Iceland

One of my favorite trips was a tour around southern Iceland….a land of many natural wonders, including lava fields, glaciers, waterfalls and fjords. If you’re looking for a destination that offers lots of natural beauty, and a bit of uniqueness, this is the trip for you. I loved it so much that I’m planning a quick stopover this coming May to the Sky Lagoon en route to the Faroe Islands.

Here are some interesting facts about the country that I learned during my tour:

1. The name “Iceland” is deceptive. Iceland itself is very green, but Greenland is predominantly ice. Our local tour guide told us that many people believe Iceland was named so by the Vikings in order to deter any other people from inhabiting the island. The Vikings knew they found a gem.
2. Temperature is moderate all year round and rarely goes below freezing. This is due to the gulf stream since Iceland doesn’t have any direct land mass to its south. A straight line drawn south would bring you to Antarctica, in a completely different hemisphere.
3. During the summer months, Iceland has almost 24 hours of daylight. The residents are out golfing and enjoying outdoor activities at 4:00 am in the morning during this time since they had all winter to energize. Conversely, in the long winter months with limited daylight, the locals adjust their work schedules to the daylight hours.

Here are the highlights of my southern Iceland tour:

The tour company was Collette. I’ve traveled with them a few times and they have their act together. The local tour guides are knowledgeable and attentive. Escorted tours are my favorite way to travel in many non-U.S. destinations since the tour company takes care of everything. I research the heck out of my trips, and once I figure out what I’d like to do, I connect with a tour company. I just need to show up and everything else is taken care of by the tour company. I traveled to Iceland in November in order to have a better chance to see the Aurora Borealis. Weather-wise, you can expect to see rain, snow and sunshine in one day. As the locals say, “if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.”

Hotels were decent and clean. I stayed at the Fosshotel in Reykjavik and Hotel Katla Hofdabrekka in Vik. The hotel in Vik had amazing views. The great thing about southern Iceland is that you can travel by car to a lot of the infamous attractions and only have to change hotels a couple of times. I have yet to travel to the northern part of the island, as this is more of a summer destination given the condition of the roads during winter. Someday, someday.

I landed in Reykjavik from New York City, a short overnight flight (less than 6 hours). The capital city of Iceland is very close to the airport, and this was our home base for a few days at the start of the tour. The flight is so short in terms of European flights from New York City that Iceland built a hotel at the Blue Lagoon (more on this later) to better enable long weekend trips for the U.S. tourists. A walking tour of the old town is a must, and Hallgrimskirkja Church is not to be missed. It’s the largest church in Iceland with magnificent architecture. There’s a large statue of Norse explorer Leif Erikson in front of the church, which was a gift from the U.S. many years ago.

From Reykjavik, we started our journey the next day just before sunrise along the Golden Circle, a route that encompasses some of Iceland’s well-known natural wonders. Starting before sunrise sounds nuts, but it was worth it to be in Thingvellir National Park as the sun rose. Icelanders gathered here in A.D. 930 to establish one of the world’s first parliaments. You can find geothermal fields in the park. It was a stunning park.

Gullfoss waterfall is a stunning waterfall that has a 100-foot double drop. As we continued to travel along the Golden Circle, we spotted plenty of waterfalls and Icelandic horses, with their tiny trademark legs. The country is so concerned about protecting its wildlife that Iceland doesn’t allow a horse back into the country once it leaves. The country does this to preserve the breed.

The end of the first day brought us to Vik, the southernmost village in Iceland. It’s truly a stunning village with beaches, cliffs, mountains and valleys. I absolutely loved this area of Iceland.

We started our second day with a trip to the Volcano Visitor Centre, which was quite interesting. Here, you can learn about a family’s struggle to live during and following the 2010 explosion of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Our next stop was the Reynisfjara black volcanic sand beach, which is surrounded by basalt formations, as well as cliffs with caves. This was my absolute favorite part of the trip. While Maui has some black sand beaches, nothing compares to this beach in Iceland. The sheer force of the water coming upon black sand is something to behold. Swimming is never allowed at the beach due to sneaker waves, which can pull someone under and away in a matter of seconds. Our tour guide told me that this is the day she dreads every tour since she’s a nervous wreck trying to ensure that everyone on her tour is following the rules and staying very, very far away from the water.

We continued our travels along the Golden Circle to the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon with its floating icebergs, and then ended the day in Vatnajokull National Park. Both of these sites were worth the visit.

Our final full day was spent at the Blue Lagoon. It’s worth the hype, although it’s a very structured affair. You must reserve in advance if you plan on visiting since it’s one of Iceland’s most popular attractions. The mineral-rich waters of the geothermal pool have varied temperatures as you move around the lagoon. I was treated to a free facial mud scrub as part of the admission cost. I loved every minute.

Our tour group chased the northern lights every night, although we never truly witnessed the vibrant colors. It looked milky white in the sky, but I was able to capture some greens via my camera. Honestly, I had better viewing of the northern lights in Northeast U.S. over the past few years. One evening, I was sitting at the front of the bus en route to our viewing area, which needs to be pitch black. We spotted an Arctic fox running in front of our bus headlights. It was a beautiful animal, but I didn’t realize how lucky we were to spot one until our tour guide told me that they were challenging to see due to their elusiveness.

Is Iceland for you? I recommend it to anyone who wants a taste of something unique, and truly appreciates nature’s beauty. Iceland was an unforgettable trip for me, and I hope it’s one for you.