Whenever I flew to Europe and found myself looking down on Iceland, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, I wondered if I would eventually get to see Europe’s westernmost country from the ground.
Known as the Land of Fire and Ice (and elves) this small island is roughly the same size as Kentucky and has a population of only 375,000, yet it struck me as being both exotic and hard to reach.
After the country’s economic crash in 2008, followed by the 2010 eruption of a volcano resulting in a six-day airspace ban over Iceland, I had misgivings about whether I would ever make it to this awe-inspiring place of erupting volcanoes, ice fields, waterfalls and scorching hot springs.
In 2011, the number of tourists to visit Iceland was just over half a million. But in the past decade, tourist numbers have risen significantly, thanks to Iceland’s brilliant tourism marketing campaign and the Netflix hit Game of Thrones, which filmed many of its dramatic landscape scenes in the country. Tourism reached a record high of 1.7 million international visitors in 2022.
Iceland, once an off-beat stop, is now a bucket list destination for many intent on visiting post-COVID.
I was finally able to make my own dream trip a reality in July, when my daughter and I took the “Around Iceland” cruise with Windstar Cruises. Travelling by sea also proved to be one of the easiest ways to experience the country’s different geographical regions, with six port of calls in the south, east, north and west as we navigated around the island over seven days.
The well-appointed cruise ship, Star Legend, is small, with only 312 passengers, which meant we were able to get into tight harbours without the need of tender boats to get us to shore. It also made getting from place to place in Iceland worry-free.
Besides deciding how to travel, if you plan on visiting Iceland you have to pick the best time for your stay, depending on your interests. For instance, in winter the days will be dark but you’ll have a higher chance of seeing the Northern Lights. The sun shines for only four to five hours in winter, compared with summer, when you can expect 21 hours of sunlight, and warmer weather. I found in the south the temperatures we experienced were mild, but I was glad I packed a tuque and gloves, especially in Iceland’s northern region near the Arctic Circle.
The Windstar “Around Iceland” cruises happen only in summer. Our cruise began on one of the balmiest days of our trip in southern Reykjavik, which 60 per cent of the country’s population calls home, likely in part because of its warmer climate. To get to this magical country we took a direct 7.5-hour flight from Vancouver to Reykjavik, and upon arrival chose to do our own outing before boarding the ship.
Our first stop was at Iceland’s most well-known thermal pool, Blue Lagoon, just 20 minutes from the airport in Keflavik. The thermal pool proved to be an ideal way to combat jet lag and it promised an anti-aging remedy as well.
Without hesitating, I slathered the soft white silica mud on my face, even though I ended up looking like a mime, without the French beret. About 700,000 visitors come here annually to soak and relax in the Blue Lagoon’s warm waters, although not all go for the publicly humiliating mud facials. While the 800-year-old lava field rings the pool, the hot water pool is not a natural spring, but is instead fed by runoff from a nearby geothermal power plant.
We’d later visit another stunning geothermal bath at the Myvatn Nature baths, in northern Iceland overlooking Lake Myvatn and admire its volcanic landscape. This stop was part of an excursion to the northern city of Akureyri, that also had us visiting one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland, the glacier-fed Godafoss Waterfall, also known as the Waterfall of the Gods. These spectacular falls are more than 30 metres in width and fall 12 metres.
On our second cruise day, we headed south to the Westman Islands, sailing past Surtsey Island, the youngest place on earth, which was created after a volcanic eruption in 1963, before arriving at the bucolic setting of Heimaey Island, which has the biggest breeding colony of puffins in Iceland.
This volcanic island, with steep cliffs covered in lush green moss, is also home to the Eldheimar Museum, built around an excavated building that was buried by lava after the Eldfell volcano erupted on Heimaey in 1973.
Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on Earth, with 32 active volcanic systems erupting every four years on average. On our first day in Iceland, an eruption happened on Reykjanes peninsula that didn’t threaten roads or inhabited areas but still made quite the show from afar. We could later see it from the viewing platform of Perlan, an interactive nature museum in Reykjavik, which is worth visiting to take in the 360-degree views of the city alone.
While Reykjavik is the most popular destination for tourists, there’s much to see in the countryside, from remote islands and beautiful fjords to picturesque villages dating back to the 8th century.
One of my favourite stops was on the east coast of Iceland at the tiny town of Seydisfjordur, which is home to 700 people. It’s surrounded by 25 waterfalls, some an easy walk from downtown, which is definitely worth exploring with its many artistic shops, brightly painted timber homes and a rainbow-coloured stone path leading to the town’s blue church.
Windstar did an overnight stay in Seydisfjordur and arranged for guests to enjoy an after-hours concert in the church featuring a talented Icelandic duo, who performed local songs and shared stories about Iceland’s strange fascination with elves and trolls. (A 2017 National Geographic study found 54 per cent of Icelanders believed in elves.)
Another favourite stop was at Isafjordur, in the Westfjords region, which is built on a sand spit with the famous Troll’s Throne looming overhead. Legend has it a troll sat on the mountaintop to rest and left a huge pit overlooking the town.
Our final stop before returning to Reykjavik was Grundarfjordur, where we visited nearby Snaefellsjokull National Park, and walked on the lava fields. The rock formations here are said to be trolls, apparently caught by sunlight and turned into stone. Throughout our trip to Iceland, stories and “evidence” of elves and trolls were common.
This is a country that diverts roads around boulders where elves are supposedly living or goes to the trouble of moving a massive boulder after a resident was told the elves wanted a better view. Who knew?
But one thing I do know for certain: I’m planning to be better prepared for my next visit to Iceland. I’ll immediately head to Reykjavik to enrol in Elf School’s three-hour course to earn my elf diploma. And no, I’m not making this stuff up. There really is an Elf School. Maybe on my next visit, I’ll be able to spot some of the hidden people myself.
Kim Pemberton was hosted by Windstar Cruises, which did not review or approve this story.
Follow her on Instagram at kimstravelogue.
