The Most Beautiful Places in Iceland, from Ice Caves to Steaming Geysers !
Just about every square inch of the country is downright stunning. Iceland has come into the spotlight to show the world what it’s been missing all these years: Expansive Underground Ice Caves, Massive Volcanoes, Hot Thermal Baths, & landscapes so convincingly like the moon that astronauts once trained there. There is no shortage of beautiful sites in the country, but these are some of the absolute best !
An easy stop off Route 1 (aka the Ring Road), Skógafoss is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Iceland—and in a land of so many waterfalls, that’s definitely saying something ! The 197-foot cascade crashes onto black sand, and you can walk right up to the bottom if you’re willing to get drenched. It is absolutely worth it for the double rainbow viewings !
Located in Iceland’s stunning Westfjords peninsula, the tiny town of Ísafjörður (population 2,571) is nearly swallowed by the towering mountains around it. With winter temperatures going down to -6.5 degrees Centigrade and summer temperatures rarely above 13-14 degree C, Ísafjörður is the opposite of your typical Italian and Greek resort towns—and therein lies its appeal for those who prefer their vacations more rugged than glitzy.
Only about a relatively small percentage of visitors to Iceland ever get to this large peninsula in the northwestern part of the country, which makes it a fitting destination for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Reykjavik. Home to some of Iceland’s most dramatic landscapes, diverse wildlife, and quaint beach towns (like Breiðavík, pictured above), the Westfjords are more inaccessible than other parts of the country, but are well worth the trip.
Home to one of the largest glaciers in the world, Vatnajökull National Park should be your favourite place to explore ice caves. But there’s more than just frozen ice rivers to see at Vatnajökull, which covers most of Iceland’s eastern half. The region holds two of the island’s most active volcanoes, herds of reindeer around Mt. Snæfell, and a number of breathtaking waterfalls, including Svartifoss, Dettifoss, and Selfoss.
Aside from being among the most photographed places in Iceland, Kirkjufell is one of the best spots in the country to view the Northern Lights. In the background you see the famous Arrowhead mountain from the “Game of Thrones”
Blue Lagoon is a 50-minute drive from the capital and is otherworldly in appearance—black lava rock punctuated with milky blue waters, and steam billowing like clouds. But the visual appeal is only part of the experience. A soak in the 40 degree C waters (which come from a nearby geothermal plant) is a spa-like experience , with silica mud masks and mineral salts ensuring your skin will look and feel better than it did when you got there.
Just a 20-minute drive from Vik, in southern Iceland, jet-black sand and spectacularly shaped basalt columns make Reynisfjara one of the most stunning sites in Iceland. One can spend a foggy afternoon strolling along the rugged coast (these waters are definitely not made for swimming) photographing the moon-like rock formations, deep caves, and towering cliff faces.
Thingvellir is one of Iceland’s two UNESCO sites and one of the most consistently popular tourist destinations in the country. One can spend hours hiking and horseback riding through the national park on their own, but our suggestion would to book a snorkelling or diving excursion to swim the Silfra fissure—a slowly widening rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
The glacial lake of Jökulsárlón and its frozen beach are often considered as natural wonders of Iceland, with black volcanic sands providing a stark backdrop for the chunks of ice that wash ashore. The spot becomes even more dramatic when it’s reflecting the Northern Lights.
Dynjandi is often referred to as the “Jewel of the Westfjords”, and you can easily see why. The waterfall flows over 300 feet from top to bottom, getting wider as it reaches the bottom like a magnificent, tiered wedding cake. One can access Dynjandi via a 15-minute hike from the main road, but be prepared to feel significantly small as you stand at the bottom of the flowing waters.
Víti is a geothermal crater lake found in Askja Caldera in the Icelandic Central Highlands. Weather permitting, visitors can swim in the warm, mineral-rich lake whilst surrounded by stunning nature. The water in Víti is approximately 25°C. The area that surrounds Öskjuvatn and Víti is characterised by its jet black sand dunes, providing a striking contrast to the lakes’ serene blue shade.
Strokkur is a fountain-type geyser located in a geothermal area beside the Hvítá River in Iceland in the southwest part of the country, east of Reykjavík. It typically erupts every 6–10 minutes. Its usual height is 15–20 metres, although it can sometimes erupt up to 40 metres high.
It may seem strange to include a hotel in a list of so many natural wonders, but that’s a testament to just how beautiful Hótel Buđir really is. The Icelandic Tourist Board reports that eight percent of Icelanders believe in elves. Visit the Hotel Buđir and you begin to understand why: Its location is utterly magical. Sitting on a remote peninsula a two-hour drive from Reykjavík, it has the sea behind it, a lava field in front, and only a tiny nineteenth-century church for a neighbor. The hotel even offers wake-up calls if and when the Northern Lights make a late-night appearance.
It sounds like a surreal setting or something from another world, but this place exists, and it’s here on earth – in Iceland. An almost perfectly conical volcano covered in bright green moss stands alone in a black sand desert streaked with light streams of water. A bright blue sky sets the tone and tells you the passage of time as spreads of clouds fly quickly over the sun.