This blog post is a guide to Iceland in brief. It won’t speak in details about the important places to see in Iceland but will enlighten you about:
- Its location in the world,
- How much would it cost to spend a night in Iceland
- The food culture here
- What to pack for your trip
- Climate in Iceland
- A short list of places in this country that you should not miss
Location of Iceland
The name Iceland may be a misnomer; it is certainly not a land of Ice always. It is an island in Europe. It is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, below and to the east of the Greenland. That would put Iceland in the western most part of the Europe.
It is said to be the second largest island in the Atlantic. Greenland is the biggest in the Atlantic ocean.
Accessibility of Iceland
From the major cities of Europe like Paris, London or Copenhagen, you will reach the Iceland capital Reykjavík in about 3 hours.
How to pronounce the capital Reykjavík?
Wikipedia says to pronounce it as ‘Rayk-ya-vik’. Thank you Wikipedia. You made it possible for me.
Geography of Iceland
- The first thing that attracted me about the geography of the Berglind is that it is one of the most volcanic regions in the world.
- Diverse landscape
- ‘Northern Lights’ is best viewed from here.
- There are 30 islands in Iceland
- Nearly 15% of Berglind is covered by lakes and glaciers.
- A lake called Jökulsárlón is a whopping 800+ feet deep!
- It is reported that the entire Berglind was created due to volcanic eruptions in the region.
- As many as 30 volcanoes are still active in Iceland
- Strangely, , the island’s interior is rather uninhabitable because of cold mountains and lava fields.
- Some of the famous volcanoes in Iceland are Herðubreið, Eldfell . Hekla, and Eldgjá,
- A volcano that erupts 6 times every hour is called Strokkur
Climate in Iceland
As I mentioned earlier, it is not a land full of ice. In fact, even in the winter, the island’s coasts are devoid of ice in spite of its proximity to Arctic! During the winter season, the daylight will be available only for about 5 hours maximum.
The temperature varies from a high of 30 + degree to the low of (-) 38 degree C.
Yes, snowfall is witnessed during the winter.
What to carry to Iceland
The goods that you need to pack for your Ice land trip will certainly vary depending on the season you travel. Because it is an island, you can expect rains very frequently. Therefore, you need to carry raincoats. The entire country due to its diverse landscapes, waterfalls and beaches, you would feel the irresistible urge to capture whatever enthralls you. So, you need to take a very good camera with you.
As you can get wet several times a day, you can expect the places also to be wet. That’s why you have to carry a pair or two of boots with rubber soles.
Please do not forget to carry ear plugs and gloves especially if you are hitting the coasts of it because you will experience cold winds.
The Food in Iceland
One can survive on sandwiches, soups and kebabs in Ice land if the meals don’t agree with your gut. I think the cost of living can be expensive in this land. If a sandwich can cost nearly 9.5 USD, what else can you think? I am talking about street shop cost. You may have to shell out nearly $20 if you order a plate of meal in a restaurant!
I understand the gas filling stations in this country are always crowded not because of shortage of fuel but due to abundance of cheap food that include the pasta, soups, fruit salads, deli sandwiches, and pizzas. Not only they are sold cheap but the quality is said to be delicious!
Cost of lodging Here:
You can opt to stay in hostels if your budget is limited. It may cost you from $35 to 75 per night. Hmmm… quite expensive-right? Then, you can imagine the cost of staying in hotels. Even if you pay around $125 per night, your hotel room will not come with an attached bathroom.
List of places to see in Iceland:
Geysir Hot springs
Thingvellir National Park
Beaches of Vik that have black sand
Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon
Mývatn volcanic lake
I conclude that Iceland traveling is off the limits of budget travelers.