Travel to Iceland with travel insurance from Essential Travel

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Information on Iceland with travel insurance from Essential Travel

Travel to Iceland

Iceland offers a glistening wonderland for the adventurous and modern cities for those who prefer to stay indoors. This amazing country is full of incredible landscapes featuring glaciers, hot springs, geysers, active volcanoes and vast lava deserts. Iceland also has a rich history and folklore tradition, which makes it worth a visit even though prices can be high for those on a budget.

The capital of Iceland, Reykjavík (meaning ‘Smoky Bay’), is a modern European city as well but also retains features of a quaint old town, with plenty of white-washed wooden buildings lying beside the rows of brightly painted concrete houses. One quirky attraction is Hallgrímskirkja, a forboding church designed to resemble a mountain of lava. Those who want to learn about Norse and Icelandic culture will find the National Museum of interest. It features displays of religious and folk relics, with a highlight being a church door carved around 1200 and depicting a Norse battle scene.

Geysir is home to Iceland’s best spouting hot springs, including the famous ‘Great Geysir’, which first began erupting in the 14th century and shoots up to 80m (it is mostly inactive). Another geyser, Strokkur faithfully shoots water up to 20m every three minutes or so. Another beautiful wonder of nature, Gullfoss is Icelands most famous waterfall, with cascades down 32m into a steep-sided canyon.

Mývatn is located in northeast Iceland and is a truly amazing wonder affording nature lovers spectacular views of volcanic or geothermal topographical features. At the centre of this reserve is a stunning blue lake vibrant with birdlife. It is an ideal place for camping and hiking, as well as excursions to the Kverkfjöll ice caves, Námaskaro or the Hverfell crater.

Also in the north is Akureyri, Icelands other major city besides Reykjavík. The town of Husavik, an hour away, is Icelands whale-watching centre; while Dettifoss is Icelands largest waterfall, and the canyon park of Jökulsárgljúfur offers some of Icelands best hiking. The southeast of Iceland is home to Europes largest glacier, Vatnajökull; the nearby town of Höfn is a good base for trips to the glacier. Egilsstaðir, meanwhile, has lots of reindeer which roam Icelands largest forest.

Iceland Travel Partners & Resources

Iceland Rovers Adventure Tours
Exciting adventure tours into the magnificent Icelandic nature. Iceland Rovers offers fantastic excursions and adventure tours from Reykjavik in specially outfitted Land Rover Defenders allowing you to explore Iceland’s unique geology, culture and beauty.

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