south
Most read
Latest
-
Rescue Squad Frees Hiker
The rescue team in the South was called out on Saturday night when a report was received from a hiker who got stuck in the mountains south of Mýrdalsjökull. [su_pullquote]If you appreciate our journalism, join our High Five Club. As well as…
-
Geothermal Beer: Hveragerði’s Ölverk Brew Pub Is A Must-Visit
Until recent years, many of Iceland’s small rural towns have had—despite a couple of top-notch exceptions—very limited options when it comes to dining and drinking. Due in part to the country’s ongoing tourist boom, today this situation is changing. With more potential…
-
The Real Lava Experience: A Visit To Vík’s Brand New Icelandic Lava Show
This September, almost 100 years after Katla’s last eruption, a particularly volcanic piece of history is brought back to life. Fittingly located in the middle of the Katla UNESCO geopark in the town of Vík, The Icelandic Lava Show pours forth the…
-
Down To Middle Earth: Exhilaration & Relaxation At Midgard Base Camp
Off a newly demarcated dirt road—literally off the beaten path—one finds themselves at a curious location that combines the sheer idyllic beauty of the southern countryside with rural industrial grit. Set inside a former mechanics warehouse and garage, Midgard Adventures and Base…
-
The Winter Ring Road Pt. 2: Driving Route One In Iceland’s Stormy Season
This is part two of The Winter Ring Road: our five-day ring of Route One—and the people we met, and places we saw—in Iceland’s dark season. You can start at the beginning and read part one here. Day Three 217 km, Fáskrúðsfjörður…
-
The Winter Ring Road Pt. 1: Driving Route One In Iceland’s Stormy Season
Route One is Iceland’s main highway. Completed in 1974, it loops the country, carving a path through tracts of farmland before reaching the lava fields and sweeping floodplains of the southern coastline, rattling over countless bridges along the way. The single carriageway…
-
Town Guide: Shipwrecks, Cabins And Saltfish In Grindavík
With its small, busy harbour, views across to Reykjanesviti and Reykjanesfólkvangur nature reserve, and close proximity to the Blue Lagoon and Keflavík Airport, the humble fishing town of Grindavík—population, 3,000—is an interesting option for weekend visitors less interested in the hubbub of Reykjavík…
-
Enter The Underworld: Lava Tubes And Ghosts In South Iceland
It was just another day in Iceland in February. Heavy rain was pouring down, with howling winds reaching an impressive 40 km/h. We had scheduled a tour with our guide Erla from Fjallahalla Adventures, and I was worried that the inclement weather…
-
The Smooth White Sea: Dog Sledding In South Iceland
The sun was high, and the snow too, on the day I joined up with Dogsledding Iceland. Only a twenty minute drive from Mosfellsbær, the meeting place was already swamped by a chorus of bonkers pups as I pulled up. Yipping, barking,…
-
The Great Escape: A Luxurious Getaway At The Ion Adventure Hotel
Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s biggest lake, sits cradled in the snowy tundra 45 kilometres east of Reykjavík. Surrounded by mountains and dotted with islands, the shimmering water recedes into the hazy distance, semi-frozen in the depths of the Icelandic winter. Shards of ice clink…
-
In Photos: South Iceland Road Tripping In Deep Midwinter
On day two of our recent road trip around the back roads and coastal routes of South Iceland, we took a few stops in desolate but beautiful parts of the South Icelandic outback. Starting from Hotel Ion in the geothermal valley of…
-
Photos: A Sunset Road Trip In The Snowy South
We took a drive down into the deep countryside of South Iceland this week to stay at the Ion Adventure Hotel, near Iceland’s biggest lake, Þingvallavatn. On the way there and back, we passed some wonderful snowy landscapes in the long dusk…
-
Race Against The Sun: The Icy Wonderland Of Skógafoss And Jökulsárlón
Just over 370 kilometres from Reykjavik, in the far southeast corner of the country, you’ll find the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. This particular lake—Iceland’s deepest, in fact, at a depth of around 250 metres—is considered to be amongst one of the crown jewels…
-
The Old School: A Getaway In Þingvellir And Laugarvatn
Autumn is possibly the shortest season in Iceland, but it’s also one of the most beautiful. As we drive north out of Reykjavík and turn off Route One towards the small town of Laugarvatn, the afternoon sunlight catches the yellow and copper…
-
The Countryside Cavalry: Horseback Riding Through Lava Fields
You’re never too old to yell “HORSES!” when you spot them from a car in the countryside. For me, it’s one thing to admire Icelandic horses from afar. Riding them, however, is a whole different story. I’ve never been on a horse…
-
Into The Smoky Valley: An Autumn Hike To Reykjadalur
The bus to Hveragerði rumbles to life in Mjódd bus station, gliding out into the sparse mid-afternoon traffic and cruising quickly through the outskirts of Reykjavík. The tree-lined streets quickly give way to red craters and wide lava plains, their mossy crags…
-
Heimaey Town Guide: Fine Dining And A Living Landscape
Vestmannaeyjar—or the Westman Islands—are one of Iceland’s most dramatic spots. Accessible daily by plane or ferry, this tiny volcanic archipelago of eleven islands—and some smaller islets—is home to just one town, located on the main island of Heimaey. The twin volcanoes of…
-
Mountains Beyond Mountains: Hiking Landmannalaugar
Outdoor activities are not really my thing. I’m a city rat, I love strolling downtown, enjoying the nightlife. Hiking has always been last on my list of leisure activates. I loathe everything about it; It’s long, you usually have to wake up…
-
Glacial Flood In The South, Travel Warning Issued Around Vík
The Icelandic Met office has issued a warning to travellers in the south of Iceland in the region of Vík í Myrdal. A glacial flood in the Múlakvísl river has occurred, and is currently ongoing. The flood is expected to peak within…
-
Sacred Sweat: A Near Trip To The Sacred Seed Sweat Lodge
“The most important thing is to treat the ritual with respect,” explains Laila, ceremony leader of the sweat lodge at Sacred Seed near the Golden Circle. As I approach the dome-shaped tent clad with towels and rope, flames from the fire pull…
-
Salmon, Sashimi And Skuggi The Dog: A Night On An Island In Iceland
Just an hour’s drive from our beloved capital lies the tiny island Traustholtshólmi, population: 1. As I stand at the mouth of the river waiting for my host Hákon, wind pulls the hat straight off my head. A few minutes later, a…
-
New Old Reykjanes: Looking And Seeing On A Lazy Day Trip
“Sleepy” is an adjective so frequently and tiresomely appended to the noun “town” that together the phrase “sleepy town” seems to convey nothing at all, save an author’s uninspired attempt to recycle generic diction for a specific circumstance. Yet here in Hafnir,…
-
Vík Town Guide: Fish Burgers, Black Sands & Scratchy Magic
Vík í Mýrdal, the southernmost town in Iceland, is a two-and-a-half or three-and-a-half hours’ drive from Reykjavík, depending on how often you get out of the car, and so for many people it’s the natural end point of a day trip taking…