The mighty Godafoss Waterfall (Image: NC)
Iceland’s cinematic landscapes are a bucket-list full of thundering waterfalls, gushing geysers and snow-capped volcanoes – and what better way to wind down from experiencing these once-in-a-lifetime wow-moments than sipping all-inclusive drinks while gazing out to sea, enjoying fine-dining dinner venues, then watching West End-style shows in a grand theatre? For my wife Deborah and me, the award-winning Saga Sapphire luxury cruise ship and its Wild About Iceland itinerary looked like the perfect package for experiencing the land of fire and ice. After witnessing the mighty forces that shape the earth, knowing there would always be a warm welcome back on board this boutique vessel made it doubly thrilling.
There are simply so many things to love about a Saga cruise – their whole sea programme is “no-fly” so there’s no faffing around at airports, and pretty much everything is included – meals, standard alcoholic drinks, tips, excursions, even the price of a car to and from the port. Their exciting, well-organised excursions make seeing the best of the sights a breeze.
Setting off from Dover along the Channel, then up across the Irish Sea via Dublin, Sapphire then sailed anti-clockwise around Iceland, stopping off for trips to its array of natural wonders, before returning to Kent via Holyhead.
One of the highlights was a spectacular excursion to the Golden Circle, a tourist route in southwest Iceland taking in three equally stunning locations.
The Thingvellir National Park, about 25 miles east of central Reykjavik, strides across the edge of two worlds – literally. An immense fissured rift valley caused by the meeting of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates with rivers and waterfalls, it’s the country’s first national park and, amazingly, its only Unesco World Heritage Site.
One of the best walks in the park runs between the edge of the North American plate where part of the wall has collapsed. Known as the Almannagja gorge, the whole valley has an alien feel with lava fields stretching wide across the dramatic landscape.
The park also has huge historical importance – it was where the world’s first democratic parliament was established in AD 930.
From here, we followed on to the Geysir Hot Spring Area, and although raining when we arrived, it didn’t put a dampener on seeing the boiling mud pits and more than a dozen hot water blow holes.
Aidan McGurran and his wife Deborah in Iceland (Image: NC)
Strokkur spouts water 100ft high every few minutes (Image: NC)
The most active geyser these days is the Strokkur, which spouts water about 100ft into the air every few minutes. We couldn’t resist joining in with the other tourists trying to predict the exact timing of the next eruption.
Next was the stunning Gullfoss falls. Known as the Golden Waterfall, it plunges down a series of cascades before reaching the deep gorge of the Hvita river.
Before the evening sail we managed to squeeze in a stop to the rotating domed Perlan building, which is not only a world-class museum, but offers amazing views over Reykjavik. After such adventures, it was a joy to return to the comfort of our luxury cabin aboard Sapphire, especially as it boasted an actual bath.
That evening we had a splendid three-course dinner in the Pole to Pole restaurant – the ship’s main dining room. For a more informal experience, the Verandah offers an excellent alternative.
In glorious sunshine the following morning, we sailed down the breathtaking fjord to the fishing village of Grundarfjorour.
The mountain range of Helgrindur, which rather unfairly means the Gates of Hell, forms the backdrop to the village, with waterfalls plunging down the hillsides.
We then took the intriguingly-titled Viking Sushi Adventure, a boat tour around the islands off the shore of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
The Saga Sapphire (Image: NC)
Puffins seen on a tour (Image: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
They are teeming with birdlife including puffins, black guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars.
Many of the islands also have extraordinary rock formations and basalt columns, which make great nesting places, and the boat got up close to give a bird’s eye view.
The sea here is full of marine life, which the crew demonstrated by throwing a large bucket overboard before yanking it back out minutes later when it was crammed full of sea creatures.
I am not a big fan of scallops but I couldn’t say no to the prospect of one served straight from the sea. Deborah was braver and went for a serving of sea urchin as well, which has a peachy flavour. Who knew? Back on board, we dined at East to West a fusion restaurant where the waiting staff performed a synchronised service. This is the only meal you have to pay extra for – but as a treat it is worth it.
We were joined by the Captain, Kim Tanner, who due to his mannered eccentricities, including keeping a pet parrot on the bridge, is a huge hit with passengers. We loved his rather unorthodox tannoy announcements, particularly his hilarious mispronunciation of every Icelandic name.
For the captain, crew and many repeat passengers, the imminent retirement of Sapphire – she sails for last time in March 2020 – was the cause of some sadness. But there was also a lot of excitement about her replacement – Spirit of Adventure. The slightly larger ship makes her maiden voyage next August. Many passengers have already booked.
The lights of Grundarfjorour come on in Iceland’s subarctic twilight (Image: Getty Images)
Later that night we headed out for whale watching under the midnight sun. On this four-hour mini-cruise around Reykjavik harbour, there’s usually the opportunity to spot 11 species of sea mammal. Sadly, the whales and dolphins weren’t out on the razzle when we were there, but we did witness an incredible sunset.
Between excursions and eating, passengers get the chance to meet celebrity guests. Earlier in the cruise TV presenter Ray Mears had given a series of talks and former Corrie star SeanWilson (Martin Platt) was a big hit with his cheesemaking insights.
There are plenty of traditional cruise activities too.We enjoyed an evening in the Britannia Lounge where the ship’s cast of singers and dancers put on a jukebox-style show to the music of Burt Bacharach.
As the opening notes of each classic were played we could see half the audience nod, murmuring: “Never knew he wrote this one as well.”
After docking at Siglufjorour the next day we took a lengthy coach trip, driving past almost lunar landscapes to the Myvatn Nature Baths. The geothermal water for the baths arrives at more than 120C centigrade, but is cooled to 36C when it reaches the lagoon. The healing waters are supposed to be good for the skin and spirit – if it hadn’t have been for the rigid schedule of the coach trip we would’ve floated about for hours.
Geothermally heated waters at Myvatn Nature Baths soothe body and soul (Image: Getty Images)
On the return leg we stopped at Godafoss -Waterfall of the Gods.
The last port of call was Seydisfjordur, a beautiful town boasting the best preserved collection of wooden buildings on the island.
And of course, no town here would be complete without a stunning set of falls. In this case The River Fjardara plummets over 25 waterfalls to reach the fjord – a dramatic finale to our epic Icelandic adventure.
GETTING THERE: Saga Cruises (0800 50 50 30/saga.co.uk) offer a similar itinerary to Greenland on Spirit of Discovery which includes visits to Reykjavik and Dublin and overnight stay in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Fares for the 21-night Greenland Explorer cruise departing from Dover on June 16, 2020 start at £5,856pp including chauffeur service within 250 miles, all onboard meals, selected drinks, gratuities and travel insurance (optional). Tourist info: visitgreenland.com, visiticeland.com, discoverireland.ie