For such a small country, Iceland has so many fantastic places to explore. Iceland is home to waterfalls, beaches, glaciers, fjords, national parks, northern lights, thermal hot springs and so much more.

The Golden Circle is arguably the most popular drive in Iceland. The route takes you from Reykjavik to central Iceland covering about 300km in a day trip. Stops along this road trip include Silfra in Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and Strokkur Geyser.

While you should definitely drive the Golden Circle to experience the wonderful sights and diversity of Iceland, we also recommend that you also give the South Coast a try!

In fact, the sights along the South Coast are what initially attracted us to Iceland. Here are some of our favorite stop along the way.

Skaftafell National Park

A short 1.4km hike will lead you to this this hidden gem. A beautiful waterfall pouring over lava stacks.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

The Glacier Lagoon was the furthest stop south on our trip and well worth the drive. As the glaciers melt, large chucks break off and wash ashore on to a black sand beach. Depending on the time of year and weather conditions, you can take a zodiak boat into the middle of the lagoon to get a better look.

Svínfellsfjökull Glacier

Get up close and personal with the Svínfellsfjökull Glacier. After a short walk, you can sit on the edge of the cliff and admire the beauty of the this massive glacier. The landscape is ever changing so each trip to this spot will offer a unique view.

Dyrhólaey Puffin Cliffs/ Black sand beaches of Mýrdalssandur

This stop has a few sights in one. First check out the black sand beach at the bottom of this hill. Then drive up to the top to the light house. From there you can see beaches and cliffs as far as they eye can see. Depending on the time of year, you can also catch a glimpse of Puffins.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Only an hour and a half south of Reykyjavik, Seljalandsfoss provides a unique opportunity to see behind the waterfall. As magnificent as it is from the front, there is nothing like seeing this beauty from a different perspective. Make sure to wear water proof clothing as you are sure to get wet.