This series of articles is aimed at travellers who want to visit amazing and exotic destinations, such as remote Iceland, the ruins and jungles of Southern Mexico, the geological wonders of the Australian outback, and ancient medieval cities in Europe. If you are an avid traveller and want to experience places that seem out of this world, these destinations might be what you’re looking for. Plan a holiday to Iceland and visit natural attractions, such as the blue lagoon, active volcanoes, geysers and glaciers.
Plan a Holiday to Iceland - Land of Many Wonders
Few places instill such a strong other-worldliness feeling in travellers as Iceland. As soon as you start driving from Keflavik International Airport, on the Southwestern tip of the island, to the country’s capital, Reykjavik, you find yourself surrounded by strange volcanic rock formations covered in moss and no trees at all. You can also get glimpses of purplish-brown mountains covered in snow. The crisp, cold, pure air that you breathe in Iceland confirms that you are in a remote destination.
Reykjavik, the Northernmost Capital in the World
Iceland’s major city is unique in that it is one of the smallest metropolitan capitals in the world, with a population of only 120,000 inhabitants. Located at a latitude of 64 degrees North, it is also the world’s northernmost capital (The CIA World Factbook). Despite its small size, Reykjavik is a charming city of many-colored houses surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and mountains with purplish tinges on the other. Tours and day-trips to most of Iceland’s main attractions depart daily from this city.
Natural Wonders of Iceland – Geysers, Glaciers, and Volcanoes
Plan a holiday to Iceland, an amazing destination full of geological attractions. First of all, it is split in the middle by the North Atlantic Rift, which is where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. Because of this, Iceland has more than 100 volcanoes, of which 18 are reported to have erupted in the last millenium. One of the country’s volcanoes, Eyjafjallajökull, gained worldwide fame recently when it started a series of eruptions on April, 2010, generating clouds of ashes that travelled as far as Spain.
On the other hand, 11% of Iceland is covered by glaciers, making it an ideal destination for ice and glacier exploration enthusiasts. Perhaps the most famous glacier is Vatnajokull, which lies above a volcano. The sight of these massive ice caps sitting next to fuming volcanoes is another reason why planning a holiday to Iceland can be an otherworldly experience.
Geysers are another natural wonder of Iceland; in fact the geological phenomenon takes its name from the Geysir National Park. Geysir is a must-see destination in Iceland; it is a stark land sprinkled with dark-blue, green, and turquoise thermal waters. It is not recommended to swim here, though, as the water temperature can rise up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The park’s main attraction is The Great Geysir, which erupts every 8 hours and can reach heights of up to 30 meters. A smaller geyser, Stokkur, erupts every 10 minutes, and reaches heights of up to 20 meters.
Iceland's Blue Lagoon
If you plan a holiday to Iceland, you cannot miss the experience of immersing yourself in the steamy waters of the Blue Lagoon. Located in Grindavik, about a 40 minute drive from Reykjavik, this geothermal spa is part of a natural lava rock formation. Its waters are rich in silica and sulphur, which is why bathing in the lagoon is also considered a therapeutic experience.
Iceland is an amazing destination that offers countless other attractions. Tourists can visit penguin colonies on the eastern coast of the island, as well as the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, some of which were literally born in 1963 when a volcano erupted out of the sea. Reykjavik offers some good museums with plenty of material on Nordic cultures and the vikings. If you want to explore even more remote places, you can even book a 2 day tour of nearby Greenland and visit Inuit settlements. In short, if you want to explore a place with other-worldly lunar landscapes and geological wonders that will make you feel as if you are in a Lord of the Rings movie, plan a holiday to Iceland, you will not be disappointed.
Plan a Holiday to Iceland - Land of Many Wonders
Few places instill such a strong other-worldliness feeling in travellers as Iceland. As soon as you start driving from Keflavik International Airport, on the Southwestern tip of the island, to the country’s capital, Reykjavik, you find yourself surrounded by strange volcanic rock formations covered in moss and no trees at all. You can also get glimpses of purplish-brown mountains covered in snow. The crisp, cold, pure air that you breathe in Iceland confirms that you are in a remote destination.
Reykjavik, the Northernmost Capital in the World
Iceland’s major city is unique in that it is one of the smallest metropolitan capitals in the world, with a population of only 120,000 inhabitants. Located at a latitude of 64 degrees North, it is also the world’s northernmost capital (The CIA World Factbook). Despite its small size, Reykjavik is a charming city of many-colored houses surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and mountains with purplish tinges on the other. Tours and day-trips to most of Iceland’s main attractions depart daily from this city.
Natural Wonders of Iceland – Geysers, Glaciers, and Volcanoes
Plan a holiday to Iceland, an amazing destination full of geological attractions. First of all, it is split in the middle by the North Atlantic Rift, which is where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. Because of this, Iceland has more than 100 volcanoes, of which 18 are reported to have erupted in the last millenium. One of the country’s volcanoes, Eyjafjallajökull, gained worldwide fame recently when it started a series of eruptions on April, 2010, generating clouds of ashes that travelled as far as Spain.
On the other hand, 11% of Iceland is covered by glaciers, making it an ideal destination for ice and glacier exploration enthusiasts. Perhaps the most famous glacier is Vatnajokull, which lies above a volcano. The sight of these massive ice caps sitting next to fuming volcanoes is another reason why planning a holiday to Iceland can be an otherworldly experience.
Geysers are another natural wonder of Iceland; in fact the geological phenomenon takes its name from the Geysir National Park. Geysir is a must-see destination in Iceland; it is a stark land sprinkled with dark-blue, green, and turquoise thermal waters. It is not recommended to swim here, though, as the water temperature can rise up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The park’s main attraction is The Great Geysir, which erupts every 8 hours and can reach heights of up to 30 meters. A smaller geyser, Stokkur, erupts every 10 minutes, and reaches heights of up to 20 meters.
Iceland's Blue Lagoon
If you plan a holiday to Iceland, you cannot miss the experience of immersing yourself in the steamy waters of the Blue Lagoon. Located in Grindavik, about a 40 minute drive from Reykjavik, this geothermal spa is part of a natural lava rock formation. Its waters are rich in silica and sulphur, which is why bathing in the lagoon is also considered a therapeutic experience.
Iceland is an amazing destination that offers countless other attractions. Tourists can visit penguin colonies on the eastern coast of the island, as well as the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, some of which were literally born in 1963 when a volcano erupted out of the sea. Reykjavik offers some good museums with plenty of material on Nordic cultures and the vikings. If you want to explore even more remote places, you can even book a 2 day tour of nearby Greenland and visit Inuit settlements. In short, if you want to explore a place with other-worldly lunar landscapes and geological wonders that will make you feel as if you are in a Lord of the Rings movie, plan a holiday to Iceland, you will not be disappointed.
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