I came for the northern lights and left seeing so much more.
Kayla Becker/Travel + Leisure
I got the call at dusk the one that some visitors to Iceland never get.
This is exactly why Id come.
Credit:Kayla Becker/Travel + Leisure
Id heard that if youre a traveler with limited time, this was the place to make it count.
Its true that it’s possible for you to barely drive 30 minutes without seeing a natural wonder here.
Like many visitors to the South Coast, I started in Reykjavik.
Kayla Becker/Travel + Leisure
Just a few hours were all I needed to feel rejuvenated.
It’s one of the worlds 25 natural wonders, after all.
I continued down Route 1 to one of the most popular waterfalls in the area, Skogafoss.
Kayla Becker/Travel + Leisure
Had I planned an extended journey, I wouldve continued on one of the longer hikes at the top.
By now, the puffins had vacated the area, and gulls swarmed the sea caves.
Just miles past and minutes from the ocean was my final stop of the trip,Hotel Kria.
Kayla Becker/Travel + Leisure
Kayla Becker/Travel + Leisure
