Have you ever stood between two continents? and hopped across at will? Well, in Iceland, you can!In keeping with its paradoxical nature, Iceland is divided by the Mid-Atlantic Rift. Some parts of it, such as the Westfjords and Reyjavík, are on the North American tectonic plate, while others, such as Vatnajökull glacier and the East Fjords, are on the...
Have you ever heard the story of the Gods being condemned to a waterfall, well let me tell you the little story of Godafoss or The Waterfall of the Gods! The waterfall Godafoss (The Waterfall of the Gods) is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland. It is located right off the Ring Road, about 50 km (31 miles) east...
The Icelandic horses were brought into the country by the Vikings and over the last 1000 odd years they have been kept as a pure breed. They are a special breed because unlike other horses that have three (or at best four) natural gaits the Icelandic horse has five gaits – the walk, trot and...
Carry a swimsuit when you travel to Iceland… Some may laugh… but, believe me, you will have the last laugh at the Blue Lagoon or Myvatn Nature Baths! While Iceland has a lot of natural hot water springs, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is a man made one located in a lava field in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Undoubtedly one of the most popular...
Iceland is a country with a population of just about 320,000. And there has been little immigration over the years. This means there is not as much genetic diversity as on larger land masses. Go back a few generations and most Icelanders will find they are related to each other – almost everyone is distantly...
Doesn’t most of the stress of life come from loneliness, low social interaction and lack of a support system? And maybe exercise?The Icelanders have figured a fun way way of handling all of these – “Sundlaugs”“Sundlaugs” are geothermally heated public pools across Iceland. There are 120+ of them with each town having one. The New...
Folklore has it that once in Iceland, there lived a woman named Katla who was known to wear a special trouser and run like the wind! Katla’s skill had helped a lot of people and she was renowned far and wide. However, Katla also had a mean temper. Once when a shepherd needed to round...
If you want to lay a road, build a house, or construct a dam in Iceland, there’s one influential group you have to clear it with first – Elves, the ‘hidden people’, the Huldufolk. Legend has it that they are similar to humans, and wear 17th century clothing, tend to livestock, pick berries, and even go...
