Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for iceland
Iceland’s Basalt Gully
By Linda Tancs
Studlagil is a ravine in eastern Iceland in the Jökuldalur Valley. It’s best known for its towering basalt rock columns, reportedly the largest collection in the country. It isn’t a usual stop on the tourist trek, so getting there may be a bit challenging. You’ll need to head north on the Ring Road and pick up road 923 to Jökuldalsvegur. Although the terrain is loose in some places, there are hiking trails around the canyon. Watch out for pink-footed geese, who lay their eggs along the gorge in May and June.
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Serenity in Reykjavík
By Linda Tancs
There’s a hill called Þúfa (also known as Thufa) in Reykjavík, Iceland. It was designed by the Icelandic artist Ólöf Nordal, who intended it to be a place of serenity and meditation. Unlike other public art in the capital, this is a 26-foot-tall, grass-covered dome. It’s topped off with a hut, historically used to wind-dry fish, as a nod to Iceland’s fishing heritage. Þúfa is located in Grandi, a trendy part of the city in the northeast, within walking distance from the downtown area.
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Batman Mountain
By Linda Tancs
Sometimes called “Batman Mountain,” Vestrahorn is one of Iceland’s most striking mountains. Located on the Stokksnes peninsula in the southeast near Höfn (a go-to destination for Northern Lights viewing), it peaks at 1,450 feet and meets a black sand beach below. It’s a prized locale for landscape photographers. The vistas demand a wide-angle lens; use a tripod to minimize shake from the often windy conditions.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Whale of a Time in Iceland
By Linda Tancs
If you’ve dreamed of getting up-close and personal with a whale without risk, then Reykjavik’s whale museum is the place for you. Appropriately named Whales of Iceland, it showcases life-size replicas of 23 whale species found in Icelandic waters. Painstakingly reproduced, the exhibition includes an 82-foot-long blue whale, a full-size sperm whale and even an endangered North Atlantic right whale. You can download an audio tour to your phone or tablet or take advantage of the guided tour offered at 1:30 p.m. to all ticket holders.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Heating Up in Iceland
By Linda Tancs
Though not faithful like Yellowstone’s Old Faithful, the Great Geysir in southwestern Iceland is the stuff of legend. The first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans, its name provides the origin for the English word “geyser.” Mostly dormant now, it’s aided by an otherwise active geothermal field starring Strokkur, which propels hot water as high as 100 feet into the air every 10 minutes or so. A peculiar offering in the area is the ability to assist a chef in the making of “hot spring bread,” which involves boiling eggs outside in a hot spring and digging up rye bread that has been “baking” underground for 24 hours. Located about 62 miles from Reykjavik, the geothermal field is part of Iceland’s famous “Golden Circle” tour.
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Full Circle in Iceland
By Linda Tancs
Looking for a convenient way to conquer Iceland’s 40,000 square miles? Try a bus tour. With Iceland by Bus, you can take a hop-on, hop-off excursion either clockwise or counterclockwise from Reykjavík. That means you get to spend more time at the locales of most interest to you, like long valleys and peninsulas in the north or volcanoes, glaciers and waterfalls along the south coast. Depending on the bus route, the operations period generally runs from June to August.
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Iceland in Miniature
By Linda Tancs
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is often referred to as Iceland in miniature. True enough, considering its 56 miles cover everything the country has to offer, from volcanoes and lava fields to glaciers, cliffs and beaches. At the westernmost part of the peninsula is Snæfellsjökull National Park, the only Icelandic national park that stretches to the sea. The area takes its name from the saga of Bárður Snæfellsás, the half-man, half-troll protector of the region whose colossal stone statue is in Arnarstapi.
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Lava and Lights
By Linda Tancs
Where everything meets nothing. That’s the way ION Luxury Adventure Hotel pitches its peaceful respite less than an hour’s drive from Reykjavík. The “everything” is the luxury experience that awaits you at this eco-conscious hotel sporting prefab panelized construction that melds with a backdrop of lava fields. Enjoy the pampering, which includes options like a relaxation massage with Icelandic herbs, a warm soak in the sauna and the tranquility of a silent relaxation room. The “nothing” may be a bit of a misnomer, considering the property’s location at the footsteps of the UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park, site of a dramatic landscape formed as a result of its locale along the border between the North American and European tectonic plates. That’s part of where the “adventure” in “adventure hotel” comes in. Or you can just relax at the hotel bar, where floor-to-ceiling glass windows will give you spectacular views of the Northern Lights on clear nights.
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A Capital Experience in Iceland
By Linda Tancs
Iceland is a little island jewel in the North Atlantic, a geological nexus between America and Europe featuring natural wonders like the midnight sun, aurora borealis, thermal baths, glaciers and endless lava fields. Hear all about it on Travelrific® Radio.
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Trip the Light Fantastic
By Linda Tancs
Iceland may seem like a no-brainer as a winter new year’s destination, but not for the reasons you may think. Did you know that the average temperature in January is actually a bit higher than that of New York? What makes Iceland appealing to ring in a new year is the fireworks celebration. Their law places no limits on fireworks, so the lights will be flashing well into the night. Happy New Year!
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