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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Zen In The Trees
Iceland doesn’t have a lot of forest, but there’s a hidden gem in at least one of them Akureyri is being swept by a snowstorm. For a few hours on a night in late February, it feels like Iceland’s second-largest town has…
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Escaping The Grey At One Of Iceland’s Most Storied Greenhouses
On a mission to get lost in a lush wilderness under glass It’s one of the gloomiest days this December — just past noon, yet outside is as dark as if it were eight in the evening. It won’t get any brighter…
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36 hours in Akureyri: Whipping Through The Capital Of The North
Did you know that it was not until 1776 that the first residential house was built in Akureyri and in 1784 the population numbered a grand total of 12? Historical accounts say that efforts by the Danish king to improve the lives…
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Love at First Flight
Taking Flight on Iceland’s Mega Zipline Staring down a canyon and the valley beyond, strapped into a harness and hanging by a steel cable, I can’t help but wonder how I got here. The easy answer is a scheduling conflict, allowing me…
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Peace, Perfect Peace
Enjoying the semi-solitude of Fossvogur Cemetery There are few places one can go to be at once surrounded by people and also left entirely undisturbed. If one doesn’t mind that the people you’re surrounded by are not alive, then a cemetery is…
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A Haven For All
On Rebecca’s animal farm it’s pet, laugh, repeat Grapevine’s dusty work car pulls over at Hólar farm, just 17 kilometres away from Búðardalur in West Iceland, and is greeted by six dogs eagerly awaiting us on the driveway. I open the car…
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Bombs And Guns And Stuff
The recent resumption of fin whale hunting has drawn attention onto Hvalfjörður, the fjord near Reykjavík where the whaling station is located. The fjord is not, however, only known for this industry, but also for its role in Iceland’s involvement in World…
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A Rather Unsuccessful Fungi Foray
Lessons learned on the first foraging trip of the year Wild mushroom risotto, oyster mushroom tacos, chanterelle pie, porcini soup, stuffed portobello mushrooms… As the air turns more crisp and I spy a yellow leaf here and there, I know mushroom season…
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In Tune With Nature
Two days of hiking, pooling, horseback riding and more in Dalir Every time I spend too long in Reykjavík – whether it’s just a few days or a month, I’m in awe when I finally leave the city. Half an hour north…
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Rock, Rust And Road Trip Dust
Taking a long awaited trip up West “We’ll have to drive around a lot of fjords.” “Yup.” “That’s going to take a lot of time.” “I can download more music before we go.” “…can you get Bubbi?” “Of course I can.” One…
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A Rollercoaster Of Absurdity, Tragedy, Joy
Ragnar Kjartansson’s retrospective Epic Waste of Love and Understanding hits Denmark’s Louisiana Museum The fact that Denmark‘s biggest contemporary art museum is currently hosting a retrospective exhibition of artist Ragnar Kjartansson is simultaneously mind-boggling and almost incredibly banal. On one hand,…
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Treading Lightly Around Iceland
How to travel without a massive impact Is any travel technically eco-friendly? Nearly every aspect of our daily lives has an impact on the surrounding environment. That impact is multiplied when engaging in carbon-intensive transport through travel hubs that seem to be…
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How Do You Volcano?
The essential guide to visiting the Litli-Hrútur eruption It finally happened – again. The third volcanic eruption in three years, the Litli-Hrútur volcano continues to deliver. Following a series of earthquakes, on Monday July 10, magma ascended towards the surface in Reykjanes.…
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The Grapevine Guide To Spending A Rainy Day
They’re frequent enough, so may as well have a plan to get through them Summer. What is summer? After a few bright seasons spent in Iceland one learns that “heat” is a relative concept. Soon enough everyone becomes the sun-starved Icelander venturing…
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Echoes Of Heritage In Tálknafjörður
One of the oldest buildings in the Westfjords continues to thrive as a vibrant cultural hub With its large rainbow-coloured chimney, Cafe Dunhagi stands out against the grey and foggy landscape of Tálknafjörður, a fishing village in the southern Westfjords nicknamed Tálknó…
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Melting Giants: Exploring and reflecting on Iceland’s disappearing glaciers
If you’re visiting or living in Iceland, you should go on a glacier hike – as long as you still can. Because within the next 20 years Vatnajökull’s outlet glaciers will all have melted. But is this entirely true? What fascinates people…
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Taste Reykjavík On The Grapevine’s Signature Food Tour
There’s more to Icelandic cuisine than fermented shark and hotdogs. And there’s way more to it than the burgers and fries you’ll find in countless Reykjavík restaurants. That’s why the Reykjavík Grapevine enlisted friend, foodie and all around great person Ragnar Egilsson…
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Birdwatching With A Pro
Learning to “catch and release,” the birder’s way* I vividly remember the moment I met with friends after lockdown. Everyone was sharing their pandemic hobbies and, as you can imagine, there was a lot of sourdough and banana bread baked over those…
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Oh, To Be A Cowboy
Experiencing the unbridled joy of riding Icelandic horses Ah, Iceland — the land of dragons and frozen deserts, where you can experience snow and sunshine in the same day. And if you’re feeling adventurous, why not explore this mythical land on the…
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Krakkaveldi-approved travel destinations to plan your next adventure around
You’ve read the travel blogs, leafed through the latest Frommers and consulted an oracle. But did you ever think to ask a bunch of kids what areas to visit when in Iceland? We did it for you. Here’s where the Krakkaveldi kids…
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Take It From The Kids – Krakkaveldi-approved travel destinations to plan your next adventure around
You’ve read the travel blogs, leafed through the latest Frommers and consulted an oracle. But did you ever think to ask a bunch of kids what areas to visit when in Iceland? We did it for you. Here’s where the Krakkaveldi kids…
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A Cross-Country Comedy (a.k.a. Skiing)
We went to Ísafjörður to master cross-country skiing, but successfully failed There are a few things that don’t go together: pineapple and pizza, crying babies and airplanes, me and sports. I’ve always struggled to find a sport I could truly enjoy for…
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The Volcano Is Dead, Reykjanes Lives On
Who would have thought that the Reykjanes peninsula would become one of Iceland’s most visited places? Thousands of tourists streamed to the heart of the peninsula to witness practically back-to-back volcanic eruptions at Fagradalsfjall. The fascination was intense with the visitor-friendly, capital-adjacent…