The Best of Iceland
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
04_178416-ch01.qxp 5/29/08 8:59 AM Page 1 1 The Best of Iceland On each trip to Iceland, we are always struck by how often other travelers are—or intend to be—repeat visitors. Many come year after year, never exhausting Iceland’s endless variations of magnificent scenery and adventure. Returning travelers immedi- ately recognize the crisp, invigorating polar air, and what W. H. Auden called “the most magical light of anywhere on earth.” Iceland’s astonishing beauty often has an austere, primitive, or surreal cast that arouses reverence, wonderment, mystery, and awe. Lasting impressions could include a lone tuft of wildflowers amid a bleak desert moonscape or a fantastical promenade of icebergs calved into a lake from a magisterial glacier. The Icelandic people—freedom-loving, egalitarian, self-reliant, and worldly—are equally exceptional. They established a parliamentary democracy over a millennium ago, and today write, publish, purchase, and read more books per capita than any peo- ple on earth. Reykjavík, their capital, has become one of the world’s most fashionable urban hot spots. In November 2007, the U.N. named Iceland the world’s best coun- try to live in, based on life expectancy, education levels, medical care, income, and other criteria. 1 The Best Natural Wonders • Glymur: Iceland’s tallest waterfall is • Blue Lagoon: The central activity nimble and graceful: Streamlets at this spa—Iceland’s top tourist descend like ribbons of a maypole attraction—is bathing in a shallow, into a fathomless canyon mantled in opaque, blue-green lagoon amid a bird nests and lush mosses. The hike jet-black lava field and smearing there is somewhat treacherous, but white silica mud all over yourself. those who brave it are rewarded with The lagoon was artificially created enchanting scenery—and possibly from pumped-in seawater and runoff total solitude—all within easy range from a geothermal power plant—not of Reykjavík. See p. 138. exactly a natural wonder, but it could • Gullfoss: This astounding waterfall make you feel like one. See p. 150. crownsCOPYRIGHTED and climaxes the “Golden Cir- • Raufarhólshellir: MATERIAL With the right cle,” Iceland’s most popular day tour preparations and precautions, anyone from the capital. Gullfoss looks almost can just saunter right into this lava- too perfectly landscaped to be real: tube cave and wander more than a 3 The Hvitá river hurtles over a low tier, kilometer ( ⁄4 mile) to its darkest turns 90 degrees, plunges into a cloud depths, past eerie ice candles and tor- of spray, and shimmies offstage tured lava formations. See p. 161. through a picturesque gorge. Clear • Látrabjarg: These colossal sea cliffs skies guarantee a rainbow. See p. 146. at Iceland’s westernmost point prove 04_178416-ch01.qxp 5/29/08 8:59 AM Page 2 2 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ICELAND Iceland Arctic Circle HornbjargHornbjarg Sandvík Hraunhafnartangi LLátrarátrartrar Grímsey Rauðinúpur DenmarkDenmark AAðalvíkðalvalvík Horn Raufarhöfn str ARCTICA R C T I C OCEANO C E A N SæbSSæbólæból an Fontur StraitStrait ÍÍsafjarðardjúp d BolungarvBBolungarvíkolungarvík safjarsa lfirðir ir