What To Do In Iceland
If you’re looking for somewhere a bit different to explore this year, you should consider a trip to Iceland. It has an incredibly varied terrain that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere: from mountains and waterfalls, volcanoes and glaciers, to geysers and lagoons with hot springs, Iceland is well worth exploring.
The Blue Lagoon could be your first stop, as it’s very close to the airport. You might then want to go on to do a spot of whale-watching off the coast (during April to October), or take a ride on an Icelandic thoroughbred horse to fully explore the scenery.
The best places for whale watching are Husavik, in the North, where minke whales and white-beaked dolphins can be reliably spotted during the months of May to September, and Reykjavic, in the South-West, where minke, orcas, humpbacks, dolphins and porpoises can be spotted on some 90% of all arranged trips.
One of the most popular reasons for travelling to Iceland is to try to see the Northern Lights, though people are often disappointed as they are, obviously, a natural phenomenon that can’t be easily scheduled into a tourist’s itinerary. They are most often visible from late-August to mid-April.
If you prefer a city break, you should visit the capital, Reykjavik. If you’re already in the country to watch the Northern Lights, you might also be lucky enough to see all the Christmas decorations in the city, which are always spectacular.
Iceland has been independent since 1944, and it is sparsely populated with just 285,000 inhabitants. Most people there speak English, though it’s worth picking up a phrase book to learn a little of the language to be polite. The national dish is Puffin (which can be seen perched on many of the cliff-faces), which might not be to every Brit’s taste but is worth a try.
Most people know that Iceland is formed from active volcanoes, so it’s still actually growing in size: it’s a country still being born, which is pretty exciting. There are more than thirty active volcanic systems and frequent eruptions, most notably disrputing international air travel most recently. Trips can be organised to see some of the volcanoes when they are safe but active.
If you enjoy walking, Iceland offers some amazing treks to be had, with its National Parks and Conservation Areas abundent in beautiful scenery. It’s a spectacular country with plenty to do, well worth a trip.