The Magic of Iceland
Having both glaciers and volcanoes, Iceland is considered the country of fire and ice. While it may be one of the coldest places I’ve visited, it’s currently the hottest destination on the map.
For the past several years, Iceland has been one of the trendiest places to visit. It seems like everyone has been there or is planning a trip to Iceland. But what is it that makes this tiny island so alluring?
As I mentioned, Iceland is nicknamed the country of fire and ice. Not many countries can claim to have both volcanoes and glaciers. Iceland not only has both, but it’s also known for its waterfalls, black sand beaches, rainbows, puffins and northern lights. So basically, it has a little bit of everything and that is why it’s so special. What’s fascinating about Iceland is that you’ll go from one extreme terrain to another in a matter of minutes. And just like the ever changing terrain, the weather is also unpredictable. As you may have heard, you will experience four seasons in one day. To be more accurate, you will experience four seasons in one hour. Nevertheless, even if you experience Iceland in the worst of weather, you’ll still return home anxious to book your next trip to Iceland.
GETTING THERE
One of the reasons Iceland has seen a surge of tourist is due to the country's major airline; Icelandair. Icelandair has been offering extended layovers in Reykjavik which helped lure tourists to this country. Iceland then introduced, Wow Air, a low cost airline that made flying to Reykavick easy, cheap and accessible from many cities around the world. I flew to Iceland using Wow Air, but unfortunately the airline has shut down operations and is not longer flying. With a little research, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a reasonable flight to Iceland.
Keflavík International Airport is located 40 minutes outside of Reykjavik’s city center, and conveniently located only 20 minutes from The Blue Lagoon, making that the perfect first or last stop of your Iceland trip.
GETTING AROUND
Renting a car is crucial in Iceland if you are not on a guided tour. Driving is easy and renting a car is not overly expensive. Other than convenience and freedom to travel at your own pace, renting a car allows to stop and get a quick photo of all the beautiful scenery along your drive. We were constantly pulling off onto the side of the road to take a photo of a waterfall or a cute Icelandic horse. We were not the only people doing this. Often we would see several cars parked on the side of the road getting their photos.
When you fill up your tank at the gas station you will need to have a card with a PIN number. That meant I couldn’t use my credit card at the gas stations. Instead, I always had to use my debit card. If you want to use a credit card, you will have to pay inside the service station. Alternatively, you can buy a prepaid gas card. After coming home from Iceland, I read that Diesel gasoline pumps have black handles and regular gasoline pumps have green handles. Good to know!
COSTS
Before I went to Iceland I heard horror stories about how expensive it is. People spent more than $30 for one personal pizza. Hotels broke the bank. I was told to buy duty free alcohol before boarding my flight because alcohol is extremely expensive in Iceland. We somehow managed to do Iceland rather cheaply. It’s true, food can be costly but for lunch we found great sandwiches at the gas stations. Bonus, an inexpensive grocery store, can be found throughout the country so you can pack your own food for lunches and even dinners. We stayed at Airbnbs that cost around $100 per night for two people (we were there in March so NOT during high season). Since most of your time in Iceland will be visiting nature, there’s usually no admission price to visit these sights. Reykjavik is the most expensive city in Iceland, but most likely you aren’t going to be spending much time there anyway.
MOTHER NATURE
We visited Iceland in March and although I knew it would be cold, I wasn’t prepared for the wrath of Mother Nature. When we arrived at our first Airbnb in Reykjavik, the hostess warned us to be careful when we went to Vík because “we could be taken by the sea”. At the time we found that somewhat amusing. We didn’t understand what she meant until we experienced the elements on our first day. Suddenly we learned we could be taken by anything in Iceland and we also learned that it would be a cold vacation.
Iceland is wild and bare and without any restrictions. You’re on your own in this country and at any moment Mother Nature can show its fury. My best advice to travelers is to be careful, vigilant and responsible when traveling through Iceland, especially during the colder months. The sea can take you, the wind can take you, and the cliffs can take you. I do not want to scare you but I do want to prepare you for the elements. With that being said, let’s discover all the cool places you can visit….
TOP SIGHTS
I didn’t get to see as much of Iceland as I had hoped. Although it looks small on the map, it takes longer than it seems to drive from one destination to another. If you want to see most of the island, you need at least two weeks, if not more. I never made it to Northern Iceland so my top sights will be confined only to the south, east and west.
The Golden Circle
Gullfoss Waterfall. Our first few days in Iceland were very cold with some snow
We took a day trip here from Reykjavik. It took about two hours to get there and it has many awesome sights to visit. The top two places to see in this area are Gullfoss Waterfall and Geysir.
Gullfoss Waterfall - meaning Golden Waterfall, this is one of the main attractions in Iceland. I was there in March so it wasn’t too crowded but I would imagine it’s a different scenario during the summer months. However, the waterfall is rather large so there are several different areas for photos. If this if your first stop in Iceland, like it was ours, you’ll be in awe of the size and force of this waterfall.
