/countries/show/iceland/1.rss en-us The Westman Islands Festival, held annually on the first August weekend in the southern coast of Iceland, is well thought of as one of the greatest parties in the world. This Iceland Festival, also known as the “Merchant’s Holiday” or "Þjóðhátíð", is marked by residents actually leaving their homes to pitch white tents in the middle of a valley for a colossal celebration! At the heart of it all is Herjolfsdalur Valley near the town of Vestmannaeyjar on Heimaey Island. Here natives welcome hordes of people to their temporary tent community from all ages and walks of life, who flock here to experience the craziness that is the Westman Islands Festival. Locals host mainlanders with smoked puffin, hot coffee and of course with some alcoholic pleasantries, such as vodka! Amongst the white tents and spirited beverages, be sure to enjoy some of the impromptu sing alongs, massive bonfires or fireworks displays. Families gather in the morning to camp out, picnic, and watch entertainment from local personalities, which ranges from comedy presentations and music-fests. In the evening, young adults party to the chagrin of police officers who watch over the place and keep trouble at bay. The first Westman Islands Festival was held in Vestmannaeyjar in 1872 to celebrate the ratification of Iceland’s Constitution. Locals could not travel to the mainland due to bad weather, but this did not diminish their desire to celebrate with the whole of Iceland. Presently, people from the mainland ironically travel to this coastal town to celebrate the Festival. Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:58:31 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/westmann-islands-festival http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/westmann-islands-festival Iceland’s landscape is often described as “other worldly” or “eerie,” with its black lava fields, steaming hot springs, and temperamental volcanoes that leave you feeling as if you’re on another planet. And while much of this small arctic country fits that description, perhaps no area displays the alien-like beauty of Iceland like Lake Mývatn. Located in the tiny village of Reykjahlíð in northern Iceland, Mývatn sits nestled amidst ancient lava fields, bubbling craters, and steaming, sulphuric mountains that are tinged in surreal shades of orange and pink pastel. It is a highly volatile area, as Mývatn sits directly atop the mid-Atlantic ridge – an underwater mountain range and the spot where Europe and North America are literally pulling away from each other. The resulting landscape is the result of thousands of years worth of violent volcanic eruptions. The lake itself is littered with more than 50 small islands known as pseudocraters, which resemble hollowed out hills and were formed by gas explosions as boiling lava from nearby volcanoes flowed into the lake. One of Iceland’s most famous volcanoes, the Krafla fissure, sits in the Mývatn area. It last erupted in a spectacular explosion in 1984, when an 8.5 km long fissure opened up, spewing fire from the ground. Krafla is still highly active (a geothermal power plant has been built there, harnessing some of this energy), and is considered an extremely dangerous volcano. While visitors are allowed to walk on the trails around the area, they are strongly advised to stick only to the marked trails. The ground at Krafla is extremely hot and thin in spots, and one wrong step could plunge your foot through. There are numerous hiking trails around Mývatn, with the most impressive one being the Hverfell-Dimmuborgir trail. This path will lead you to some of Mývatn’s most interesting sites, including water-filled caves where the water is 45 degrees celsius, massive craters from past eruptions, and oddly shaped lava formations that date back 2000 years. After a day of hiking through lava fields and visiting the boiling craters of Krafla, spend the evening floating in the Mývatn Nature Bath. A smaller version of Reykjavík’s Blue Lagoon, it is a soothing pool of hot, turquoise-coloured water, perched atop a hill overlooking Mývatn and the town of Reykjahlið. As you soak in the naturally heated pool, you can gaze out at the black lava fields, pseudocraters, and desert-like geothermal fields, and marvel at the alien beauty of Iceland. Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:37:42 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/lake-myvatn http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/lake-myvatn When you first arrive at Gullfoss (translated as the “Golden Falls”), you’ll wonder what all the fuss is about. You approach from the top, down river from where the falls drop off, and as you draw nearer, it looks like a small, albeit pretty, waterfall. You’ll probably think it seems a bit disappointing to be the most famous waterfall in Iceland, but then as you walk closer, you’ll suddenly realize that the falling water just… disappears. That is, until you step closer still and the ground abruptly opens in front of you, leaving you peering down at a thunderous rush of water and a very steep, very narrow, very startling drop. Gullfoss waterfall is on the Hvítá river, and