ICELAND: Dive in The Heavenly Beauty of Land of Sharp Contrasts

Iceland, A land created for the extreme experience. Blessed with abundance of Mountains, Volcanoes, Rivers, Lakes, Caves and picturesque rough terrains that waits for you to be tackled. If you are an outdoor ninja, it’s your paradise! If you are an indoor-snuggly snail, get ready for a never fading warm and welcoming experience of your life.

Iceland is perfect for your inner adventure ninja. It is rugged and beautiful and perfect on eyes for all year around. The landscapes serve as a lovely backdrop for whatever activity that you have in your mind.

Most of us make a mistake by going to Iceland for nature. The treasure for this beautiful panorama is the people, who are warm and friendly and embellished with a smile. So, once you are here; enjoy long walks on local streets, a refreshing dip in the community swimming pool, purchasing local produce.

The creative juices flow here in Iceland just like the geothermal water. So, keep a day reserved to experience its music, arts, literature and designs that are available around the country.

Food, another factor which makes the Icelandic by-lanes more flavourful. The slow produce, local grown food of Iceland is always waiting for you to come and discover it.  One basic advice for the travellers that I would suggest is to try fishes as much as you can. Iceland has a huge industry for fishing making it obvious that the fish that you just ate was caught just a few minutes ago.

Where to Stay in Iceland?

Inevitably, you’ll get your first taste of Iceland in the city of Reykjavík where you’ll find yourself rubbing your shoulders with over half of the Icelandic population. The city offers you some happy high restaurants, shops, stylish bars and a nightlife that is wild beyond one’s imagination. During summers this city barely sleeps. Reykjavík also makes a good base for visiting Geyzir, the original geyser the ancient parliament site of Þingvellir, spectacular waterfalls at Gullfoss and the famous and sublime Blue Lagoon.

Places to Visit:

Reykjavík

Though one of Europe’s smaller capitals, the vibrant heart of Iceland offers everything from style-conscious bars and restaurants to great museums and galleries.

Blue Lagoon

Take a dip in the sublime waters of this famous open-air swimming pool, fed by geothermal water and set in the middle of a lavafield.

Golden Circle

See Þingvellir, site of Iceland’s original open-air parliament, hot waterspouts at Geysir, and a stunning two-tier waterfall at Gullfoss.

Akureyri

Chill on the north coast in Iceland’s second-largest town, renowned for its sunny summer days and thriving bar and restaurant scene.

Húsavík

Whale watching is on everybody’s list of must-dos in Iceland, and the expertly run tours from Húsavík offer virtually guaranteed sightings.

When To go?

Icelandic weather is highly notorious. The unpredictability can be understood with the fact that the summers are bright and sunny with an average temperature of 17°C, but this can be unexpectedly change to a misty spell at a temperature of 10°C. Winters are chilly and the temperature is usually 6°C to 7°C on either sides of freezing temperature, making the daylight stay limited just for a few hours.

However, keep in mind that most museums and attractions are only open from late May to early September and this is the time when the public transportation run to their fullest. If you are keen to see the Northern Lights September to January would be a great time as the entire country usually witness it during this phase.

– The Indian Tourist