Five days is all it takes to fall in love with a country, when that country is Iceland…
Here’s why:
#1 The Golden Circle (Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss)
One of the most popular tourist attraction in Iceland, but that doesn’t mean it loses any of it’s appeal. The golden circle describes a particular tourist route/road that takes you to 3 major sights. There are lots of tour companies that do the route or you can hire a car and go your own way. We went with the large local tour operator (and airport transfer company) Reykjavik Excursions.
Our first stop was Thingvellir (spelled Þingvellir – that’s the letter Thorn), a national park founded to protect the site of Iceland’s first parliament, but includes a significant site of the boundary of the American and Eurasian tectonic plates. You see clearly visible the crack in the Earth where the plates meet. It is also located just north of the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Next was Geysir, the site of natural hot (200 degrees celcius) spring and geyser that erupts about every 10 minutes.
Lastly for the Golden Circle was the Gullfoss waterfall, an awesome feat of nature and a beautiful sight.
#2 The water
The water in Iceland is natural volcanic rock filtered water. The stuff in the tap is basically Volvic, and it tastes great, which is lucky since a beer in Iceland will set you back around £8, or $10, so you’ll be drinking plenty of water.
Also of interest and related to the water is the energy usage in Iceland. Almost 100% of Iceland energy is renewable. This is largely because of their significant geothermal energy resource. Most houses in Iceland are heated just by taking the hot water out of the ground and putting it through radiators. In addition, the areas where the water is really hot are prime locations for geothermal electricity plants, where not water but steam comes out of the ground under pressure and turns turbines to produce electricity.
#3 Aurora Borealis
You can’t visit Iceland and not at least try and see the Northern Lights, and I must emphasis the word TRY. Know that the chance of seeing the Northern Lights is very luck based, depending heavily on among other things, the weather. Also bear in mind that a camera on a tripod with a long exposure will capture more than you can see with the naked eye. That being said, you cannot visit Iceland and not go hunting for the lights.
#4 The food
If you know anyone who knows anyone who has gone to Iceland, you will have heard that it is expensive. And while that is true if you’re looking for a cheap holiday, you do not have to spend much more to enjoy really high class food. Also, because of the high level of tourism, lots of dietary requirements are catered for, and my partner and I had no trouble finding food that was gluten free or vegetarian.
#5 Whale watching
As with the Northern Lights, you cannot visit Iceland and not try and go hunting for whales (strictly with your camera). There are a few companies that do whale watching excursions every day. As with the lights there’s a lot of luck involved, but we did manage to see some beautiful Ocean wildlife, even if it was the wrong time of year for the giant blue whales.
#6 Blue Lagoon and other hot springs
The Blue Lagoon is probably one of the most famous attractions in Iceland, and before going we had heard mixed reviews. On one hand it is expensive and has a lot of marketing hype, on the other it is an incredibly relaxing experience.
The Blue Lagoon itself is a happy accident, as the original structure there is a geothermal power plant. The steam from the ground powers the plant and when condensed back into (still warm) water, was piped out and back into the ground where it ran down through the porous volcanic rock. Due to the nature of the water and the minerals in it, the holes in the rock began to fill up, like limescale in the pipes, and warm mineral rich pools began to form. This became the Blue Lagoon spa.
The experience was incredibly relaxing and we left feeling completely at ease and body and soul regenerated, and thankfully with no pictures of me with a silica face mask on.
#7 The fact you can make it your own
Iceland is a country whose main attraction is it’s natural beauty. If you’re looking for a holiday where you can enjoy good food and relax, then a hotel in Reykjavik and a trip to the thermal spas is blissful. Or if you want a holiday filled with adventure then you can fly to Iceland and hire a car yourself, visit the less frequented hot springs, see the waterfalls that the tourists miss, and hunt for the Northern Lights. Iceland offers you the opportunity to experience it your way, and we will certainly be back chasing another different experience.