Þistilfjörður fja Jöku ReykjarfjRReykjarfjörðureykjarfjörörðurur rð Kópasker aardjr BolungarvíkBolungarvík dj úp Öxarfjörður SuðureyriSuðureyri DrangaDDrangajökullrangajökullkull Þórshöfn ÍsafjörðurÍsaÍsafjörðurfjörður Siglufjörður Flatey FlateyriFlateyri Bakkaflói SúðavíkSúðavík Ólafsfjörður Skjálfandi á 635 NorðurfjörðurNorðurfjörður d n 61 MMálmeyálmeylmey a Bakkafjörður 60 745 SkagaSSkagafjö 76 S k Ásbyrgi ArnarfjAArnarfjörður ReykjanesReykjanes GGjGjögurjögurgur a Hrísey Húsavík r ÞingeyriÞingeyri g n Skagheiði a Tröllaskagi a DjDDjúpavíkjúpavpavík fjf Dalvík Árskógssandur r j PatreksfjPPatreksfjörð fj KaldbakurKaldbakur HHúnaflóiúnnaflaflói ö Jökulsárgljúfur a ör rrð tr ð 61 ð HofsósHofsós Hauganes ek uur uru National Park Vopnafjörður s r 643 SkagaströndSkagaströnd TindastTTindastöllindastöllll r fj DynjandiDynjandi StaðurStaður ör Vopnafjörður ðuur Eilífur á r BíldudalurBíldudalur SauSSauðárkrókurauðárkrókurárkrókur Svalbarðseyri Dettifoss el HólmavíkHólmavík S Héraðsflói TálknafjörðurTálknafjörður 60 DrangsnesDrangsnes BlönduósBlönduós Krafla BBreiðavíkreireiðavíkavík 612 Bakkagerði FlFFlókalundurlókalundurkalundur 75 Akureyri Reykjahlíð BrjánslBBrjánslækurrjánslækuækur DjDDjúpidalurjúpidalurpidalur ÓÓsarsar Goðafoss (Borgarfjorður 1 Eystri) LLátrabjargátrabjargtrabjarg 605 Hrossaborg sá Háafjall of Dyrfjöll CliffsCliffs 61 711 HHópópóp VarmahlíðVarmahlíð Mývatn Hverfell H á J r ö ReykhólarReykhólar a k HvammstangiHvammstangi ð á u r k l 722 BlandaB V a s s j ó á a l f j a 590 t S a á Möðrudalur n n n LaugarbakkiLaugarbakki v j Skálanes s d a y F d F FlateyFlatey r F752 V a a t E j ö Egilsstaðir BreiBBreiðafjörðurreiðafjafjörðurur l á E í s l ð á y l Seyðisfjörður h st Ódáðahraun u Sænautasel V HvammarHvammar r Aldeyjarfoss m i i d e -J Lögurinn s ElliEElliðaeylliðaeyaey a s ö Neskaupstaður t t k a l a s BlBBlöndulónlöndulndulón u Herðubreið r Snæfellsnes HvammsfjHHvammsfjörð BúðardalurBúðardalur á r ls Hallormsstaður i va i á t ú - StykkishólmurStykkishólmur m - ms ó r Peninsula fjörð J j B Eskifjörður uurr BrBBrúrú ö fl á k r ÁÁrblikrblikrblik a á Hengifoss RifRif u u d s KirkjufellKirkjufell DrDDrápuhlíðarfjallrápuhlpuhlíðarfjallðarfjall 54 l n Öskjuvatn l HellissandurHellissandur s d a u Reyðarfjörður á f t 1 F35 l k jó n á ö fl Reyðarfjörður GrundarfjörðurGrundarfjörður j J r ÓlafsvíkÓlafsvík K a k Askja a HliHHliðarvatnliðarvatnarvatn s S g Fáskrúðsfjörður j i a ArnarstapiArnarstapi ö L SnSSnæfellsjökullnæfellsjfellsjökullkull 54 HHítarvatnítarvatntarvatn g Kárahnjúkar Stöðvarfjörður á l EldborgEldborg it u n Dam SnæfellsjSSnæfellsjökullnæfellsjökullökull HellnarHellnar v r e Snæfell NationalNational PParkark HvitHHvitáEirEEiríksjökulliríksjksjökullkull Hofsjökull r Breiðdalsvík HHaffjHaffjörðuraffjörðurur p HraunfossarHraunfossar BarnafossBarnafoss HrHHrútafellrútafelltafell S Tungnafells- Búlandstindur 54 jökull Dyngjujökull ReykholtReykholt KerlingarfjKKerlingarfjöllerlingarfjöllll Brúarjökull Djúpivogur GrimsGGrimsá LangjökullLangjLangjökullkull Eyjabakka- BorgarnesBorgarnes rim Kvíslavatn ísl Kverkfjöll Papey sá á kv jökull ÞórisjökullÞórisjrisjökullkull it lda HafnarfjallHafnarfjall 52 v a ÁlftanesÁlftanes r F550 HvitáHvitH K Hoffellsjökull i FaxaflFFaxaflóiaxaflói