Travel
From speeding over black sand beaches to walking behind waterfalls, descending into volcanoes, hiking on glaciers or driving across the wild Highlands: read about our Iceland travels within.
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A View From The North: Sundlaug Showdown
Are new lagoons muddying the waters for our traditional swimming pools? If you’re tempted to get into hot water in the northern town of Akureyri, you have two quite different facilities to choose from. The first is Sundlaug Akureyrar: a classic Icelandic swimming pool complex. Run by…
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Raufarhöfn In Winter: The Prospect Of Tourism Without The Tourists
A midwinter journey far north reveals intriguing locations, stunning landscapes and blissful solitude Those of us who have travelled northwards to make this land our home would probably say it’s a pretty damn cool place to live. And Reykjavik revels in the…
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Come For The View, Stay For The Food: Laugarás Lagoon Opens On The Golden Circle
It’s no secret that, from east to west, Iceland is sprinkled with spa-like geothermal lagoons catering to every taste. Just a few weeks ago, the latest addition to the country’s lagoon flora opened its doors in the southern stretch of the island.…
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A Field Guide To Hardcore Birding: Life On The Vagrant Bird Watch
“Mosastelkur í Grindavík”, “Rísstarli, Fiskhjallar við garð”, “Höfn, Þorgeirslundur: kollgræningi”, “Vogsósar í Selvogi, ógreindur greipur”, “Reykjavík, við Stjórnarráðið: kúastarli”, “Barrþröstur í Tjarnarbyggð”. Six seemingly innocent messages, but after a quick read or translation, some of us might choke on our morning coffee,…
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Scientist, Just For One Day: Documenting Glacier And Coastal Changes At Katla Geopark
I’m an office rat. I love staring at my computer, typing words for people to read, and knowing my job doesn’t involve being responsible for anyone’s life. I love that, as I type this from my bed in my pyjamas, the quality…
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Into The Green Valley: Camping And Hiking In Þakgil
Ever since I first heard of Þakgil, it has been on my list. A campsite in a secluded canyon? In the highlands, yet so close to the Ring Road? Wait — did you say they have a dining area inside a cave?…
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Following The Weather North: Holiday Weekend In And Around Húsavík
When Verslunarmannahelgi, aka Merchant’s Weekend, aka the last public holiday before Christmas, rolled around in the beginning of August, I did what most Icelanders do that weekend: followed the weather and got the hell out of town. While the capital was drowning…
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Lesser-Known Bird Paradise: Cosplaying David Attenborough At Grímsey
I’m on a boat heading to an island few people have ever set foot on, and even fewer have heard of. Hundreds of clumsy puffins are flapping my way. I’m headed to Grímsey. Like many places in Iceland with identical names (my…
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Sniff Glue, Dodge Jail, Try Not To Die
A rookie’s guide to driving around Iceland The introduction of the automobile changed Iceland forever: from a near-untraversable wilderness into a land of asphalt terror. There are no trains, barely any buses, and almost no cycle lanes. So if you want to…
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Far From The Crowds: A Hike Through Ásbyrgi
For all its vast tracts of empty landscape, finding solitude in Iceland is becoming harder and harder — particularly at the height of the summer tourism season. Many people are drawn here to seek a reckoning with nature via the country’s jaw-dropping…
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Surrendering To Strandir: The Edge Of The World Has A Pool
The Strandir region doesn’t give up its secrets easily. Maybe it’s the geography — so remote that stories take longer to travel. Maybe it’s just the way things work out here. Somewhere between the silence and the sea spray lies Trékyllisvík, a…
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A Story To Tell: Hidden Tales Of Djúpavík
“My sister and I went to school on the opposite side of the mountain,” says Héðinn Birnir Ásbjörnsson, pointing across the fjord. “When the roads closed in October or November, we stayed there for a week. In the first years, we had…
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The Great Lake: Mývatn Comes At You Fast
It’s a rain-soaked afternoon in north Iceland when we crest a hill and see the green-grey waters of Mývatn slide into view. Misty and indistinct through the drizzle and the fast-moving wipers, the lake is hypnotic as we roll down a slick…
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A Bird On A Stand Is Worth Two In The Bush
A visit to Iceland’s premier bird museum Ask any tourist to Iceland which bird they’re most looking forward to seeing on their visit, and the answer will be near-universal: the puffin. Those greedy, adorable little fucks have been front-and-centre of every travel…
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Totally In Tents: Camping In Iceland Will Blow You Away
Camping in Iceland is a risk-reward gamble with a high ceiling and a low floor. You might find yourself sitting in the sun in a wild green valley, with gorgeous glacier views, and nicer bathrooms than your apartment. You may also find…
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The Summer Ring Road: Around Iceland In 12 Days
Route One is Iceland’s main highway. It circles the country over a distance of 1,321 km, rolling over mountain passes, undulating fjords, deep tunnels, and narrow roads hewn into the sheer coastline. Driving the Ring Road never gets old — under the…
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The Westman Islands Are A Taste Of The Old Iceland
That tourism has changed Icelandic culture is a truism — but it’s harder to say how. It’s subtle. You might notice it in the quality of an interaction, the weight of a glance, or the vibe in a room. Sometimes, you’ll feel…
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Not Falling For These Waterfalls
What our dear visitors really think of our most beloved waterfalls, according to Google Reviews One might think that Iceland’s natural beauty leaves everyone breathless, turning every trip around the country into a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But the truth is, there’s always a…
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Population 182, Plus Thousands Of Rocks
A quick visit to Petra’s Stone Collection in Stöðvarfjörður The Eastfjords might still be the most remote and least accessible part of Iceland — but their quiet charm, tiny fjordside towns, and sense of deep stillness are well worth the long drive.…
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Four-Wheel Drive And Ready To Thrive
We took Midgard Adventure’s Super Jeep tour in Þórsmörk I’m standing in the sun at 7:45 outside of Hagkaup as I’m picked up by Ragnar “Raggi” Jónsson. Today, we are headed to Þórsmörk for a Midgard Adventure Super Jeep tour, and Raggi…
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Flirting With The Wilderness At Hótel Kríunes
The grating shriek of a kría snaps me into reality. I look down at my bare feet on the lakeshore, where lupin shoots are bursting optimistically through the dirt. Tapping one with a toe sends a cloud of flies pirouetting outwards through…
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Clocked Out, Clipped In, And Climbing Mt. Esja
Testing Iceland’s first via ferrata One Thursday afternoon, I find myself balancing on a slippery rock somewhere on the outskirts of Reykjavík. One wrong move and, if it wasn’t for a safety harness, I’d be tumbling down this cliff, hoping for a…
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An Ode to Flateyri
The town across the tunnel from Ísafjörður is full of character, coffee, and culture There are many a “Population: 200” town in Iceland. But I’d venture to say that Flateyri is particular in how often that point pops up in conversation. Whether…