It’s cold, all the time, just in varying degrees. But it’s not surprising, as Iceland lies just south of the Arctic Circle. I thought, “Who would want to live here?” But once you get to know the islanders, you understand. They are so proud of being Icelanders and love their country and heritage.
Of the 400,000 inhabitants in Iceland, over 250,000 live in the greater Reykjavik area, the capital. The rest live in small towns, some with as few as a couple of hundred people. The communities are mostly dotted around the coast, where the locals fish, farm and enjoy a very quiet, peaceful existence. They have a real sense of belonging and thrive in their little communities where everyone knows everyone, and they just accept the weather for what it is.
The reason I was very keen to visit Iceland was its extraordinary landscape. It’s dominated by active volcanoes and vast lava fields. The lava stretches for kilometres, and over time, a deep, green moss grows on it, softening the intense black rubble. Massive glaciers, black sand beaches, and towering waterfalls all add to the dramatic landscape, where fire and ice have literally clashed for centuries. It’s raw and wild.
The Weather
Tim and I visited Iceland in mid-June, the height of summer. However, it’s not summer as we know it; the temperature highs were between 6 and 14 degrees Celsius most days, and the clouds hung low. Despite this, the locals were happy. Daylight hours vary greatly, depending on the month of the year. In the summer, daylight can range from 20 to 24 hours a day. However, in Akureyri and the far north, around the summer solstice (21 June), the sun doesn’t set at all. It’s called the ‘Midnight Sun’, and you get a continuous, ethereal twilight.
By contrast, in winter, the sun doesn’t rise until around 11:00 am and sets by 3:30 pm. This goes on for months and months. But not only is there no light, but it also snows, and there are blizzards. Travel between towns is problematic, and life can be very quiet.
I had a quiet chuckle to myself when I saw a swimsuit shop in Reykjavik. I couldn’t believe anyone would need togs. But interestingly, most Icelanders take a holiday during the summer and travel somewhere affordable with guaranteed warmth and sunshine, such as Spain or the Azores.
Where did we go in Iceland?
Vopnafjorour
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Our first stop in Iceland was Vopnafjörður. We woke to the sound of the ship’s fog horns as we gingerly sailed into the small harbour.
The town of Vopnafjorour has a very industrial port, with functional, unattractive buildings and is home to just 660 residents. However, once away from the town, the surroundings morphed into stunning, beautiful, secluded fjords tucked into the rugged coastline of northeast Iceland.
The landscape surrounding the fjord is large mountains with flat tops. There are no jagged ridges in Iceland. This is because they were heavily carved by Ice Age glaciers.
Like so many small towns, Vopnafjörður offers an authentic, slow-paced slice of Icelandic life, dominated by dramatic sea cliffs, pristine valleys, and a deep connection to history.
Unfortunately, the fog was still low when we visited the Gljúfursárfoss waterfall. These falls are unique and are among the few waterfalls in Iceland that empty almost directly into the North Atlantic Ocean.
From a viewing platform built over a colourful ravine, we got a beautiful double-view: the crashing white water of the falls on one side, and the vast expanse of the Vopnafjörður fjord on the other.
Next visited the “Elephant Rock”, a massive, freestanding sea stack off the coast that looks remarkably like an elephant dipping its trunk into the North Atlantic Ocean. It sits directly off Skjólfjörur, a beautiful, rugged pebble beach known for its dramatic coastal scenery and piles of driftwood that drift ashore from Siberia.
Walking back through the town to the ship, it was not hard to recognise that the town’s primary industry was high-tech fish processing (the smell was terrible and dominated the town). They have an abundance of cod and other fish species, consumed locally and exported. However, its surrounding valleys are world-renowned for a different kind of catch: Atlantic Salmon. The Hofsá and Selá Rivers wind through the Vopnafjörður area and are two of the most exclusive, pristine salmon-fishing rivers on earth. Over the decades, they have drawn high-profile fly-fishing enthusiasts, including King Charles III.
Akurryri
Our next stop on our Icelandic cruise was the charming northern capital of Akureyri. It sits snugly at the base of a quiet fjord. It’s significantly bigger than Vopnafjörður, with a population of 20,000, and we were assured the town had all the amenities of a modern city
A thirty-five-minute drive east of Akureyri is Goðafoss, one of Iceland’s most elegant waterfalls. The Skjálfandafljót River drops 12 meters over a grand, sweeping horseshoe-shaped canyon spanning 30 meters wide. The water is a striking, glacial turquoise blue.
