3 minute read
Iceland – A Unique Vacation Destination
By Kristin Shopp, Resident since 2014
www.NorthgateLivingCA.com
Due to the HBO series and a very successful marketing campaign by the Icelandic government in the wake of the 2010 eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull, Icelandic tourism is on the rise. It had been on our list for some time as we had read about all this northern island had to offer: The Northern Lights, amazing volcanoes, mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and wildlife.
Skógafoss Waterfall
My family visited Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, in October as we wanted to view the Northern Lights, which are visible between September and April. We stayed for five nights as we had read that this would increase our chances of seeing them-they are quite elusive! We rented an apartment through Airbnb on the main downtown street Laugavegur, which we found convenient but a bit noisy.
As Reykjavik is a walkable city we did not rent a car, and chose to book excursions to see the sites. Bus tours are the preferred way to visit the many geological sites around the island and range from cars to large coaches. We booked with a smaller van line called Iceland Guided Tours and had only six other people in the van with us. While we do not usually prefer guided tours we found it a really relaxing experience to let someone else navigate and plan the itinerary! We learned so much interesting trivia from the driver who was an Iceland native, and even the kids (aged 6 and 9 at the time) enjoyed her funny stories!
We did three tours with this company. The first, the Golden Circle Tour, took us to amazing waterfalls, geysers, and a national park that is a rift valley between the tectonic plates. The second tour was the South Coast Tour which included seeing tall basalt sea stacks on a black sand beach, a glacier, and a waterfall you can walk behind. We got a lot of great photos on the basalt sea stacks for our Christmas card that year!
Basalt Sea Stacks of Iceland
The Northern Lights
After a couple days of tours we slowed down to do a bit of shopping and other activities. Iceland is very expensive so we mostly window-shopped, with the exception of the Tiger store, an inexpensive Danish chain that has all kinds of random items that the kids liked, and a Christmas store, Litla Jólabúðin, because I buy Christmas ornaments at every place we visit! We booked a trail ride with Viking Horses, and enjoyed learning about the history of the Icelandic horse, as well as a peaceful ride on these small, shaggy animals! My husband’s favorite activity (after the Northern Lights) was visiting the Blue Lagoon, a 100-degree geothermal seawater pool, set in a natural lava rock setting. He enjoyed an in-water massage and the swim-up mud mask bar, while I enjoyed champagne at the regular swim up bar!
Our dinners consisted mainly of stews featuring the wild lamb of the island, fish, and even puffin! We loved Svarta Kaffið, whose menu consisted of only two soups a night. We also walked to Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur for their famous hot dog made of pork, lamb, and beef with a remoulade sauce. On our bus tour we stopped at Erpsstaoir Creamery to pet cows and eat delicious ice cream that was made from their milk. We were surprised to learn that ice cream is so popular in such a cold climate!
It is important to note however that tourist costs are intentionally high to keep tourists at bay. It was definitely one of our more expensive vacations. However, I do recommend it as a unique family destination.
