This week, I am taking a break from writing about tropical beach vacations. A couple of years ago my sister made an impromptu decision to travel to Iceland with one of her college friends. Of course, I was extremely jealous as she sent us beautiful pictures of the unique country in our family group chat. So, I want to research more about Iceland and the beautiful scenery it has to offer.
One beautiful area Iceland has to offer is the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Snaefellsnes is known for the variety of landscapes found within this small area. It happens to be nicknamed “Iceland in Miniature” because of the unique inclusion of glaciers, craters, and flower fields. The most famous attraction happens to be Snæfellsjökull glacier. Because of the popularity of the glacier, Snaefellsnes Peninsula became recognized as a National Park in 2001. Snæfellsjökull consists of twin-peaked glaciers that are located above a volcano. The surroundings include lava pools and coastline on three sides of the glacier. Many guided tours allow you to hike or take a snowmobile to the top of the glacier to overlook the various landscapes surrounding it. If you are lucky, you may be able to see the Northern Lights on a clear night as well!
Another popular tour of the magnificent landscape is the Golden Circle. Within the Golden Circle, you stop at Þingvellir national park, Gullfoss waterfall, and the geothermal area of Haukadalur. Within the national park, you can stop by the astonishing volcanic crater of Kerið. A blue lake inside the crater reflects the fall-like colors providing picturesque scenery. Another famous top in the national park are the geysers Strokkur and Geysir. Although Geysir is predominately inactive, Strokkur geyser shoots 10-20 meters of hot water about every ten minutes. The Gullfoss waterfall happens to be ranked in the top ten best waterfalls in the world and on sunny days, rainbows paint the Gullfoss providing even more beauty. This route includes every type of landscape you may want to see all in one tourist trip!
My sister’s number one suggestion for things to do was to visit the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is a natural geothermal spa that contains rich minerals and good bacteria for the body. The hot pool has a unique appearance of a milky blue color. What makes this spa even better is its location. The Blue Lagoon happens to sit on the volcanic Reykjanes Peninsula. This adds a wonderful view of mountains in the background of the lagoon. Lava pools surrounding the area are covered in a grey moss and steam raises gradually from the spa as well. The Blue Lagoon is one hundred percent on my go-to travel activity. It adds a relaxing aspect to a trip that is full completely with adventures.