u F35 f rð ræ ö 1 sásá sö fj r VATNAJÖKULL n r GlymurGlymur SkjaldbreiðurSkjaldbreiður óró ó Hvalnes ga j Grímsvötn L or AkrafjallAkrafjall ÞjÞÞjór B ÞingvellirÞingvellir Stafafell AkranesAkranes NationalNational PParkark GeysirGeysir GullfossGullfoss Þórisvatn r aá Skaftafell Skálafellsjökull Brunnhorn 36 LaugarvatnLaugarvatn lu F26 gn Skaftárjökull a n National Park Höfn Stokksnes MMosfellsbMosfellsbærosfellsbær d u Esjufjöll REYKJAVÍKREYKJAVÍK 30 ár T ÞÞingvallaingvallaingvalla ApAApavatnpavatnavatn rs LLítlisjór Langisjór -vatn-vatn FlúðirFlúðir jó GarðurGarður HafnarfjörHHafnarfjörðurafnarfjörðurur Þ FjallabakFjallabak Grænalón Breiðamerkur- SandgerSSandgerðiandgerði HengillHengill LaugarásLaugarás 32 NatureNature jökull KeflavíkKeflavík á F225 ReserveReserve Laki s Skeiðarár- Jökulsárlón KEFLAVKKEFLAVÍKEFLAVÍK INT’LINT’L VogarVogar p 30 LandmannalaugarLandmannalaugar Craters ú jökull Hvannadalshnúkur HafnirHafnir NjarNNjarðvíkjarðvíkvík HveragerHHveragerðiveragerði N gá Eldgjá Öræfajökull SSelfosselfoss an HeklaHekla BlueBlue LagoonLagoon -R GrindavíkGrindavík EyrarbakkiEyrarbakki ri r 425 t andu ReykjanestRReykjanestáeykjanestá ÞorlákshöfnÞorlákshöfn Y HellaHella rárs StokkseyriStokkseyri Fagrifoss iða Reykjanes TindfjallajTTindfjallajökullindfjallajökullkull F261 ke EldeyEldey 1 S Ingólfshöfði Peninsula Kirkjubæjarklaustur No r w e g i a n HvolsvöllurHvolsvöllur ÞórsmörkÞórsmörk EyrarbakkabugurEyrarbakkabugur SeljalandsfossSeljalandsfoss & MMýrdalsjökullýrdalsjýrdalsjökullkull S e a GljGGljúfurárfossljúfurfurárfossrfoss SkSSkógafosskógafossgafoss ATLANTIC OCEAN WestmanWestman IslandsIslands HeimaeyHeimaey SkSSkógarkógargar Hjörleifshöfði (Vestmannaeyjar)(Vestmannaeyjar) HeimaeyHeimaey VíkVík 0 40 mi Ferry N Glacier SurtseySurtsey 0 40 km 04_178416-ch01.qxp 5/29/08 8:59 AM Page 3 THE BEST NATURAL WONDERS 3 Arctic Circle Hornbjarg SandvíkSandvík HraunhafnartangiHraunhafnartangi Látrar GrímseyGrímsey RauðinRRauðinúpurauðinúpurpur Denmark Aðalvík A R C T I C O C E A N 85 RaufarhöfnRaufarhöfn Sæból FonturFontur Strait Bolungarvík Melrakkaslétta Ísa ÞistilÞÞistilfjörðuristilfjfjörðurur fj ökulfirðir ar J Reykjarfjörður KópaskerKópasker ða Langanes Bolungarvík rd 869 júp ÖxarfjörðurÖxarfjxarfjörðurur Suðureyri Drangajökull ÞórshöfnÞórshöfn Ísafjörður SiglufjörðurSiglufSiglufjörðurjörður FlateyFlatey 867 Flateyri BBakkaflóiBakkaflakkaflói Súðavík ÓlafsÓÓlafsfjörðurlafsfjörðurfjörður SkjSSkjálfandikjálfandilfandi á Norðurfjörður Tjörnes d 85 n Málmey Í Fjörðum a BakkafjörðurBakkafjörður S 82 S k ÁsbyrgiÁsbyrgi A Reykjanes Gjögur a HríseyHrísey HúsavíkHúsavík r Þingeyri g n a a Djúpavík f DalvíkDalvík ÁrskógssandurÁrskógssandur r j 85 P fj Kaldbakur Húnaflói ö 85 JökulsárgljúfurJökulsárgljúfur 864 a örð rð tr Hofsós HauganesHauganes ek u u NationalNational ParkPark VopnafjVVopnafjörðuropnafjörðurur s r Skagaströnd Tindastöll r fj Dynjandi Staður 82 örð VopnafjörðurVopnafjörður u EilEEilífurilífurfur á r Bíldudalur Sauðárkrókur SvalbarðseyriSvalbarðseyri DettifossDettifoss el 87 SeláS HHéraðsflóiéraraðsflsflói Tálknafjörður Hólmavík 1 KraflaKrafla Breiðavík Drangsnes Blönduós 917 BakkagerðiBakkagerði Flókalundur AkureyriAkureyri ReykjahlíðReykjahlíð Brjánslækur Djúpidalur