is part of the famous Golden Circle – a popular daytrip from Reykjavik that includes Þingvellir National Park and Geysir. As the furthest point from Reykjavik, it’s usually the final stop people make while touring the area, and it leaves a lasting impression. The Gullfoss first drops over a wide cascade, weaving around and over chunks of black rock, before shifting to the opposite direction and falling a further 32 metres into a narrow canyon. While the drop is impressive, it’s the force of so much water being squeezed into such a thin ravine that gives the Golden Falls their awesome power. The rush of water is deafening, and when the sun is right, rainbows appear in the mist over the falls. A pathway leads down to a rocky outcrop at the base of the first cascade, where visitors can get so close they could lean over and dip their fingers into the water if they so wished (not recommended!). The path is steep and slippery and the falls are hypnotizing as they gush past. A slim piece of rope is all that acts as a handrail down the path along Gullfoss waterfall, not offering much comfort in the way of protection. The viewing area is always filled with a mix of people – those daring themselves to stand on the edge of the Gullfoss, and those pressed up against the rocky walls of the canyon, too scared to move. Amazingly, the beauty of the Golden Falls was almost destroyed in the 1920s, when the Icelandic government partnered with a private developer and planned to turn the waterfall into a hydroelectric power plant. The landowner, Tomas Tomasson, refused to sell, despite the offers he had received from numerous developers who had lusted over the falls for years. In 1907, one Englishman offered 50 times what Tomasson’s farmhouse was worth, to which Tomasson famously replied, “I won’t sell my friend.” When the government ignored Tomasson and stepped in with their own plans for Gullfoss waterfall, Tomasson’s daughter Sigridur set out on a pilgrimage to save her father’s land. She walked all the way to Reykjavik, where she threatened to throw herself over the falls if the development went through. Despite her threat, the government refused to back down, until, in 1928, the developer failed to pay the rental fee and the project fell through. In 1975, the land was donated to the Icelandic Nature Conservation Council. Since then, Gullfoss has been preserved as a national park. Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:44:45 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/gullfoss-waterfall http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/gullfoss-waterfall The first thing you notice when standing in front of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano, is the sound. It lets out a steady low rumble like thunder rolling, and every now and then, releases a loud roar that sends shock waves bouncing up through the smoke above it. Standing there, listening to its groans and watching the smoke pour into the sky, it’s a constant reminder of just how small you are when compared to the power that lies beneath the earth. Despite its name, the land in Iceland is hot. The country has over 200 active volcanoes, fields of still-smoking lava, and endless hot springs. There’s so much geothermal power that the entire country can rely on all-natural heating systems, and instead of having to heat their water after it comes out of the ground, they have to cool it down. There are eruptions every five years or so, and the ground regularly trembles with earthquakes. Amid all the volcanic activity in Iceland, it’s the Eyjafjallajökull volcano that’s gained the most attention. It made headlines in mid-April 2010, when it released an ash cloud that soared over most of Europe and caused travel chaos around the world. The volcano is in an unusual position directly underneath a glacier, and the excessive ash was the result of hot magma from the eruption reacting with glacial water and exploding. At first, the area was closed to the public. Toxic ash raining down from the Eyjafjallajökul volcano and flash floods from the melting glacier meant it was unsafe for people to travel within the region. The area began to re-open two weeks after the eruption. While there’s still the risk of floods (and emergency services workers are stationed at the base of the volcano in case of that), it’s generally safe for the public to visit. To take a tour of Eyjafjallajökul, you have to travel with 4x4 from the town of Hvosvöller into the Þorsmork valley on the north side of the glacier. It’s a short ride from town, but one that will rattle your entire body as you drive through rivers and along a bumpy dirt road. Once there, you stand and you wait, and you watch. It’s never the same sight twice. Sometimes the crater glows red beneath the smoke, sometimes lava shoots into the sky, and sometimes ominous puffs of black smoke pour out and block any view of the fire within. The entire time, you will continue to hear that low, steady growl coming from deep inside the mountain. Wed, 05 May 2010 16:29:59 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/eyjafjallajokull-volcano http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/eyjafjallajokull-volcano