Iceland- The Unique Experience

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This small island with a surface area of 100,000 km² and with 350,000 inhabitants in the North Atlantic, just below the Arctic Circle, has so much to offer. Due to its northern position, it has glaciers but Golf current keeps it from freezing all over. Two-thirds of central Iceland is covered with tundra and glaciers. Vegetation is only by the sea. It is set on the border between the Eurasian and North American Plates. This is the reason for the great volcanic and geothermal activity on the island. The people, of Scandinavian origin, enjoy one of the greatest places to live by many indexes. 

Basics Of Iceland

However, these pieces of data do not tell you anything about real reasons to visit this country. If I had to pick one word for why you should visit Iceland it would be NATURE. 

So let’s start from the beginning. Almost certainly you will enter the country through Reykjavik international airport, Keflavik. The best prices you can find at EasyJet, Wizzair, Norwegian, or Icelandair. Rarely you could choose a ferry from Denmark or Feroe islands, but this can be pricey.

Picking a season to visit this place is an important decision. Winter is for those that are not annoyed by cold, enjoy the snow and connected activities. Daylight and movement will be limited. But this is the best time to see the aurora borealis/northern lights. During summer, temperatures are moderate, daylight is 24/7 and you can visit almost all the places, except some glaciers that are melting.

Movement around Iceland isn’t the easiest. Public transport is almost non-existent. I would suggest renting a 4X4 and driving yourself around. However, if you are planning to go into the central area or travel in the wintertime, I suggest you hire a driver. Road 1- aka Ring Road, is 1300 km, paved with asphalt, and is the circular road around Iceland. It is a double lane road, but smaller bridges are single lane. The speed limit is 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph) outside cities. For a more adventurous, Öxi shortcut road can be a nice experience. If you are an enthusiastic cyclist that could be a good alternative, while traffic outside the capital is scarce. 

Accommodation is a bit of a challenge as well. With a low density of population, you can’t find a place to sleep around each corner. So you should plan it in advance. A good alternative is renting a camper. Keep in mind you can stay overnight just at campsites.

The food here is expensive as are other things. So, in a shop, you can buy something for a quick breakfast and dinner. Order the main meal at a local restaurant. Probably it will be lamb or fish. If you are in a camper you can cook your own food. As for alcohol, one can spend a fortune. Buy something at the airport and save.

Currency there is Iceland krona, you get around 140 of them for 1 US$. For me, all prices were 50% to 100% higher than back in Slovenia. You can withdraw some cash at the ATM, but most places will take debit and credit cards.

WHAT IS WORTH VISITING?

Now that you know the basics about the country you must decide what to see there. It all depends on how much time you will be staying there. For a few days, it is probably enough to visit the Gold Circle and capital or Diamond Road in the north. For a week or more I would suggest doing the whole Ring Road. Just driving around the island is a beautiful experience by itself. Landscape changes from black volcanic sand, to white glaciers and green pastures with sheep and Iceland small horses. Below are some of the most popular sights and activities you can stop over for.

Waterfalls

Iceland has an abundance of water from glaciers and with uneven terrain it has more than 10,000 waterfalls. After initial enthusiasm, by the end of the trip, you will have enough of cascading waters. Here are listed just the popular ones. Gullfoss would the most popular waterfall as it is part of the Golden Ring.

Seljalandsfoss is located in the south of Iceland, and stands at 65 meters high, with a path behind the waterfall. Next on the Ring Road worth visiting would be Skógafoss, also 65 meters. A bit further there is Svartifoss with black hexagonal basalt columns. In the east, you will find the Rjukandi waterfall that you can admire from the car park. Dettifoss is a bit off the Ring road, but as the most powerful waterfall in Europe, it is worth the detour. Godafoss is a horseshoe-shaped waterfall in the north. 

Glaciers

They cover 15% of the island but are shrinking because of global warming. More than half is Vatnajokull as the biggest glacier in the country and in Europe. During winter you can go ice climbing or explore ice caves. However, do so always in the company of experienced guides. During summer the best way to see glaciers is from a boat on Jokulsarlon, a glacier lake. From there pieces of ice that broke off swim into the sea and are washed on the black-sand shore of Diamond beach.

Geyser

Geothermal energy is used on the island as a renewable source of electricity and hot water. It enables greenhouses to grow bananas. Yet for tourists, Geysers are an interesting part in their own right. These water spouts got its name from Geysir, which is currently silent. Nearby there is Strokkur that erupts each 10 minutes around 10 meters high water columns. There are also some geysers in the north part close to lake Myvatn.

Hot springs

Another consequence of geothermal activity is hot springs and thermal baths. The most famous is the Blue Lagoon Spa close to Keflavik airport. But it is also overcrowded and expensive. Close to Geysir is ‘Secret Lagoon’. In the East, there are Vök Baths and in the North, there are Mývatn Nature Baths. Besides these commercial options, there are many free pools with hot water in many places. Ask locals about their location.

Northern lights

Aurora borealis is one of the greatest experiences one can have, watching dancing light in mostly green colours at a height of 100 kilometers. These are particles from the sun hitting gas atoms in the atmosphere. The best time to catch it would be during clear winter nights far away from cities, while you need a dark clear sky without light pollution.

Animals

Whale watching is an impressive boat excursion where you can see the biggest animals on the planet. The best place to do it would be Husavik in the North.

Bird watching is the next organized activity. Most famous are puffins, then you have ducks, goose, gulls, falcons and others.

Also, seal watching is possible in combination with the previous two activities. The northern part of the island during summer would be the best place and time to do it.

Riding Icelandic horses can be a nice option to explore the countryside. Horses are important in this land, with 80,000 of them it means there is a ratio of 1:4 with humans. They are small, strong, smart and they haven’t mixed with other horses for over 1.000 years. Most tours are organized from the capital, but they can be found anywhere.

Reykjavik

You will probably begin and end your visit to this country in its capital city, Reykjavik. Even this is no metropole. I suggest spending at least half of the day. Everything worth seeing is within walking distance. On your tour, one should stop at Hallgrímskirkja Church, with a 75-meter bell tower that offers a great view of the city.

Harpa Concert Hall in Old Harbor and the Sun Voyager sculpture should find a spot on your walk. Tjörnin pond with colorful banks and many birds is a good place to rest. If you like to taste new things you can try some fermented shark in the flea market Kolaportið with a shot of Brennivín.

So what to say to conclude? This is a location that is a must on the bucket list of each traveler. If it is just a short layover between Europe and States then just do the Gold Circle. But for full experience a week in summer with a camper would be a better option. You will be rewarded with great scenery just by observing from the car and even better activities each time you stop.

Tui Takes You There

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Check out their fantastic new feature and see how you can get to the beautiful winter wildness of Iceland