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13 Beautiful Reasons to Visit Iceland
From sophisticated vocabulary to simple slang, poetic parables to technical terms, no matter how much of a wordsmith you are, honing and sculpting your lexicon to perfection, there’s a painful truism to be acknowledged: a picture’s always worth a thousand words. And what better way to prove the point than with this photographic guide to Iceland, showcasing the rugged splendor of the landscape. Here are 13 beautiful reasons to visit Iceland, captured on camera.
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Aurora Borealis is one of the few bits of Latin that everybody knows. The name given to the firework show the solar winds provide as they’re drawn
into the poles by the earth’s magnetic field; if you can’t imagine its splendor, envision it to be like a rainbow’s more impressive elder sibling, shooting wispy haloes of color across the sky. And if that doesn’t capture your imagination, well, there’s always the image below.
GEOTHERMAL SPAS
Geothermal pools are no joke in Iceland. Not only does outdoor bathing date back to Viking times, but the geothermal springs also provide hefty amounts of energy – powering several parts of the country. Soak tired muscles after a long hike or lounge about and relax. Different pools have different vibes. Some are peaceful and immersed in nature, while others have bars, saunas and other facilities.
HORSES
Iceland has its own special breed of horses. While others merely walk, trot and canter (and occasionally, gallop), the horses in Iceland can “tölt,” hitting something called “flying pace.” The former is an ambling gait (present from birth), which means the horses can effectively look like they’re walking at a range of speeds. The latter is a form of racing in which the horse’s legs move together on the same side, ensuring that at times their hooves make no contact with the ground.
REYKJAVÍK
When one first arrives in Reykjavík, it’s hard not to chuckle at its size; to many countries, Iceland’s capital resembles a town more than a city. And yet, it’s also
a place that punches well above its weight in many spheres. Surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery and home to museums, art galleries and restaurants that sit comfortably in Europe’s premier league, there’s been a deluge of trendy travelers making their pilgrimages here in recent years.
ROAD TRIPS
America is usually the first place that leaps to mind when planning a road trip. But, as in many things, Iceland is something of an unsung hero here too. Motor past active volcanoes, icebergs and other geographic wonders by making a big ring around the island on a trip that starts at Reykjavík and makes pit stops at Langaholt and Grundarfjörður in the west, Akureyri in the north, Egilsstaðir and Höfn in the east, and Vík in the south, on a seven-day extravaganza that involves roughly 19 hours of driving.
GLACIERS
On the face of it, going to see a giant block of ice that moves roughly an inch per year isn’t a desirable proposition. But the world’s slowest juggernauts also tend to produce some of the gorgeous scenery in their trail. And since more than 10% of Iceland
is covered in them, it means most of the country offers glimpses of their exceptional beauty. Some of the most famous are Vatnajökull (this is the largest in Europe), Öræfajökull and Langjökull, in the west of the Icelandic highlands.
HARPA CONCERT HALL
A vast, colorful steel creature that seems so top-heavy it might keel over at any second, Harpa Concert Hall has become a symbol of Iceland pulling together in hard times. Originally intended to be a giant development that housed hotels, apartments, malls, restaurants and banks, the
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