Major Points of Interest in Iceland
"Not as cold as might be expected" is a catchphrase Iceland often uses in hopes of overcoming its tourism industry's greatest challenge -- the widespread misconception that it is merely a bleak block of ice bobbing in the North Atlantic. Just south of the Arctic Circle between Greenland and Norway, the Gulf Stream keeps the island's climate relatively temperate. With a population of only 300,000 people, half living in the capital, Reykjavík, Iceland offers all the comforts of an affluent and sophisticated European nation with an unspoiled natural landscape unparalleled for its drama and grandeur.
The Blue Lagoon
In a country renowned for its natural beauty, one of Iceland's most popular tourist attractions is, ironically, artificial: a man-made pond consisting of spillover water from a nearby geothermal power generating station. The Blue Lagoon, located in a lava field in Grindavik on the southwest coast, contains millions of gallons of milky-blue, mineral-rich seawater pumped from more than a mile beneath the Earth's surface. After this water has completed its primary job of generating heat and electricity, the power station discharges it into the "lagoon" for the enjoyment of bathers. The average temperature of the water is slightly higher than body temperature. Blue Lagoon, a 45-minute drive from Reykjavík, is a full-service resort offering a complete range of spa treatments, dining facilities and accommodations.
Iceland, home to about 130 volcanoes within 30 active systems, was created by volcanic eruptions on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Over millions of years, these volcanoes discharged so much lava that it accumulated above sea level, forming an island. Some of Iceland's volcanoes are encased in glaciers, including Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted in April 2010, spewing smoke and ash 36,000 feet into the atmosphere and triggering massive flooding from melted ice. Within two days of the eruption, almost all of Europe's major airports had been shut down because of poor visibility, forcing the delay or cancellation of thousands of flights. Icelandic tour operators offer a wide range of volcano exploration excursions, safaris and hikes.
Eleven percent of Iceland is covered in glaciers, but as a group of four extremely lucky American tourists found out in May 2013, the exact number can be a moving target -- literally. After the group set up their table and chairs for a picnic at popular Fjallsárlón lagoon in east Iceland, their glacier suddenly downgraded itself to an iceberg and floated off, carrying the unexpectedly movable feast with it. Rescuers admitted that even though the sight was comical, the situation could have turned tragic. Glaciers are a must-see for visitors, but according to the British Geological Survey, the ice is melting fast. Exercise caution on glaciers, especially around water.
"National Geographic" rates the 48-mile round-trip hike at Laugavegurinn/Fimmvörðuháls Pass as one of the best in the world. Part of the original trail was closed after the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull buried it in volcanic debris, but according to the magazine the reroute is even better and well-traveled in summer by Icelanders and international visitors. Highlights include lava fields, craters, the ice caps of two glaciers, mountains, ravines and "waterfall after waterfall," culminating in the 200-foot-high Skógafoss. Scattered along the trail are well-maintained hikers' huts open from late June to mid-September, when buses from Reykjavik take passengers to the starting point at Landmannalaugar hut.
- Visit Iceland: The Official Tourism Information Site
- Mail Online: The One Minute Guide to the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
- UPI Science News: Iceland Volcanoes Said Growing Threat
- National Geographic: World's Best Hikes: Epic Trails: Laugavegurinn/Fimmvörðuháls Pass, Iceland
- Countries and Their Cultures: Iceland
- Blue Lagoon Iceland
- The Guardian: Iceland Volcano: Hundreds Evacuated After Eruption
- Time Lists: Iceland's Volcano Snarls European Air Traffic
- British Geological Survey: Iceland’s Glaciers Are Shrinking Fast
- 11th Global Forum on Tourism Statistics: Iceland
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