The Adventure

Before I moved to Sweden for an exchange semester, I took a week exploring Europe with my father. Since Play Airlines, an Icelandic discount airline, was the cheapest way to get from North America to Europe, we made our first stop in Iceland for a day trip. We arrived at Keflavík Airport early in the morning and took a bus to Reykjavík. A friendly tourist chatted with us on the way, nicknaming the country “Priceland”. We were about to find out this was a very accurate name. We had purchased seats on a tour bus, so we walked to the pickup location after arrival in the nation’s capital, which was conveniently a café. We had a (pricey) breakfast and waited until the bus arrived.

The tour was amazing, taking us to three of Iceland’s geographical highlights: part of the “Golden Circle” tour. The first of these was Thingvellir National Park, which sits in a valley caused by the separation of two tectonic plates. It was also the filming location for parts of Game of Thrones, which was a fun easter egg for a geek like myself. This national park was a great first impression of Iceland’s nature, which would become a defining feature of the rest of the day, and leave a lasting impression on us. During this first stop, we saw expansive green fields, rocky cliffs, clear water, blue skies, and distant mountains and glaciers. We seemed completely isolated from any form of modern development, lost in the beautiful wild of Iceland. When we had to leave, I was disappointed, but thrilled to discover what Iceland had to offer at the next stop.

The next stop, of course, did not disappoint either. We were taken to an area which was known for its geysers; hot water that periodically shoots up from beneath the earth. I was also interested to learn that the word “geyser” comes from Icelandic, named after one that is actually called Geysir, which we saw as a part of this stop. It was not the only geyser in the area though, as we passed by several (though Geysir was the most impressive, going off roughly every five minutes). The whole area also constantly had steam rising from the ground, making it a hot place to walk around, and unlike anything I had seen before. After seeing the geysers, we followed a trail, once again taking in the amazing views of the Icelandic nature. This area was a bit different from Thingvellir. There was a bit more development here: small, picturesque houses scattered across the green fields. But these were few and far between, and the mountainous backdrop elevated the view from just being a simple, picturesque farm landscape.

Our last stop was Gullfoss: a large, white waterfall that gets its colour from the glaciers out of which it runs. The waterfall attracted a lot of tourists, and rightly so. The unique colour of the water, paired with its scale, set in the beautiful Icelandic landscape, made it an amazing sight. The natural backdrop to the waterfall makes for a much more scenic view compared to something like Niagara Falls, for example. Another fun feature of it was that the waterfall falls straight down, hitting a sharp corner and pretty much immediately turning 90 degrees as soon as it hits the bottom. This meant that standing facing the waterfall, you were able to be quite close already, with the continuation of the river running in between. However, being this close was very loud, so that I couldn’t hear when people were talking. The water was crashing constantly, I imagine only amplified by the sharp angle at the bottom, and the mist at the bottom rose back up to the top of the waterfall, and higher.

It was around this time that we also grabbed some food. There was a store/restaurant/café building by the waterfall, where we stopped by after we had taken in the beauty that is Gullfoss. We were recommended lamb stew by the tour guide, who was ironically vegetarian, but if even he would recommend it, we couldn’t miss it. He was right. I highly recommend trying lamb stew when in Iceland. It was an amazing meal, but unfortunately the last stop before taking the bus back into Reykjavík.

We dropped our stuff off at the hostel where we would spend the night (or rather evening, before waking up early to catch a flight) and headed off on a self-guided walking tour of the city. Despite being the capital, Reykjavik has a small population of just around 140,000, a bit over a third of Iceland’s small total population. Iceland’s far northern position doesn’t give it the same capacity for grand architecture as more central, mainland countries. Instead, Reykjavík felt a bit like what I’ve seen in maritime Canada. I would say it had more of “cute” feel, with small, colourful buildings lining the water. The one exception to this would be Hallgrimskirkja, which is the most unique church I have ever seen. It has one central tower, which is built up to gradually by a series of gradually taller square columns. As one of Reykjavík’s most recognizable landmarks, it is definitely something to add to your Iceland itinerary. We grabbed another expensive meal before heading back to the hostel for as much sleep as we could get before rising early to catch another flight.

Highlight

It goes without saying that the highlight of Iceland is its nature. Though it is not a massive country, the nation’s small population lends itself very well to large amounts of natural beauty. Compared to other countries I’ve been to, the area outside the city felt distinct and untouched. The country has so much to offer, so there is still so much to see: Glaciers, volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, hot springs, rivers, and fields, of which I was just able to see a small amount.

Concluding Thoughts

Iceland is definitely a place worth visiting. Its stunning scenery is certainly what attracts the most tourists, and rightly so. You may have even seen it in movies, TV, or other media, as its growing popularity has led it to be used as a filming location for many things lately. I myself saw several things filmed in Iceland that boosted my desire to visit. And it’s absolutely worth experiencing it in real life, not just through a screen. Whether it’s feeling the gentle breeze or getting misted by the crashing waterfalls, Iceland is a place that fully immerses you and satisfies your traveller’s desires. I would highly recommend a trip to Iceland, and I myself know that I will definitely try my hardest to return someday.