There are destinations that seduce you gently, easing you into their charms with a decent glass of wine, a pretty sunset and the promise of a lie-in. And then there is Iceland. Iceland is the equivalent of falling for a handsome, brooding boyfriend with a serious temper problem. One minute they’re hot, passionate and making your heart race; the next they’re giving you the cold shoulder, throwing a tantrum and leaving you wondering quite what you’ve let yourself in for. Iceland is exhilarating, exhausting and entirely impossible to control. Naturally, I was smitten.
Hot
Travelling across one of the world’s most active volcanic landscapes feels very much like living life on the edge, where the earth bubbles, steams, spits and occasionally explodes. Its geothermal energy is everywhere, from steaming geysirs and bubbling mud pools to spectacular volcanic landscapes that make you feel as though you’ve stumbled onto another planet. And just when you think things are getting too heated, Iceland offers a rather more civilised way to handle the temperature: a geothermal soak.
From the iconic retreat at Blue Lagoon a short drive from Reykjavik to the beautifully atmospheric Geosea in the north where you can watch breaching humpback whales whilst bathing on the cliffs and the Vök Baths in the east situated on a lake steeped in mythology around a snake like creature that inhabits the waters there, there is something wonderfully indulgent about slipping into naturally heated water while the air around you is decidedly chilly. Even lunch gets in on the volcanic act.
At Friðheimar, tomatoes are grown in enormous geothermal greenhouses, whatever the weather is doing outside. Eating a bowl of rich and delicious homemade tomato soup bursting with flavour surrounded by flourishing vines in the middle of an Icelandic winter feels oxymoronic.
FIELD NOTES:
Stay at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon in the south for the ultimate volcanic indulgence or for a more private setting rent out a cottage at Hvammsik where you can bathe in a series of heated pools as well as a tidal pool right on the Atlantic
Book lunch at Friðheimar; the tomato soup and freshly baked bread are practically a pilgrimage.
The short 4D volcanic experience at Harpa in Reykjavik is really fun for all ages – giving you an immersive volcanic learning experience before you explore them in real life!
Cold
Of course, no relationship with Iceland is entirely plain sailing. Just when you’ve warmed to his charms, he turns icy. And I mean properly icy. Glacier climbing across ancient rivers of frozen blue at the largest glacier in Iceland at Vatnajökull national park, squeezing through extraordinary ice caves and standing beneath a ceilings of crystalline ice are experiences that make you feel deliciously insignificant.
The multicoloured floating icebergs on glacier lagoon on the south coast seen at sunrise against a pink sky are stunning. Constantly moving, overbalancing and changing, their colours shifting from milky white to impossible electric blue to a iridescent black where the volcanic ash has been engraved into the ice before they finish their journey on black diamond beach glistening in the sunlight like jewels as they disappear layer by layer with the eroding tide.
Then there’s Silfra, in Þingvellir National Park, where you can snorkel or dive between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The water is so exceptionally clear that visibility can reach around 100 metres. It is also approximately 2°C, which is not, traditionally, my preferred swimming temperature.
But there is something wonderfully addictive about floating between two continents in water that has been filtered through volcanic rock for decades. Getting into those dry suits is a feat in itself and not one for the chlaustrophobic – I thought Spanx pants were a challenge until I was sealed in like a trussed up turkey to prevent the frigid water from touching my skin. It was worth every second though to swim through that seascape.
FIELD NOTES:
Base yourself at Jokulsarlon Hotel on the south coast for access to the incredible glacier and lagoon or for a smaller family run hotel option Skalakot.
Eat at Pakkhús Restaurant in Höfn for excellent seafood, particularly their freshly caught langoustine.
Light
And then, just when you’re beginning to tire of the relationship, the moody grey skies, the rainy November days Iceland makes you fall in love all over again with something truly spectacular. Iceland’s northern lights / Aurora. One minute the sky is an ordinary, inky black; the next it begins to shimmer, flicker and dance in curtains of green, sometimes edged with pink or violet. The aurora is not a light show that performs on demand, of course. It requires patience, darkness, clear skies and a large amount of solar cooperation, which makes the whole affair feel suitably unpredictable.
I found myself checking my phone constantly for weather apps and aurora updates, asking hotels for a wake up call and then staring at that phone all night cursing it for its lack of sound, abandoning comfortable evenings and heading out into the freezing darkness on the promise of a glimpse. And when the sky finally delivered, all was forgiven. Even the most spectacular sunset struggles to compete with watching the heavens put on a private performance above a landscape of mountains, glaciers and volcanic plains.
FIELD NOTES:
Deplar Farm with its spectacularly remote setting, viking sauna and geo thermal pool overlooking a stunning valley and lake is one of the most special places to experience the northern lights in all their glory. You can totally believe the stories of trolls roaming this peninsular when you visit!
