This post was submitted by Ellen Collins. She wanted to share her experience of Iceland.
“Why Iceland?” I get asked this question a lot. Iceland isn’t a place that everyone thinks to travel but for some it’s a bucket list location and for good reason. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever travelled to!
The temperatures ranges from -15 to +15 in the capital city of Reykjavik, located in southwest Iceland. We travelled to Iceland in late April which was too late to witness the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, on grand display through the winter months and a bit too soon to see the Puffins arriving for their summer nesting (although we did see one out on the water!). Despite missing these beautiful sights, it was a great time to travel there budget-wise, and we saw a ton of beautiful sites.
photo credit: Jeffrey John
Our $714 CDN price tag per person (based on double occupancy) snagged us a return flight from Toronto to Reykjavik, 3 nights in a lovely hotel (a 4th was the overnight flight to Reykjavik) with a Scandinavian buffet breakfast every morning through Icelandair. This price tag seemed too good to be true, and Icelandair regularly has deals like this and others that include more activities. We were extremely happy with Icelandair.
We arrived at Keflavik, the airport serving Reykjavik, about 45 minutes outside the capital early in the morning after our overnight flight of 5 hours. We quickly found our rental car, which had been brought to Keflavik for us (for a nominal fee) by Adventure Car Rental. The drive into Reykjavik was amazing, as we drove through Icelandic countryside; a landscape formed by moss covered volcanic rock, looking almost extra terrestrial to my Canadian eyes.
Iceland offers so much to see and do! From basic tourist attractions (my cup of tea) to adventure activities for the fearless. Reykjavik itself, population about 120 000, is a beautiful city to tour. It has some steep hills in the downtown area. Reykjavik lies right on the water and one of our first stops was a whale watching tour in the Northern Atlantic. It’s truly breathtaking to see these large mammals in their natural habitat. The true magic of the Reykjavik area lies outside its city limits, which is why I recommend a car rental.
One of the most recommended activities when researching Reykjavik is touring the Golden Circle. This is a route you can drive that allows you to stop at numerous natural attractions along the way. There are guided tours but we decided a self-driven tour would allow us more flexibility. We were right. It was amazing. This route takes you to see kerið which is a volcanic crater worth stopping at as well as Strokkur, an active geyser erupting every 8-10 minutes located in a field of smaller active geysers and the dormant Geysir, for which geysers are named. You can also stop at Gullfoss, which is the Icelandic equivalent of Niagara Falls without the barriers (Icelandic safety barriers consisted of a rope with signs depicting a falling stick figure!). We also discovered a lovely geothermal spa along the way called Laugarvatn Fontana, which was built on natural hot springs and consisted of a few pools of varying temperatures and geothermal steam saunas. This was a must!
The final stop on the Golden Circle was Þingvellir National Park. This beautiful location displays evidence of the continental drift through the cracks and faults creating canyons throughout the park. One of the most famous cracks is known as Silfra and it is located under clear, cold water. This is a popular destination for scuba divers, as you can dive in this fault and touch the tectonic plates of both North America and Eurasia. Silfra is gorgeous to look at and although I didn’t dive there (not the adventurous type!) one member of our party did and said it was amazing. Apparently Iceland is a diver’s paradise! One more reason to visit!
Having a car in Iceland allows you the freedom to tour this small country which we chose to do another day by touring to western Iceland to see Snæfellsjökull volcano. This region of Iceland is just as breathtaking as the rest, with layers of moss covering volcanic rock, arctic waters crashing on black sand beaches and mountains dotting the landscape. Cracks in the rocks allow steam to escape as the pressure on this volcanic island provides a threat of eruption. If you are lucky you might even spot one of Iceland’s many naturally occurring geothermal springs on a driving tour, so make sure you have a suit at the ready!
Iceland has a wealth of sites to see and activities to engage in, and is a great destination for a vacation whether you are looking for a cool new country to check out (like me) or are seeking a grand adventure. You can tour the country on horseback, you can explore ice caves or you can climb glaciers to name a few things. No matter what you do, I would recommend taking a detour to or from the airport and spending the big bucks on The Blue Lagoon at least once. This was our final Icelandic destination on the way to the airport, and yes, it’s touristy and yes, it costs a lot but we had some money left over and decided to check it out. It is a geothermal spa, so no different really than Laugarvatn Fontana (which is lovely and cheaper and a must do!) however the atmosphere of the blue lagoon reminds you one last time that you are in another world. Sitting in the warm milky blue water, with the black volcanic rock background one really does feel like you are on another planet. This is a wonderfully relaxing last stop before heading back to reality.
In my opinion, Iceland should be on everyone’s travel list, and I know since the day I left I have been yearning to go back and plan to do so again in the next few years. Check out Icelandair and find your time to check out this fantastic country just south of the Arctic Circle. You will not regret it.
Who is EC:
I am a woman who loves her life, living alongside my wonderful husband, my two beautiful girls, my amazing dog and the best friends and family a girl could ask for. I spend my days working in post-secondary education and social services, and love being a part of a student’s journey towards their career goals. My own education has led me to this path, and is a demonstration of my belief in the importance of lifelong education. I started my education with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, followed by a Social Service Worker diploma and a Facilitator of Adult Education Certificate, and since then have added a Bachelor of Education degree and a Master’s of Science degree in Psychology. Despite my obvious belief and interest in formal education, I am also a huge proponent of informal education and believe we can learn a lot about ourselves and the world from experiences we have and activities we engage in. In this vein, I love to lose myself (and thereby find myself) in travel, reading, listening to and playing music, catching up on my favourite shows, doing yoga, and enjoying meals with friends.
