by the harbour.

Freshly strengthened, you should set out to explore the Vestrahorn area, about 7 kilometers east of Höfn. If you leave the car at the parking lot, you can hike to the sandy beach and admire the Vestrahorn mountain for free, if you want to continue by car, then you have to pay “entrance fee” for it.

You could also drive about 45 kilometers further east on the ring road and hike to the lighthouse on the Hvalnes peninsula to look out over the Atlantic from there. From here to Reykjavík it is exactly 500 kilometers on the ring road along the south coast - and perhaps this is the perfect place to review what you have experienced in the south of Iceland.