Known as the Land of Fire and Ice, Iceland is a country of superlatives, featuring some of the world’s most dramatic landscapes.
This is a country where ice fields stretch out towards the horizon, incredible glaciers carve their way into mountains, and geysers spew hot water and steam into the air. Indeed, Iceland is hard to beat when it comes to natural wonders.
If you’re thinking of visiting this incredible country, here are the top five things you should do.
Spot the Northern Lights
Definitely, one of the best things to do in Iceland is to spot the stunning Northern Lights. Also known as “Aurora Borealis”, this amazing spectacle of natural lights is due to a collision between some particles in the sun and the earth. Polar lights are usually green, although depending on the height at which the particles collide, the colours of the Northern Lights could vary.
The months between March and September are the best time to spot the Northern Lights, although you can also be lucky to see them any time during the night. If you have rented a car, head out to the towns and darker rural areas where the Northern Lights are visible. When the lights are very strong, you could catch them dancing overhead regardless of the light pollution from the towns.
There are also plenty of organised tours in Iceland where experienced guides take you to the best places to admire this spectacular show of lights. Some tours also include staying at unique accommodations, such as a glass igloo.
Visit the Westfjords Way
If you want to get off-the-beaten-track, rent a car in Iceland and drive through the Westfjords Way, a new autoroute located in the northwest part of the country.The Westfjords’ challenging driving conditions and remote location means that only a few travellers would venture there. But with the arrival of the new Westfjords Way, a 590-mile scenic route, more and more visitors are making their way into the region.
The Westfjords is a peninsula that juts out to Greenland. It’s considered the oldest corner of Iceland and home to some of the most breathtaking scenery. The new route makes the Westfjords accessible for only nine months of the year. Snow starts falling in November and will last until early March, which closes off many of the roads in the area.
Many of the roads to the Westfjords are unpaved, so make sure you are prepared to drive under these conditions and that you have insurance to cover any damages caused to your rental car. Also, it’s worth noting that, like many of the driving routes in Iceland, distances between towns can be long, so make sure you stock up enough food and gas before you head out.
Chill at Diamond Beach
Visiting Diamond Beach is another great thing to do on your trip to Iceland. It’s located just across the Jökulsárlón Glacier lagoon, about 5 hours away from Reykjavík. If you’re visiting Jökulsárlón Glacier, this beach is worth a stop.
The Diamond Beach is called such due to the presence of the glistening icebergs that look like diamonds. These icebergs start off as huge blocks of ice that separated from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and dropped into the lagoon. When you search for the best places to see in Iceland, you’ll come across photos of the Jökulsárlón Glacier lagoon with the neighbouring Diamond Beach beside it.
The icebergs that float in the lagoon produce different shades of colour, from bright white to deep blue and brilliant turquoise. They will melt slowly as they make their way into the ocean. But before reaching the Atlantic Ocean, they would stop at Diamond Beach. Chilling out by the beach and seeing these sparkling icebergs is a truly wonderful experience.
Road Trip the Golden Circle
Iceland’s Golden Circle is the most popular tourist trail in the country. For any first-time visitor to Iceland, road tripping along the Golden Circle should be on top of your list. The route will take you to three of the country’s most impressive sites, a geothermal geyser, a waterfall, and a national park. Before you start with your journey, make sure you come prepared. When renting a luxury car whilst in Iceland, definitely choose a 4×4 vehicle. These vehicles are designed to provide added traction, making them suitable for Iceland’s tough road conditions.
The Golden Circle will pass through the Thingvellir National Park, Haukadalur Geothermal Field, and Gullfoss Waterfall. You will start in Reykjavik and complete a loop to visit the three famous sites before returning to the capital. Along the way, you’ll come across stunning natural landscapes, impressive vistas, thundering waterfalls, and explosive geothermal geysers.
Driving through the Golden Circle is an epic road trip and one you will never forget. You can also extend your journey to explore nearby attractions that are not part of the famous route. These include natural hot springs, crater lakes, and more.
See the Biggest European Glacier
Your trip to Iceland won’t be complete without seeing the Vatnajokull glacier, considered the largest glacier in Europe. It makes up 80% of Iceland’s landmass with several stunning ice caves. Because of its enormous size, some parts of it are visited on several self-drive tours in Iceland.
The Vatnajokull glacier is a central feature of the Vatnajökull National Park in the southwest part of the country. It’s a popular spot for outdoor activities, such as ice carving, glacier hiking from Skaftafell and boat tours at the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Vatnajökull has a surface area of about 8,100 sq. km, although it’s rapidly shrinking because of climate change. It’s more than a kilometre deep in some parts, and the average thickness is around half a kilometre.
There are 30 outlet glaciers in Vatnajökull, which are channels of ice flowing from the ice caps but remain stuck on the sides of the valley. Several rivers run out of Vatnajökull, making up one of Iceland’s most incredible glacial rivers, which include the Skjálfandafljót in the north and Hornafjarðarfljót in the south.
Images courtesy of unsplash.com
