The police don’t carry guns, it has one of the lowest homicide rates in the world and there’s no military whatsoever…sounds like liveability! The Icelandic language is deemed by linguists to be one of the most difficult to learn, even more so than Japanese. However, “thank you” is easy — “Tak.” Now you’re ready to be a polite traveler. Pictured above: a quirky, friendly citizen of Iceland.
You’ve arrived at Keflavik International Airport, and are zooming into the nation’s capital, Reykjavik. Seventy percent of Icelanders live here. Pick a hotel centrally located. Downtown or Reykjavik Harbor are key places to find centralized lodging. We stayed at the Reykjavik Residence Hotel and loved it — mini apartments for a reasonable price. Check in, then set out on foot in the late-morning darkness (the sun doesn’t come up until about 11 a.m.), and watch the light come up while eating lunch in the beautiful downtown area.
Night is nearly eternal in Reykjavik, and if you’re already a nightlife “vampire” (“Twilight” or Bram Stoker-esque or otherwise), then what a perfect city you’ve stumbled into. Thumping dance clubs, a bar dedicated to the memory of The Dude in “The Big Lebowski,” gay life, straight life, hipsters abounding — you may hear a cacophony of all of these from your hotel room at 7 a.m. It’s because the town is so much fun, and the sun hasn’t even risen yet!
On a tour which takes you due south of Reykjavik, you’ll find the most beautiful landscapes imaginable — mountains shooting up just yards from the expanse of the Atlantic shoreline. About two hours south lies Skógafoss, a waterfall pounding from 200 feet. You can even walk behind it (on non-slippery days)! There is a little village with a museum that houses the crafts and artifacts of the early settlers in this area, mostly isolated fishermen and their families forced to brave harsh conditions. The people in the village are are little weird and isolated themselves. Go with it! They’ll teach you the true market value of driftwood, once used as currency back.
A geothermal phenomenon, and the most rejuvinating hot tub you’ll even take a dip in, the blue lagoon is located about 30 minutes from downtown Reykjavik. Iceland’s most popular destination, its blue-gray waters are rich in sulphur and silica, and the entire gigantic pool is situated in the middle of a lava field. An international crowd can usually be found splashing around here, faces covered in the exfoliating mud found on the banks. Spend hours brining yourself in 100-degree salt water, the cold weather taking a back seat to a steaming blue sensation.
Volcanoes in Iceland are another method of warming up, perhaps, but don’t leap in like it’s the blue lagoon, no matter how cold you are! There are a few notable volcanoes reachable by car or bus tours: Vestmannaeyjar, called the “Pompeii of the North” is only a 40-year-old volcano, and it created islands even younger than it which you may walk upon and scope for puffins. Eyjafjallajokul, which erupted in 2010 and caused international flight delays, is located on the South Shore tour. There are scores of other lava fields all around the country which are traverseable.
During my five-day stay, I managed to wolf down horse steak, puffin and whale sliders, lobster pasta, brain pudding, tons of fresh salmon, delicious cakes and tarts…and I chased it all down with shots of cod liver oil! Tripadvisor.com cites the best restaurants in Reykjavik here (I ate at four of them!). There’s a ubiquity of coffee houses, restaurants, and bars to frequent all day long.
This tour, via your own set of wheels or a great bus journey, will take you inland through the sometimes snowy, sometimes surprisingly green tundra. Haukadalar is the most geothermally active valley in Iceland, and there you will see the geyser aptly named Geysir! It’s an Icelandic word, another easy one to learn! The Pingvellar National Park (pictured above) is a rough, desolate, hard-won beauty to behold. When you arrive at the massive glacier Vatnajökull (Europe’s largest ice mass), that’s when the real fun begins.
It’ll be one of the coolest, craziest things you’ve ever done. Arctic Adventures offers a guided snowmobile excursion from high up in the arctic tundra, 60 miles from any sort of civilization. You’ll careen along at 65 miles per hour in a convoy of other crazy adventurers who believe, uniformly, I realized, “I can drive this thing!” Our tour captain was an intrepid blond son-of-the-mountains warrior who led the pack like he was riding his prize racehorse. All around was a vast glacial valley, covered in white, with mountains in the distance.
Yes, waking up at 7:00 every morning of your grinding life is taxing, and trying to sleep in on weekends is a moot point, the sun is always blaring in your eyes. Not in wintertime Iceland! Stay awake as late as you’d like, and hibernate in your hotel room until you feel great waking up. No sun rays will bother you, and Reykjavik’s hustle and bustle really only starts after it’s light out. Disclaimer: you may turn into said vampire because of lack of sunlight. Therefore, drinking Nordic blood is also a great winter activity in Iceland.
