13 Iceland highlights from travel bloggers

We can’t deny Iceland is one of our favourite destinations. Ever. And it seems we’re not alone! Actually, far from it. There are plenty of travellers out there who share the love and fascination for Iceland and its wonders. Many, like us, have even visited Iceland more than once.

With so many things to see and do there, we decided to ask a few travel bloggers to tell us about their Iceland highlights. Let’s see what they have to share!

Seyðisfjörður

Ben and Jenna from Wild Imagining

Seyðisfjörður

Seyðisfjörður is a tiny fishing village on the east coast. About a half hour’s drive of the Ring Road and perched on the inside of a long fjord, it comes to life once a week when a passenger ferry from Copenhagen arrives. Other than that, it’s almost eerily quiet and stunningly beautiful.

You can hike right from your hotel room. The riverside trail west of town passes 25 waterfalls, and you can climb over the mountains on either side to reach neighbouring fjords. Even if you stay within town limits, the views can’t be beaten and it feels far away from the tourist traffic of the Ring Road.

Vík

Talon from 1 Dad 1 Kid

Black sand beach in VÍk

I highly recommend a visit to Vík on Iceland’s southern coast. Black sand and black pebble beaches, along with a cave next to basalt columns that look like something out of a mythological story. The area has some a lot of rugged beauty. The south coast often gets overlooked by visitors, which I think is a mistake.

Hverir

Shing from The Culture Map

Hverir geothermal area

The closest you’ll get to Mars on Earth, Hverir is a large field of bubbling mud pools, hissing fumaroles and sticky red soil. You only need to see the large volume of steam emitting from the ground to know this is a high-temperature area. Located in the Lake Myvatn area of North Iceland, Hverir is one of the several attractions that display the sheer force of Icelandic volcanism in all its tantalising glory!

Höfn

Matthew and Heather from Travelationship

Eating Lobster in Höfn

If you are in the mood for the most tender and delicious lobster in the world head east to Höfn. The charming fishing town is arguably the Atlantic lobster capital of the world. Easily my favourite meal in Iceland was the Daily Lobster Special at Pakkhús.

Jökulsárlón

Jeannie from Life With a View

Jökulsárlón

This glacier lagoon is an incredibly stunning sight to see. Crystal blue water, huge icebergs, black sand beach, and Europe’s largest glacier in the background. It doesn’t matter if you visit day or night, winter or summer, sunset or northern lights, this place will definitely impress! We got ridiculously lucky with full sunshine on our visit, so this was one of the most memorable parts of our trip!

Tjörnes

Megan from Mapping Megan

An adorable Puffin in Tjörnes

The puffin is one of Iceland’s biggest wildlife draws. They arrive by the million for the breeding season between April and August, and nest on coastal cliffs all around the country in massive colonies. The best place to spot them in Iceland is at Tjörnes.  This is Iceland’s largest puffin colony – a colony sitting on the edge of a cliff which dramatically drops into the Arctic.

Gjáin

Kaelene from Unlocking Kiki

Gjáin

Gjáin is one of those places I am never going to stop raving about! And can you blame me? With a fairytale like setting and hardly anyone around it is a real hidden Icelandic gem! Gjáin is hands down one of the most magical places I have ever seen. If you are in Iceland make sure to plan a visit so you can see this gorgeous area for yourself!

Greenland

Lance and Laura from Travel Addicts

Greenland!

One of the most interesting and unusual things to do in Iceland actually isn’t in Iceland. It’s Greenland.  Iceland is the primary gateway for people who want to explore the barren, ice-covered landscape of Greenland – one of the world’s most remote travel destinations. It’s actually a day-trip from Iceland.

Less than 50,000 people visit every year, and only a small percentage of them are tourists.  The tiny village of Kulusuk on the eastern shore of Greenland is a cluster of wooden buildings clinging to the rocks and painted in picturesque reds and greens and blues. For us, visiting Greenland is one of the most unusual and remarkable travel destinations you can experience.

Silfra

Ryazan from Two Monkeys Travel

Snorkelling Silfra

We went Snorkelling in Silfra fissure in Thingvellir National Park. This is a YOLO (You Only Live Once) moment! The Snorkelling experience is about 30 minutes long in a very cold water (around 2 – 3 degrees Celcius). The water in Silfra is coming from the glacier that takes approximately 30 years to reach the fissure.

Grjótagjá

Savi and Vid from Bruised Passports

Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá is a lava cave in the Northern part of Iceland, not far from Lake Myvatn. It’s off-the-beaten-path as not many tourists are inclined to go there after they have visited the Blue Lagoon. But if you want to enjoy a bath in a naturally heated pool, head to Grjótagjá. If you are driving from the East towards Lake Myvatn, turn left from the highway after Hverarond and drive for a kilometre. Don’t forget to take your swim shorts!

Þórsmörk

Antonette and Martijn from we12travel

Thórsmörk

A place not many visitors in Iceland go to is the lush and green valley of Thórsmörk (or Þórsmörk). Unless you have a sturdy 4WD and know how to handle driving to swift and deep rivers, your best way in is by bus or on foot. Þórsmörk is a true hikers paradise and from here you can either walk the famous multi-day Laugavegur trek as well as the hike as well as the hike to Skógar, which leads you over a mountain pass right next to the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. In addition, there are various day hikes such as to the fairytale-like Rjúpnafell mountain and various glaciers.

Látrabjarg

João from Nomad Revelations

Another cute Puffin at Látrabjarg

For wildlife lovers – Látrabjarg – in the Icelandic Westfjords Region, offers amazing animal watching opportunities where you can spot millions of birds including friendly puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills and also dozens of Icelandic seals. On the way to Látrabjarg bird cliffs, you can also visit the rusty century old Skápadalur Garðar BA 64 shipwreck just before Hvallatur. Látrabjarg is a set of incredibly dramatic looking rocky cliffs, where you can establish a very close contact with Atlantic puffins, a type of seabird that nests in this area.

Westman Islands

Hugo and Cristina from Breathe With Us

View from halfway to the top of Eldfell

Our very own choice goes to the Westman Islands. This small archipelago off the south-west coast of the mainland is stunning! We visited Heimaey, the main island, as a day trip and had a great time. There are plenty of things to do but our favourite was hiking to the top of Eldfell for amazing views of the whole island!

What do you think of these Iceland highlights? What’s your favourite? What are your Iceland highlights?