travel north
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Finding True Iceland Up North: The Sagas Of Skagafjörður, A Siglufjörður Gold Rush, Húsavík Whales
There are many ways to get to the North from dear old Reykjavík. One entails flying, which provides an impressive view of the mountains as you close in on Eyjafjörður. Another way would be renting a car, which might be the cheapest…
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PHOTOS: Akureyri Town Festival
For a town of around 18,000, Akureyri punches far above its weight when it comes to cultural output. Each year, on the last weekend of August, this peaceful northern Iceland town celebrates its official birthday with a festival. The many galleries of…
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On The Road Again (And Again)
In a wide, grassy meadow where the road to Húsavík breaks off from the Ring Road, you’ll encounter a rather incongruous sight: a tomato red tank truck proclaiming “Over 100 Cars” in bold white letters on its side. An arrow just below…
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Whale Watching With Sigmundur Davið
With two massive masts, tightly furled sails, and an array of ropes and pulleys, Ópal appears to be straight out of the past. But beneath its oaken deck lies a prototype eco-friendly engine, the first upgrade of its kind for Iceland’s fleet…
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12 Hours In Akureyri: Swimming, Culture, Nature & Nightlife
Akureyri, the self styled “capital of the North,” is Iceland’s second-largest settlement. Often called Iceland’s ‘second city’, the 18,000-strong population falls slightly short of the international standard for a ‘large town,’ but as Iceland often proves, size isn’t everything. Akureyri’s imposing, austere…
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The Seven: Driving To Akureyri One Hot Dog At A Time
The people of Akureyri have been keeping a secret from us Capital Region folk. It’s called The Seven. For years now, while driving the four-and-a-half-to-six-hour road trip between the North and South, many northerners have made it common practice to eat one…
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Yule Year-Round: Visting Jólagarðurinn
This fall, while planning my first trip up North, I messaged a friend of mine who had gone to secondary school in Akureyri and asked him for a few choice recommendations. “The Christmas Garden,” he wrote back almost immediately. “Smells delish. Sounds…
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Gathering Sheep: They’re Bloody Stubborn!
It was a tough climb to the top of the hill, and I was tired from the ascent. Luckily it wasn’t raining. Once we reached the top, I turned around and looked across the valley and found that, yes, autumn had set…
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Iceland’s Sonic Landscape: Driving The Ring Road
Not long ago, I was packing my travel bag into the back of my friends’ four-wheel drive SUV as we all headed out for an extended week navigating the Ring Road. I was somewhere between a tourist and a resident, living in…
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Merchants’ Weekend Is Here! A Guide To Entertaining Yourself
Every year in Iceland, the first weekend in August is dedicated to celebrating Verslunarmannahelgi (“Merchants’ Weekend”), a labour day / bank holiday equivalent. While not everyone is actually a Merchant, every Icelander is encouraged to celebrate like the holiday is their own,…
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Akureyri: Home Comforts And Cosmopolitan Culture
Akureyri, located on Iceland’s longest fjord, Eyjafjörður, is often referred to as Iceland’s second city, or “the capital of the North.” With a population of just under 18,000, “city” is probably pushing it a bit, but Akureyri is a thriving and charming…
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From Heavenly Lakes to Hell’s Gates: Seeing Northern Iceland
Seeing Iceland from the air can be an astounding experience. From the soft blue-grey washes of coastal estuaries and floodwater plains, to black flatlands with their gleaming silver rivers, to expanses of blinding white glaciers—a flight over the Icelandic heartland is often…
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Powder Galore At Hlíðarfjall Ski Resort
My travel companion Frosti and I are flying into Akureyri to spend the weekend snowboarding at Hlíðarfjall. Thankfully, we touch down safely. We park our asses in a warm, red Yaris rental car and make for the hostel we have booked for…
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Northern Iceland: Where Winter Is Always Coming
The guy from New York has seen all three seasons of the television series ‘Game Of Thrones,’ “at least five times,” he says. He, a couple from Colorado, a father and son from New Zealand and South Korea, Nanna (our Icelandic photographer)…
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Northern Lights In Raufarhöfn
Journalist and photographer, Èric Lluent, sent us these incredible photos of the Northern Lights he took two nights ago in Raufarhöfn. It’s just the beginning of the aurora borealis season, so keep your eyes open and your cameras ready while travelling around…
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Grímsey: Hanging Out On The Arctic Circle
“You’re spending five days on Grímsey?”, a Reykjavík friend asked me in astonishment. “But there’s nothing to do there.” ”Precisely why I’m going there,” I replied. For I’d rather go to a place where there’s “nothing to do” than to a place…
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Grímsey: Island Of Chess Players
Willard is not your typical Icelandic name, but until a few decades ago it was a not an uncommon name on the island of Grímsey. Not Sigurður, Haukur, Hilmar, or Þorgeir, but Willard. The reason is as follows: the American writer, linguist,…
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Top Tips for Driving Safely in Iceland
Visiting Iceland and renting a vehicle? Here are some tips to keep you and your travelling partners safe on the notorious Icelandic roadways. Stick To The Speed Limits Most rural mountain roads in Iceland are made up of loose gravel, which can…
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For The Hikers: Four Fine Summits
From the hundreds of mountain hikes and climbs (both equipped and un-equipped) Iceland has to offer, I have chosen to spotlight four mountains that should be suitable for most hikers. The hikes are intended for the late spring to early autumn months,…
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Verslunarmannahelgi Is Coming! What Shall I Do?
Verslunarmannahelgi (“Merchants‘ Weekend”) initially came about because the first Monday in August was designated a statutory holiday for merchants and anyone working in trade in Iceland. Nowadays, convenience stores, roadside shops and tourist shops pay their staff extra to be able to…
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Farmyard Frolics At Pólar Hestar
I don’t remember Bjartur of Summerhouses pulling wedged-in poo out of a lamb’s bottom whilst a nail perforated his welly-boots and lodged itself snugly into his foot. I know that dear old Bjartur faced many challenges on his small Icelandic farm, but…
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A Scavenger Hunt Via GPS: Geocaching In Skagafjörður
On Friday evening we set off toward Skagafjörður where we would spend the weekend exploring. It wouldn’t be like anything we had done before; Bragi Jónsson, an Icelander who certainly knows his way around the island, would be taking us geocaching. This…
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As Hard Or As Easy As You Like: Skiing On The Troll Peninsula
Perfect spring corn on virtually every run, panoramas straight out of the Icelandic Sagas, excellent company and some of the finest guiding I’ve ever experienced—I’m on to a winner before we even throw into the equation the helicopter that would whisk us…