After the waterfall, we stopped at Laufás, a beautifully preserved, historic turf-roofed farmstead. originating from the Viking times. It’s situated just north of Akureyri, along the eastern shore of the Eyjafjörður fjord. It offers a fascinating look at how wealthy Icelanders lived in past centuries. Today, it stands out as one of the country’s most iconic examples of traditional Icelandic turf architecture. Behind the white timber facades lies a labyrinth of interconnected rooms insulated by massive walls of thick earth, stone, and turf:
Isafjorour
Our final Icelandic town on the cruise before disembarking in Reykjavik was Isafjordur. It’s the largest town in Iceland’s remote Westfjords region, with just 2,700 residents.
Surrounded by steep mountains and deep fjords, it’s one of the most dramatic settings in the country.
My day in Isafjordur was spent learning about Icelandic birds and animals, in particular the Arctic Fox, Eider Ducks, and Polar Bears.
The Arctic fox is Iceland’s only native land mammal, having crossed the frozen sea at the end of the last Ice Age. Perfectly adapted to the sub-arctic climate, these resilient carnivores feature dense, insulating fur that changes colour with the seasons—shifting from a pristine white to a charcoal winter coat, and a camouflaged brown and grey in summer.
The Eider Duck, a large, stocky sea duck, holds a deeply revered place in Iceland’s culture and economy.
It’s the source of one of the world’s most luxurious, sustainable natural materials: eiderdown. Iceland is the global epicentre for this unique industry, producing roughly 80% of the world’s supply.
Eiderdown is not plucked from live birds; it’s harvested entirely naturally from the nests without causing any stress to the ducks. When a female Eider prepares her nest in spring, she plucks the incredibly soft, lightweight down feathers from her own breast to insulate her eggs against the freezing sub-arctic winds. Once the eggs hatch in summer and the mother leads her ducklings out to the open sea, the farmer collects the down from the abandoned nest.
It takes about 50 nests to gather just one kilogram of eiderdown. Hence, the quilts are luxury items, often retailing for thousands of dollars.
While there are no Polar Bears in Iceland, they sometimes visit from Greenland. They can drift across the Denmark Strait on sea ice. Most sightings are on the north west coast. If this occurs, they are generally very hungry and are the world’s largest sea predator, so the Icelandic authorities take this very seriously to protect the locals.
Reykjavik
After the cruise, we had a couple of days in Reykjavik. We explored the city on the first day and hired a car on the second day to navigate the Northwestern peninsula.
The Perlan’s Wonders of Iceland is a captivating attraction in Reykjavik. This immersive museum brings Iceland’s extraordinary natural forces to life with an indoor ice cave built from hundreds of tonnes of snow, an incredible show of the Northern Lights in a state-of-the-art planetarium, but the most incredible event was the volcanic experience.
From a small theatre with a domed roof, we were immersed in the raw power of Iceland’s geology. As we sat, the room moved around us as we were taken beneath an erupting volcano. We experienced the awe-inspiring forces of a volcanic eruption, which has shaped Iceland -glowing lava, rumbling earth and billowing ash.
At the top of the building is a panoramic observation deck, where we enjoyed sweeping views across Reykjavik, the surrounding mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.
On our second day in Reykjavik, we drove to the Northwestern peninsula. This was the best scenery we saw during our week in Iceland, which begs the question: Is it best to cruise around Iceland or hire a car and explore independently? These are the places we visited.
Snæfellsjökull National Park
Dominating the western tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is the Snæfellsjökull National Park. It has a colossal, 700,000-year-old glacier-capped volcano. Famed as the portal in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, this wilderness encompasses mossy lava fields, ancient subterranean caves, dramatic coastal sea cliffs, and black pebble beaches.
Grundarfjordur
Best known as the home of the iconic Kirkjufell Mountain. The town offers dramatic coastal mountain scenery, boat tours for puffins and whale watching, and a quiet, charming harbour.
Sykkisholmsbaer
Stykkishólmsbær is the largest town on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, famous for its colourful, preserved 19th-century timber houses and bustling harbour.
So, what’s the best way to get around this remote and wild island?
There are three ways to experience Iceland.
- Cruise ship
- Self-drive. – Iceland can be explored by driving the Ring Road (Route 1). The ring road is about 1,300 kilometres and takes about 12 hours to drive without stops, depending on the weather conditions. It connects almost all of the country’s major towns. A leisurely 4-5 day roadie would make for a good adventure.
- The third option is a combo. We cruised around Iceland, and when we got off the ship in Reykjavik, we hired a car and further explored the Northern part of the Ring Road.
Note: Iceland is an expensive country to visit, but don’t let that deter you. It’s a small, isolated community, so it’s not surprising, but you will be paying top dollar for everything from rental cars to restaurant meals.