Our final sight on the Snæfellsnes peninsula was the famous Kirkjufell Mountain, which was shaped like a witch’s hat. The steep green slopes rose from a little peninsula that jutted into the sea. 

As we drove east the mountain seemed to morph into a pointier shape, so we pulled over to soak it all in. We decided to set off on a stroll that took us parallel to the mountain and offered some beautiful reflections in the sea.

The sun began to pop out again, casting a golden light across the mountain and it ended up being a very slow-paced walk as we kept stopping to take photos. 

Along the way, we wound up at the location for Iceland’s most famous photo. It was two waterfalls tumbling down a ledge with Kirkjufell mountain in the background. The image is often used as a promotional photo to bring tourists to the country, sometimes with the northern lights dancing in the sky. I guess the advertising campaigns worked pretty well…

After our walk, we re-parked the camper van in a position where our back doors opened up to reveal the mountain. It was rather impressive, and a fine spot to cook and eat our budget dinner of boiled potatoes, butter and baked beans. Ironically it’s one of my favourite comfort meals, but back home we have either mashed potato or jacket potatoes, lashings of butter, baked beans and then a pile of grated cheddar cheese. 

Our camper van didn’t have a masher, or an oven, so boiled potatoes it was. We finished the dish with a cheeky slice of plastic burger cheese to try and fool our taste buds. 

It always makes us laugh how people pay so much money to eat in fancy restaurants with a good view, yet we had a million-dollar view for free. Although I suppose you could say the meal wasn’t quite Michelin star, but it was a close runner-up after a full day of exploring. 

Once we’d finished eating, we washed up the dishes and set off on a post-dinner stroll where we discovered a stunning spot along the bay where the water was so calm it had perfectly mirrored the mountain. 

I could have spent all night gawping at that peak, but we needed to find a place to camp before sunset so we reluctantly hit the road. As we drove around a bend, we saw Kirkjufell across the sea, with clouds wrapped around the summit. 

After a very scenic drive through the middle of the peninsula, we found a good spot to sleep for the night. 

I couldn’t help but feel like we’d soaked in the hot spring at the wrong time – it would have been more rewarding to relax in them after a long day sightseeing. Saying that I don’t think I’d of been brave enough to step into that creepy well after the sun had gone down. 

For our final day in Iceland we woke to clear blue skies, which felt a little strange to be honest – we really lucked out with the weather on the trip. 

So, we set off on a stunning drive back towards the Reykjanes Peninsular. The route took us along a beautiful, calm fjord, where the water looked so inviting and blue. 

I had a spot marked on my map where two whaling ships had been sunk by an anti-whaling organisation in the 1980s. After the sinking they were towed to shore where they still remain today. 

They were much bigger than the single shipwreck Craig had climbed up the day before. We weren’t allowed to climb these ones, but even if we could I don’t know how you’d get up such a steep-sided ship. It would have been fascinating to explore the rooms onboard though. 

Later that day we set off on a hike to a waterfall that used to be a hidden gem, but influencers shared the spot, boasting of it being a truly peaceful place. Sadly, that wasn’t the case anymore, and there were lots of people on the trail, including many families with kids. 

The walk was lovely though, involving a river crossing where we balanced across a strategically positioned log, and then an uphill climb alongside the edge of a gorge. Waterfalls gushed down the cliffs, and seagulls swirled below us. 

To make the hike a loop, we had to cross the river again at the top of the waterfalls. It was much shallower than the first crossing, only up to our knees, but it was wide so it took quite some time to cross. Luckily I’d researched the hike beforehand and brought along some flip flops to wear which helped us navigate the sharp rocks and ice-cold water. 

Once we made it to the other side, we laid on the grassy bank while our feet dried off. It was quite entertaining watching everyone navigate the river crossing, but what really shocked us was how many parents didn’t hold their kids hands. One little boy began screaming in pain and the dad reluctantly walked back to help him, but it wouldn’t of taken much for a kid to slip and get carried down the river before plummeting a couple hundred meters over the edge. 

The rest of the hike was easygoing, with great views down the the gorge, and before we knew it we were back in the car park and hitting the road. 

It was an uneventful drive past Reykjavik, stopping at some interesting red hills and volcanic cones before going full circle and returning to our favourite hot spring and mud pool to relax for a couple of hours. 

We took the scenic route back to the airport, passing the village of Grindavik that’s surrounded by black lava. We stopped in a carpark to see a photo display showing one of the biggest volcanic eruptions that breached the defence walls of the village and caused everyone to evacuate. 

The volcano we’d seen a mere 10 days before was no longer erupting, in fact after it being active for a few weeks we happened to see it on the final night of its activity. 

Iceland ended up exceeding our expectations, the eruption definitely helped, but we still had an incredible time and saw so many otherworldly sights across the country.