Iceland Travel Guide
Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland) is a mountainous island nation in the north Atlantic Ocean, located between Europe and North America. Though not part of the continental mainland, the country is considered European. The name of the country – Iceland – may not be that appropriate: although 10% of Iceland is covered by glaciers, it has a surprisingly mild climate and countless geothermal hot–spots.
The climate of Iceland's coast is subpolar oceanic. The warm North Atlantic Current ensures generally higher annual temperatures than in most places of similar latitude in the world. Regions in the world with similar climate include the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, and Tierra del Fuego, although these regions are closer to the equator. Despite its proximity to the Arctic, the island's coasts remain ice–free through the winter.
When to visit
Iceland is a stunningly beautiful place if you enjoy strange and desolate landscapes. Because it is so close to the Arctic Circle, the amount of daylight varies dramatically by season. The sun sets briefly each night in June, but it doesn't get fully dark before it comes back up again. In the March and September equinoxes, days and nights are of about equal length, as elsewhere in the world. If you go in December, it's almost 20 hours of darkness. Summer is definitely the best time to go, and even then the tourist traffic is still mild. The midnight sun is a beautiful sight and one definitely not to be missed. It is easy to lose track of time when the sun is still high in the sky at 11PM. Early or late winter, however, can be surprisingly good times to visit. In late January, daylight is from about 10AM to 5PM, prices are lower than in the high season, and the snow–blanketed landscape is eerily beautiful.
Things to see and do
- The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa and the most famous sight in Iceland
- The Gullfoss waterfall is quite spectacular
- Geysir, the namesake of all geysers, and its neighbour Strokkur which erupts every five minutes or so
- ingvellir National Park, a beautiful landscape of water–cut lava fields, which is historically important as the site of Iceland's parliament from 930 AD
- Vatnajökull glacier is in Southeast Iceland and is Europe's largest glacier
- Jökulsrlón, the largest glacier lake in Iceland, is located off Route 1 and part of Vatnajökull glacier
- In the colder months, one may frequently get stunning views of the Aurora Borealis, a.k.a. Northern Lights anywhere away from city lights
Food and Dining
- harõfiskur, dried fish pieces eaten as a snack with butter (also good with coleslaw)
- skyr, a yoghurt–like dairy product available in flavoured and unflavoured varieties all over the country
- hangikjöt, smoked lamb
- smoked lamb sausage
- sviõ, singed sheep's head
- Sltur, consists of lifrarpylsa, a sausage made from the offal of sheep, and blóõmör which is similar to lyfrapylsa only with the sheep's blood mixed into it