The oohs and ahs rise up from the crowd like clockwork. Turquoise water gurgles and forms a bubble over the hole, growing and growing, until, with a pop and a whoosh, it gushes skyward, shooting up to an impressive 30m high. Cue the oohs and ahs. With a schedule of erupting every five minutes or so, Strokkur may not be the world's most impressive geyser, but it's certainly the most reliable. The title of Iceland's most impressive used to belong to Geysir (pronounced gay-zeer) - a formidable geyser that shot 80m into the air, and provided the namesake for all other geysers around the world. Sadly for Geysir, rumour has it that one day a group of tourists threw rocks into it, trying to set it off. Instead, the rocks plugged the spring, and now it shoots up only sporadically, and nowhere near to its original height. Some reports say the vandalism happened in the 1950s, others, as early as the late 19th century. Regardless of when, the fact remains that Geysir rests, silently steaming, while Strokkur has stepped in as the area's greatest attraction. Strokkur geyser sits in the middle of a geothermal field, surrounded by bubbling springs and yellowed rock, just east of Thingvellir National Park. It's an area of intense volcanic activity - the park rests on the mid-Atlantic ridge fault line, where the European and North American plates are literally pulling away from each other. This intense underground activity and pressure is the force behind Strokkur's formidable explosions. Geysers are formed as a result of geothermally heated water that becomes trapped in narrow underground fissures. The water near the surface cools, but the water below becomes hotter and hotter, warmed by the surrounding volcanic rock, and it eventually turns into steam. Once enough pressure has built up, the steam explodes, shooting the surface water upwards in a magnificent spray. The water that emerges is stinky, but given that all of Iceland - from remote houses in the countryside to 5-star hotels in Reykjavik - is heated by natural springs of sulphuric water, it's a smell you quickly grow accustomed to in this country. Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:46:16 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/strokkur http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/strokkur The Skogafoss (pronounced “skou.a fos”) waterfall suddenly appeared from the road as we drove through the barren but illuminated landscape of southern Iceland. At 60 metres high and 25 metres wide, it is easily visible from the road; and audible too. Due to the amount of spray that the Skogafoss waterfall produces, a single or double rainbow is often visible on sunny days. Even on an overcast winter’s day, when the sun is hiding, the misty powerful white sheets of glass are just as impressive, and make for a great waterfall photo. According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, Þrasi Þórólfsson, buried a chest filled with gold coins in a cave behind the Skogafoss waterfall. A local boy found the chest years later, but was only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared again. At the eastern side of the Skogafoss waterfall, a hiking trail leads up to the Fimmvörðuháls pass, between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. It goes down to Þórsmörk on the other side and continues as the famous Laugavegur to Landmannalaugar. There are many beautiful waterfalls around the world—in the rainforests of Australia, on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border, in the fjords of Norway to name a few, but Iceland definitely astonishes with a compact and powerful Icelandic waterfall to entrance and entice visitors. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:40:14 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/skogafoss http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/skogafoss Revitalize, rest, and rejuvenate during a trip to the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa in Iceland. These healing waters of the spa are full of minerals such as silica and sulfur, which by bathing in eases visitors various medicinal aliments as well as soothes the recreational user. Entirely man made, the Blue Lagoon Spa operates as most of Iceland does in generating power by burrowing deep into the earth. In doing so this causes steam to rise up powering turbines which is then recaptured and pumped into the luxurious lagoon to heat it. The average temperature of the water in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon is 40 °C (104 °F). The Blue Lagoon is surprisingly enjoyable all year round despite being so close to the Arctic Circle, this is due to the Gulf Stream which regulates temperatures in Reykjavik, making it less extreme in winter then that of a typical one in say New York City. Soak away the stress of city life here at the Blue Lagoon Spa and rekindle your relationship with nature as you bask in the scenic beauty of Iceland’s lava fields. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 13:16:39 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/blue-lagoon-iceland http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/blue-lagoon-iceland