WELCOME TO THE LAND OF FIRE AND ICE
Full of glaciers, volcanoes, lava fields and mud pools, Iceland is a Nordic photographic oasis
After seeing pictures and listening to people talk about the incredible Icelandic landscape, the amateur photographer in me had decided to visit. Unlike my usual photography trips to more remote locations, this was an opportunity to have my wife join me. We made all the arrangements ourselves. We chose our departure and return dates to get the lowest possible airfare, which, for us, meant a trip of 17 days at the end of July and into the beginning of August. High season!
We first referred to the itinerary of a guided tour trip to gather ideas on places to visit and stay. The way we ended up planning our trip had us circumnavigating the island counter clockwise along Route 1 with numerous side trips for specific photo destinations.
For accommodation, we booked mostly what we would call B&BS in Canada, which are more commonly referred to as guest houses in Iceland. We also booked a couple of small, boutique-style hotels. All were satisfactory and most of them offered spectacular views with great convenience, comfort, hospitality and breakfast. We usually stayed one night per location, but our daily driving distances were not great. We did, however, include three two-night stays, scattered throughout the trip, because of the number of things to see and do.
We ended up renting a small SUV, which was ideal for two people with gear. The extra road clearance the SUV offered was necessary for any travel off Route 1, as there are many dirt and gravel roads. We took the full insurance package, making the car rental the most expensive part of the trip. I had no regrets doing this and will do it again when we return to Iceland. The peace of mind is worth every penny!
For me, the essence of this trip was to capture Iceland’s majestic landscape. I thought I had done enough homework in planning the trip. Not so! Fortunately, in every community, there is an easy-to-find information centre staffed by very knowledgeable Icelanders. Each centre has a wealth of free literature that describes everything to see and do in the immediate area. These centres
became the first stop throughout our trip.
One of the obvious benefits of travelling in Iceland is that, in addition to the Icelandic language, Icelanders speak perfect English. So, communication was never an issue even in the smallest, most remote communities that we visited.
Iceland is very similar in size and population to the province of Newfoundland, including the percentage of both populations living in their respective capital cities. Also, both populations share a coastal lifestyle, which perfectly reflects their seagoing heritages.
Imagine if you will all the jaw-dropping Canadian landscapes you know about, just for a second. From the mountains, to the glaciers, to the rivers and Prairie grasslands. Now, try fitting all of them into Newfoundland. That is Iceland! However, you’d also have to include 269 glaciers that cover 11 per cent of Iceland’s land mass, 130 or so volcanoes (including 30 that are still active), all the moss-covered lava fields and orange-red geothermal areas with boiling mud pools and steaming fumaroles. How good is that for landscape photography!
The areas surrounding those same active volcanoes are being tapped to produce geothermal energy and geothermal hot water for district heating. The active volcanoes that feed the geothermal plants tend to be located along a rift where the North Atlantic and European tectonic plates meet. These plates are pushing upward, tearing the island apart at a rate of about 2.5 centimetres per year. The rift is easily noticeable in a number of places on the island but especially in Thingvellir National Park, which is just a short distance off Route 1 along the “Golden Circle,” the main tourist route in Iceland. Thingvellir is one of three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Iceland and is both a cultural and historical site. It’s where Iceland’s first parliament met back in 930 A.D.
At every turn, there is something to stop and see. Another waterfall, volcanic crater, lava field, glacier or mountain. Icelandic sheep grazing on lush green mountainsides. Icelandic horses in large fenced fields and farms nestled against towering cliffs with mountain streams tumbling down on their way to the ocean.
Along most of Route 1, there are literally no shoulders and very few places to stop for a rest. Except around Reykjavik, Route 1 is two lanes wide. Bridges that cross streams or fiords are one lane wide. Many times, I would simply stop the car as close to the side as possible, put on the emergency flashers and get out to shoot the pictures I wanted.
I can hardly wait to return!