If you want to visit the most unique place on the planet then Iceland is definitely your best bet. It is one of the most insanely beautiful and unique places that you are likely to visit in your lifetime. The time I spent there was without a doubt very special to me and the memories I have from my last trip there are some of the most special travel experiences that I think I will ever experience and I only have fond memories of it all. I thought that everyone should know about how special Iceland is to visit and therefore I wanted to write this blog post. I hope you enjoy reading about it and I hope it also inspires you to go too.
See the Northern Lights
Seeing “aurora borealis” or Northern Lights in Iceland is one of the most incredible experiences that comes to my mind of all the things I have already seen on this beautiful planet. You may have heard of it before or seen pictures, but none of these can compare to seeing it in person. The sky is illuminated in a stunning array of colours, such as red, blue green, violet and so much more. The lights seem to move and shake and it creates a supremely beautiful visual effect that may seem like a dream. To explain how it works is a little difficult, but to put it simply the lights only occurs in areas of high latitude and are a result of solar charged particles that collide with one another and cause the brilliant colours that we see in the sky. Finding the lights is not the easiest thing in the world and there are even experts that make a living by tracking and finding the best positions to see the lights. If you are extremely lucky you may even be able to see the lights above Reykjavik, where it is also possible to see the lights.
Driving
If you are thinking of going to Iceland, driving is the number one way to get around hands down. Buses and taxis are expensive, so skip these and you will definitely thank me for it. There is, very conveniently, a ring road that circles the island and there are few cars on the road, so driving is very simple. It also gives you the freedom to stop wherever you want and trust me, you will be doing a lot of this with the huge number of amazing sites in Iceland. The only thing to be aware of is things like snow or sandstorms and the changing road conditions, because the roads are not paved all the way around the island and some sections are gravel! This gives you an idea of just how isolated it is.
It was also great to meet other travelers that had already been to certain parts and they told us about some amazing sights that were just along the way, many of which are not as well known. I find this truly incredible and so authentic, which was very refreshing because so many destinations are becoming more and more touristic. This is especially the case due to things like TripAdvisor or other sites, but I feel that nothing is unique. In Iceland, you can truly find unique sites that very few others have seen before you if you look hard enough.
The landscape
Aside from the Northern Lights, the landscape is going to keep you occupied. There is so much to do and see in terms of nature. You can see things like volcanoes, fjords, mountains, lava fields, waterfalls and other amazing landforms that have been shaped by the volcanic landscape. In Iceland you truly start to realise the beauty and power of mother nature and start to feel very insignificant!
Reykjanes Peninsula
I personally enjoyed visiting the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is not too far from Reykjavik. The fact that the area is where two tectonic plates (the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Eurasian Plates) meet means that the land has some incredible landforms that have been formed by earthquakes, volcanic activity and other movements of the earth. This place is home to some 55 geosites that you can visit and each is incredibly beautiful and interesting due to the way it was formed by the landscape.
The Blue Lagoon was definitely a highlight with its steaming, ultra-blue, geothermic waters that get their colour from the minerals that come from the earth. There is nothing quite like the feeling of bathing in very warm pools of water when the air is cool and it gives you a great sense of relaxation and the Icelandic people love to do this on a regular basis. There are a number of great health benefits that come from this too, which is also another reason to take part.
Hafnaberg sea cliffs are also another place that I really enjoyed here and are a series of beautiful sheer lava cliffs near the old fishing village of Hafnir. The form of these cliffs is unbelievable and you can also see a number of interesting bird species here.
This is just a few things that make Iceland so special, to really get an idea of its beauty you just need to go there for yourself. I hope you enjoyed reading about this truly unique place and hope that you will visit there too someday.