According to the story, this island was named Iceland to drive people away from settling there and sending them to Greenland, which was incorrectly named in hopes of attracting people to settle there. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated nations in Europe and the last inhabited country. Most of the land is barren, rural, and uninhabitable. The culture, language and people are mainly influenced by the Scandinavian countries with a combination of Celtic appearances. I was prepared for a relatively small town feel during our stay in Reykjavik and mainly rural tourism and hiking, but I was very surprised to find out how isolated, barren, unique, exotic and extremely beautiful this place actually is.

From black sand beaches to polar caps, glaciers and volcanoes, hot spring baths and explosive sulfur geysers, from cliffs to double folding waterfalls, from dog sledding to whale watching, whitewater rafting and mountain hikes, the Possibilities are not only endless, but fascinating !!! Nowhere in the world can I imagine seeing the ocean from the side while standing on an ice-covered glacier, with volcanic activity causing ridges and gullies on the mountainside!

For the miles and miles we drive (in the little rental car I like to call ‘Herbie’), constantly cursing Avis for not providing us with 4 wheel drive. There are only one or two main roads in Iceland that travel several hundred kilometers in one direction. Depending on how adventurous you want your trip to be and where you are heading, your detour from the main road will take you onto a dirt road in the middle of a national park or a glacier mountain climb. These roads can become difficult for a small rental car, and instead of taking a chance with a flat tire or getting stuck on a mountainside with no soul in sight, no cell phone service, no one to come and rescue you, and a car stuck in a pothole, I highly recommend renting a van. Also, there are no lights on the roads, so for safety reasons, plan your time accordingly so that you can return to a major city before sunset.

As we left Reykjavik, I found myself deeper and deeper into what seemed like a dream visit to the moon. We came across a crater on the side of a road, with a beautiful mini lake that reflected the green and blue colors among the mist that settled in the hole in the ground. Getting closer, the effort of walking proved it was worth it! As we were driving down the road looking for our first stop on the Golden Circle tour, we suddenly came across a small parking lot that opened up on the side of the road and what looked like a small hill in a very flat and barren landscape.

After suggesting a quick stop, we reached the top of the hill to find the remains of a volcanic crater. Lying at the bottom of the ‘little hill’ which turned out to be a LARGE crater, we noticed a cone-shaped bottom with a very steep slope with a reflection of clear blue-green water. We decided to hike down to the water from one of the tracks that had a built in hiking trail. It was definitely a hike to earn lunch, but the calm clear water with the blue sky above was worth it! Then we follow the path to the Golden Circle trail, which includes the Strokkur geyser, Gullfoss waterfall, and the Thingviller Viking village.

The tour itself takes a good chunk of a full day, and the horizon reflects the dark, arid ground that kisses the blue sky, with a light layer of ice-cap glaciers at times – the most impressive sight! Driving on Route 1 that seemed to continue in arid and dry land, with the odd horse grazing or a sheep running down the road, I was convinced that we were lost until we reached a ridge with a ravine and, out of nowhere, the highway. takes you to the most fabulous ravine with a folding double waterfall. The double folding waterfall was basically a waterfall with not one, but two steep layers of folding water, coming down a cliff with such force that the two layers of water falling from different angles met in the middle causing a jet of water. very fast causing a rising mist before falling back down a steep cliff into a small ravine several feet below.

Traveling to Iceland is much cheaper and much closer than most people imagine. Icelandair (the only airline serving Reykjavik to most major cities in the US and Europe) offers one flight a day from New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, London and all major cities in Europe western. Flight time from New York and London is about 4-5 hours, so Reykjavik has become a popular destination for young people for a long weekend and to live up to the ‘party scene al Reykjavik style. ‘ Several years ago, Icelandair launched a series of provocative promotional campaigns, which initially began to raise awareness and travel to this distant land for younger people looking to have a good time. Marketing for Iceland boasted statements like “One Night in Iceland” inviting Americans and Europeans to spend a night on transatlantic flights.

Last year, the American television program The Sopranos featured barely-dressed prostitutes in “Icelandic airline” uniforms, partying in a New York hotel room. The program was called “Money for nothing and Icelandic girls for free”. These campaigns led Icelandair to a series of court cases and lawsuits, and to an irate staff supported by the Icelandic Feminist Association, but worked to immediately draw attention to one of the most popular summer destinations for bachelor parties, adventures in glaciers, diving and hiking.

The peak tourist months are from May to October, and although to the surprise of most people, winter temperatures are not as dramatic as those in North America (due to the warm Gulf Stream), the 4 hours of daylight of the day are not conducive to sightseeing, hiking or driving. on those very rough dirt roads. The month of June offers the midnight sun and the attraction in early October is the Northern Lights, making these the two most expensive times to travel to Iceland. Very reasonable rates can often be found on icelandair.com and summer specials closer to the August / September periods.

So you ask, once in Iceland, what is there to do? How are the people? What do they eat? How they live? Well, it took me 5 days to figure out what they do for a living, how they spend their time on dark winter days, and what they actually eat. The opportunities for tourism, exploration and adventure are many! I highly recommend renting a car (a four wheel drive vehicle is A MUST!) And exploring at your leisure and schedules. One word of caution, the maps are not to scale and are not that comprehensive, so be sure to navigate before you leave the hotel or you could find yourself in a volcanic crater rather than a waterfall. There are many tour buses from Reykjavik, but they are very expensive per person and take most of the day.

For vegetarians, you may have to frequent the pizza stalls a lot, but Reykjavik’s few quaint traditional restaurants offer an incredible variety of seafood and lamb, beautifully prepared with eclectic flavors and served at extraordinary prices. If you’re feeling adventurous, their menu options range from reindeer carpaccio to blubber to foal or penguin meat. If you are not looking for haute cuisine, the local grocery store will help you pack the car with a picnic of sandwiches, fruit, salad, juice, chips, etc.

An average meal at a relatively famous / traditional restaurant ranges from $ 50- $ 80. That sounds like a lot for a glass of wine and a piece of fish, which will explain why young local Icelanders only come out to enjoy their cocktails. Dinner around 11 PM. Nightlife in Reykjavik is mainly limited to the bars / clubs and restaurants on the city’s main street, Laugavegur. For a country that had an alcohol ban for 40 years, they are surely making up for lost time! The ‘scene’ peaks around 2am when all the bars / clubs come alive at night and the street feels like a parade – a very different take on weekday and morning hours when to find a local restaurant or pharmacy seems like a struggle. . A few wool shops, with clothes and accessories made of fine pure wool is the scope of shopping that you can enjoy in the city center. Personally I preferred to watch the sheep grazing in the highlands where the wool was created!

From the Golden Circle tour, to the Blue Lagoon and the Langjokull Glacier, the places to see are many. As you leave town and drive through the countryside, you can enjoy the fresh air, horseback riding, whale watching, bird watching, or spend an afternoon soaking in minerals in the warm natural spring waters of the Blue Lagoon. If you are intrigued by geography, the Reykjanes area (near Keflavik by the airport) has numerous small places that you can visit. There is a bridge said to be slowly separating from the continental plates of North America and Europe as a result of tectonic activity, a bird watcher’s paradise where Greenland migratory birds find refuge and a hiking trail towards the hot springs region. So put on some rich ones and I guarantee the trip will be worth it!