Geysir- a geothermal area in the Golden Circle with hot springs, active geysers and boiling mud pits. The English word geyser comes from this Icelandic word. The day we visited Geysir it was cold, wet and windy but I still found this spot extremely impressive. I had never seen a geyser nor bubbling hot springs. The main geyser, Strokkur spouts water every few minutes. You watch anxiously, camera ready, waiting for the geyser to spit up water 30 meters into the air. It was worth the wait and anticipation.
Bruarfoss - although this is in the vicinity of the Golden Circle, we visited Bruarfoss later in our trip. What’s nice about Bruarfoss is that it’s not too touristy (probably because it’s harder to get to). Unlike a lot of the other waterfalls which are a short detour from the road, it took about 1 hour of walking through thick shrubbery and a lot of mud to get to this waterfall from the parking lot. If you go, plan a few hours to visit this beautiful spot.
Other Attractions
Rekyajavik - You’re going to fly into the capital so it’s worth it to spend a day or two there seeing a few of its famous sights. The Opera House is a modern glass concert hall and is home to the orchestra and symphony. The Sun Voyager is a steel sculpture alongside the sea. Hallgrimskirkja is the modern cathedral in city center. You can take an elevator to the top to get a view of the colorful houses below.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall - the Icelandic word for waterfall is “foss” so you’ll notice all waterfalls end with “foss”. Seljalandsfoss is an easy waterfall to visit since it’s right off the road. We stopped here on our way from Reykjavik to Vík. The great thing about this 65 meter waterfall is that you can walk behind it and get a totally different perspective. The sound of the water crashing down is loud and intimidating. You will get soaked walking behind it so wear water resistant clothing if possible.
Gljúfrabúi Waterfall- down the patch from Seljanlandsfoss, you will come to Gljúfrabúi Waterfall which definitely was my favorite waterfall in all of Iceland. Whereas you can walk behind Seljanlandsfoss, here you can walk into Gljúfrabúi. It’s almost located in a cave which you can access by either wading through cold water and entering from the front (which I did) or climbing the rocks on the side and entering there. Either way, standing inside this cave and in front of this waterfall is an awesome experience. Don’t miss it!
Skógafoss- Another famous waterfall that’s easily accessible from the ring rode. It’s 60 meters high and has a platform you can climb for better viewing and photos.
Vik- this is the southernmost village in Iceland located along the ring road. It was the perfect stopping point on our drive from Reykjavik to Vatnajökull National Park. The town has hotels, Airbnbs and Guesthouses as well as a few restaurants and one grocery store. It’s also a good place to get gas if you are driving all the way to the glacier.
Vík is known for its black sand beaches with stacks of basalt rocks and columns in the middle of the ocean. According to folklore, these columns are former trolls who tried to drag their boats out to sea only to be caught by the rising dawn. The sea around these basalt stacks is rather wild and stormy, so it’s no wonder the trolls were unsuccessful in getting their boat out. It is here that our Airbnb hostess warned us “the sea can take us” and suddenly it all made sense.
While in Vík, make sure to drive to the light house where you can get views of Dyrhólaey (a 120 meters high rock column in the ocean forming an impressive natural arch). In the summertime, this is also a place to spot puffins.
Jökulsárlón- a glacial lagoon, bordering Vatnajökull National Park in southeastern Iceland. It took about 5 hours to drive there from Vík (which included many stops for photos). Jökulsárlón’s blue water is dotted with icebergs from the surrounding Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, part of larger Vatnajökull Glacier. In winter, you can see hundreds of seals in the lagoon. Across the street is Diamond Beach, where The Glacier Lagoon flows through a short waterway into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving chunks of ice on a black sand beach. It makes for pretty cool photos.
Although it took a long time to drive to Jökulsárlón, the landscape from Vík to Jökulsárlón was awesome and ever changing. We didn’t stay in Jökulsárlón too long but it was still one of the highlights of the trips. However, you can book an ice climbing excursion at several of the glaciers in Iceland. I’ve never seen a glacier before and it was damn impressive. Also, the strength of the wind made for some hysterical photos and videos!
Kerið- is a volcanic crater lake in the South Iceland. It is close to the Golden Circle so it’s something you can add to the list when you’re in that area. The colors of the crater make it special. This is one of the few spots during our trip that we had to pay admission to see the crater.
Snaefellsnes - After Jökulsárlón, we drove back to Reykjavik, dropped off my sister at the airport and then made our way to Snaefellsnes Peninsula on the western coast of Iceland. Sneafellsnes Peninsula is known for its dramatic landscapes and puffin spotting during summer months. Instagram has made some of the sights on this peninsula famous, such as the black church in Arnastapi. It is a very somber looking church but oddly picturesque. This church stands alone only to compete with the rugged terrain. Further up the peninsula is Kirkjufell Mountain, which is said to be the most photographed mountain in Iceland. Although we didn’t find it too impressive in person, the photos do make it look spectacular. Kirkjufell, meaning church, is appropriately named since it resembles the top of a church. For the best photos, go to the waterfall next to the Kirkjufell. The waterfall in the forefront with the mountain in the background makes for a great photo.
