Iceland travel guide

When solar storms enter our atmosphere, they create this amazing natural light show. You can never really know in advance where you can spot the beautiful northern lights. There is a big portion of luck needed but by travelling to polar regions between roughly September and April you have a pretty good chance of seeing them. You can also try to find a place without a lot of light pollution, especially in the northern direction. Mostly, you will see green lights slowly "dancing" and moving across the sky. The lights can have different colours, from red to blue but green is definitely the most common.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has a pretty accurate aurora borealis website where you can check the aurora activity in all polar regions of the world.

The large and impressive waterfall Ófærufoss lies well inside the world's largest volcanic canyon Eldgjá, that covers a vast area. To get to the waterfall you have to walk for half an hour, but it is a beautiful area with contrasts of sharp volcanic rocks, rivers and extreme green vegetation and flowers. The water in Òfærufoss falls into three levels, and you can walk up via a staircase to the middle of the waterfall and enjoy the view. There has previously been a lava arch over one of the levels that you could cross, but it has now collapsed.

Reykjavík is Iceland's capital, with approximately 180,000 inhabitants – a fact you hardly notice, since the city seems rather small, so a few days here is enough. However, there is a very special and relaxed atmosphere in the central shopping area, specifically during weekends you will find plenty of live music performances, quirky galleries / shops and many "funky" people. Furthermore, the city offers some nice cafes, bars and restaurants, where you can eat whale and shark meat, for instance. The large, striking and modern concert hall / conference center Harpa, located on the quay, is also worth a short visit.

The Ring Road, or Route 1, is Iceland’s only real highway. Although 'highway' is perhaps a bit of a stretch, since it mostly has only a single lane in each direction, gets partially shut down in winter and, like most other roads in Iceland, turns to gravel when you least expect it. But for the most part it is an excellent road, and a very convenient way to take in many of Iceland's highlights – some of which are located right next to it. 1330 km long, this circular route makes life easy for hitch-hikers and those wanting to make use of the (infrequent) buses, and limits your decisions to which direction you want to travel in and whether you wish to make any detours. Having your own car is the ideal way to experience Iceland though, because while the Ring Road takes you past many of the country’s highlights, there are plenty of beautiful and interesting detours (particularly in the west, north-west and east) that you would not want to miss.

Hvítá River is located approximately an hour's drive from Reykjavík and, with its small waterfalls and wild streams, it is an ideal place to river raft. You can book a trip with various adventure agencies, which have all the equipment to be used - ie. boats, helmets, life jackets, and wetsuits. Although you go river rafting in summertime, the water in Iceland is still only around 2 degrees Celsius, so it is a good idea to wear woolen underwear underneath the wetsuit. During rafting on the river, you will also be able to jump into the water from 7-8 meters high cliffs, which can be quite challenging. Otherwise, the difficulty level of rafting on the Hvítá River is medium.

Icelanders are generally a pretty easy-going and accepting people, but there is a clear exception to this rule: washing. If you want to know what it is like to be shunned and publicly embarrassed, try entering an Icelandic swimming pool or hot tub without having washed – and scrubbed, thoroughly – in the nude. If you are caught showering with your swimwear on, or not showering at all (an almost unimaginative occurrence to an Icelander), you will brusquely be asked to go back inside – and don’t be too surprised if your subsequent shower is supervised to ensure proper protocol is followed. So for the sake of everyone’s hygiene (Icelandic pools don’t use chemicals) and your own enjoyment, take off your bathing suit and wash, wash, wash before getting into that geothermal pool.

Iceland has a plethora of beautiful waterfalls, but very few can match Seljalandsfoss for an interesting perspective. Why? Because you can walk all the way around it, including behind the sheet of water cascading down the side of the mountain! The walk is perfectly safe, although a bit slippery in places – and you will get wet. Not so much from the falls themselves, as from the water mist that gets carried in all directions. Seljalandsfoss, like many other famous waterfalls close to a main road in Iceland, gets very busy. For a bit more peace and quiet, and for the best light, try coming here late in the evening slightly out of season. But even with the crowds this is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland.

Seljavallalaug is one of the older pools in Iceland, and has maintained its popularity even after a newer pool was built closer to the main road. Part of its appeal is no doubt its breathtaking location, surrounded by mountains and with a glacial river running past its base. The Eyjafjallajökull eruption filled the pool with ash, but volunteers have cleaned it up. It’s a 15 minute walk to get here from the car park, but it is a nice way to break up the drive between Reykjavik and Vik. Beware that the water in the glacial river is full of gravel, so although refreshing you’ll want to give yourself a good clean in the pool. If you're touring around Iceland in search of the best geothermal pools, don't miss out on Seljavallalaug!

The large waterfall Skógafoss is located on the south coast of Iceland and is visible from the main coastal road. You can get very close to the impressive waterfall and see the large cascades of water pouring down from the long drop. It is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland and has an approximately 60-meter high fall and is 25 meters wide. It is also possible to go to the top of the waterfall via a long staircase and from there also enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean and its special black beaches (colored by lava ash).

If hiking across the glaciers isn’t fast-pace enough, how about something with an engine? If you don’t fancy driving yourself, jump into a superjeep – 4WDs with balloon-like tyres able to traverse the glaciers at remarkably high speeds. But if you long to feel the wind in your hair – well, the few parts of your head that are not covered by helmet, balaclava and goggles at any rate – go for a snowmobile. These light machines make it possible to travel up and down the snow-covered masses at speeds that sometimes feel suicidal, and is a great way to get a feel for the scale of the glaciers. Snowmobile tours will normally include a break on the top of the glacier, accompanied by an explanation of nearby land features. Take care not to leave the tracks made by your guide – there is a reason for the helmets – and you will be in for a serious adrenaline thrill.