Hotel Rangá in the south is a particularly great southernly base for aurora watching owing to its utter dark location (but be prepared for the somewhat extraordinary interiors in the suites – the food and service here more than makes up for the interior design however!),
Dark
Beneath those seemingly endless lava fields lies a subterranean world of volcanic tunnels, vast chambers and extraordinary geological formations. Exploring a lava cave such as Raufarhólshellir is a reminder that the ground beneath your feet is anything but ordinary. Descending into the tunnel, you pass walls of twisted iron rich lava rock, strange formations and colours that look almost artificially painted.
Then, at one point when we were at the furthermost point of our exploration of the tunnel, our guide switched off the lights. Complete darkness. Not romantic candlelit darkness, but the kind where you genuinely cannot see your hand in front of your face. Suddenly the scale of the cave feels enormous and your confidence rather diminutive. It’s thrilling, slightly unnerving and a useful reminder that you do not want to venture far from the experts that can navigate this wildly unpredictable terrain.
FIELD NOTES:
Stay at ION Adventure Hotel near Þingvellir for a suitably dramatic setting or if you want to be based in Reykjavik then The Edition.
Treat yourself with a wonderful michelin tasting menu at Òx which feels like stepping into a speakeasy bar and back in time to the comfort of a beloved grannys kitchen or at their sister restaurant the delicious Sel!
Fast
Finally if Iceland were a boyfriend, he’d be the one suggesting an impromptu road trip at 6am, followed by an activity that sounds dangerous and a promise that it’ll be absolutely fine but with no guarantees.
There is no shortage of adrenaline here – it is a country for the adventurous. One moment you’re riding Icelandic horses across vast lava fields, discovering their wonderfully distinctive tölt gait; the next you’re bouncing across black-sand beaches on an ATV, with volcanic mountains looming in the distance.
Add snowmobiling across glaciers, bumpy super-jeep expeditions into the highlands, ice climbing, whale watching and hiking to waterfalls which leave you slack jawed and in awe, and it becomes clear that Iceland has little interest in a quiet weekend.
The landscape is the playground, and the activities are gloriously varied. The trick is not to over-plan every hour, but to leave enough room for the spontaneous detours that invariably turn out to be the highlights.
FIELD NOTES:
Take time to drive up the East coast. It is totally worth it and some of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes I encountered in Iceland. Whilst the hotels here are perhaps not as high end as other parts of the country the staggering landscape makes up for it ten fold.
I really enjoyed my short stay at Blabjorg resort in Bakkageði where you can have kelp or beer baths in their small but intimate spa, learn about their craft beer and overlook a bay that had wonderful northern light viewings. It is a tiny town of around 100 residents but come the summer is one of the best places in Iceland to visit puffin colonies!
Slow
But for all the drama, Iceland also has a softer, more seductive side. Perhaps the greatest luxury here is learning to slow down. After days of racing across lava fields, climbing glaciers and chasing waterfalls, there is nothing quite like sinking into a steaming geothermal pool, allowing the cold air to brush your face while the rest of your body melts into the warmth.
The Icelandic ritual of alternating between hot water, saunas and cold plunges is wonderfully restorative. It’s less about ticking off another experience and more about being entirely present. The landscape does most of the entertaining: extraordinary skies, distant mountains, the occasional snow flurry and, if you’re lucky, the northern lights overhead. Sometimes the best thing to do is absolutely nothing and let nature do what it does best – soothe the soul.
FIELD NOTES:
In the north, Forest Lagoon near Akureyri offers a beautiful woodland setting. The new hotel Skald in Akureyri with its literary and poetic theme throughout the hotel encourages you to grab a good book, cosy up in a warm corner near a fire with one of their delicious signature cocktails and enjoy some quiet hygge time.
Verdict: Untameable
By the end of the trip, I had come to the conclusion that Iceland is not a destination you conquer, tame or even entirely understand. It is a place of extraordinary contradictions: fire and ice, darkness and light, chaos and calm. Its weather changes its mind every five minutes, its roads occasionally disappear beneath snow or end abruptly where the lava has quite literally swallowed the road whole, its volcanoes remind you that the earth is very much alive, and its skies seem to have a personality of their own.
You learn to be flexible, to respect the elements and to surrender a little control. And perhaps that’s the real appeal. Iceland doesn’t promise you perfect weather, guaranteed northern lights or an itinerary that runs precisely to plan.
It promises something much better: adventure, unpredictability and the possibility of being completely blown away. Like the best (and most infuriating) of relationships, you leave exhausted, exhilarated and already plotting your return. Some boyfriends are simply not worth the trouble. Iceland, on the other hand, is absolutely worth the emotional rollercoaster.
Interested in TRAVELLING TO ICELAND?
If you are ready to fall for Iceland’s fire and ice, from glacier hikes and ice caves to snorkelling between continents at Silfra and chasing the northern lights, then we are here to help you put together an unforgettable Iceland adventure. Get in touch with our expert travel team on +44 20 8044 9538 or at connect@journeyswithpurpose.org and start planning your own love affair with Iceland today.