You can see why Kirkjufell Mountain is the most photographed mountain in Iceland
HOT SPRINGS
One of my favorite things to do in Iceland was to discover secret hot springs. Unless you have a GPS with coordinates, they can be complicated to locate. It’s like a scavenger hunt, so think of it as a game. Good luck getting into, and especially out of, the hot springs on a cold day. Definitely a memorable and crazy experience!
Laugarvatn Fontana
If you prefer going to a facility for your geothermal experience, you have several options. We did the Blue Lagoon our first night in Iceland (you have to prebook) and we visited also visited Laugarvatn Fontana halfway through our trip. It was much less crowded than the Blue Lagoon and it has a pool, three hot tubs, a sauna and a restaurant. In addition, Laugarvatn Fontana sits on a lake so you can jump into the frigid lake and then run into a hot tub.
Bubble Hotel
We booked one night at the Bubble Hotel. It was pretty cool sleeping out in nature and having the trees be your ceiling. There are several bubbles on the hotel grounds but they’re all separated from one another so you definitely have your own space. There is a communal bathroom and kitchen area within walking distance from each bubble. Although each bubble is heated and comes with many blankets, it was still a bit cold for me.
Northern Lights
If you’re lucky enough to see the Northern Lights it will be one of the most magical experiences of your trip. The lights literally dance around the sky, changing colors and patterns continuously. The best time to see the Northern Lights is between September through March, but even then it’s not guaranteed they will appear while you’re in Iceland. I’ll cross my fingers that you’ll get to see them on your trip to Iceland.
FOOD
Fermented Shark and Rotten Whale are some of Iceland’s national dishes. I stuck with their traditional Skyr yogurt instead, which really is thick and delicious. Iceland is also known to have wonderful ice cream, but in 40 degree weather it just didn’t appeal to me. I did enjoy the bakeries and coffee shops of Reykjavik, especially the funky and small Braud Co. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see graffiti on the outside and a line on the inside. Everything I sampled from this hipster bakery was delicious. Another great spot is Sandholt Bakery. They have a bigger selection with everything from breakfast to sandwiches, breads, pastries, cakes and chocolates. Neither of these bakeries were cheap but they’re worth the splurge if bakeries are your thing (they are mine). My only souvenir from Iceland was a loaf of dense bread from Sandlholt Bakery!
The hot water in Reykjavik smells like sulfur but it’s safe to drink and bathe in. However, the cold water did not smell of sulfur. Iceland claims to have the cleanest tap water since it’s sourced from their springs so don’t bothering buying bottled water in Iceland. As we learned, even the bottled water comes from the tap. In fact, when we tried to buy bottled water at the gas station, the clerk told us not to waste our money since it’s the same as filling up your bottle from the faucet. I liked his honesty!
CLOTHING
Pack all your winter clothes and then add another coat. You definitely need layers on this trip. Not layers to take off but layers to keep you warm. I was there in late March and I wore thermals with wool leggings and a wool sweater over the thermals. I wore sweaters, wool socks, a coat, gloves, hat, scarf, hood over my hat and boots up to my knees. The most important thing I packed were my wool-lined Pajar boots that kept my feet warm and dry. Walking through waterfalls, mud, rocks and dirt, I never had any complaints about cold or hurting feet. My sister also had a pair of the same boots. The Pajar boots were a life saver!
After packing so much wool, you could easily forget to pack a swimsuit but it’s essential for all the hot springs and thermal spas. We even brought our own towels with us so we could jump into any natural hot spring on the side of the road.
FITNESS
I cam prepared with a suitcase full of cold weather running gear. I was ready to take on the streets of Iceland as I normally do while traveling but Iceland had different plans. I came from Florida and running in these temperatures was impossible for me. This was the first trip where I did not work out. We did do some hiking but other than that, I mainly sat in the car sightseeing. I wish I had been there with warmer temperatures because running in Iceland seems epic. The scenery is unbelievable and there are not many cars on the road, so you have the whole country to yourself! I know Reykjavik has some gyms but we weren’t in the city long enough for me to go. And I’m sure you can find a Crossfit gym! After all, the Icelandic women frequently win the Crossfit games!
I’m looking forward to returning to Iceland and seeing everything I missed during my first trip. If you like nature and adventure, you’ll fall in love with Iceland. In some parts of the country you’ll feel like you're on a different planet due to the strange landscape. If you go in the winter you’ll hopefully get to experience the magic of the Northern Lights. If you’re there in summer you’ll have the long days and puffins to spot. But no matter when you go, it’s sure to live up to its expectations.
An Icelandic horse is much smaller than a normal horse
QUICK FACTS
Population: around 334,500
Language: Icelandic but most people also speak English
Capital: Reykjavik
Currency: Icelandic Króna
Electrical Voltage: 220V; European two-pin plugs
Driving: Drive on the right side of the road
Vaccinations: No vaccinations required
Visa: No visa needed for travelers coming from USA, Canada and UK. All other passport holders should check to see if they need a visa
Time: GMT all year (+5 from NYC)
Phone: I was able to get service throughout the country
Alcohol: grocery stores do not sell alcohol. You must buy it at liquor stores.