Back in July 2021, I visited Iceland for the fifth time. It’s a country I’ve explored in depth,…
Times visited: 5
Cities visited: Reykjavík
Towns and villages visited: Seyðisfjörður, Egilsstaðir, Mosfellsbær, Hafnarfjörður, Keflavík, Grindavík, Bifrost, Hólmavík, Patreksfjörður, Bíldudalur, Súðavík, Bolungarvik, Suðureyri, Þingeyri, Ísafjörður, Stykkishólmur, Grundarfjörður, Ólafsvík, Hellnar, Reykjahlíð, Skútustaðir, Reyðarfjörður, Eskifjörður, Neskaupstaður, Seltjarnarnes, Selfoss, Hvolsvöllur and Vík
UNESCO sites visited: 1/3
Iceland is truly one of a kind. It’s the only place on Earth that has ever felt to me like a completely different planet. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting five times, and although I personally prefer the (often compared) Faroe Islands and Greenland, Iceland still ranks high on my list of favourite places.
My first encounter with Iceland was in October 2013, during a North Atlantic cruise with my mum. We sailed into the east fjords and docked at what would become my forever favourite village – Seyðisfjörður. We spent two wonderful days there, exploring the colourful village and visiting Lake Lögurinn in Egilsstaðir.
I returned in the spring of 2015 for a two-week adventure, this time with a friend. We experienced a dramatic snowstorm in the east, and then I flew to Reykjavík to celebrate my 20th birthday with my parents. We explored Reykjanes, toured the Golden Circle, and wandered the capital together. After they left, I reunited with my friends for a roadtrip to the Westfjords, which turned into quite an adventure – thanks to us getting completely lost and driving 700 km in the wrong direction 😂. Eventually, we made it to the home of our late friend Thorhallur, where we saw our first-ever northern lights and spent many hours listening to Thor’s music and life stories.
In October 2016, I took the same North Atlantic cruise again – this time with my entire family. My mum and I were thrilled to revisit familiar places and share them with the others. We explored more of the eastern fjords and went on roadtrips to the many volcanic wonders around Lake Mývatn. In February 2019, on my way home from a semester in Greenland, I spent another four days in Reykjavík. I used the time to rediscover the city, explore the National Museum, and take a magical sunrise walk to Seltjarnarnes.
When Fagradalsfjall volcano began erupting in March 2021, I longed to return to Iceland – but Covid-19 restrictions delayed my plans. Finally, in July, while I was already travelling in the Faroe Islands, I added a three-day detour to Iceland with one goal in mind: see the volcano erupt. And I did – twice! Once on my first day, and again on the last! On the day in between, I explored South Iceland, from Seljalandsfoss to Vík, and even climbed a small mountain overlooking the Sólheimajökull glacier.