Iceland

Country Highlights

• Walk into a primeval wilderness of lava fields, craters, soaring cliffs, and plunging waterfalls.
• Marvel at the “Dark Castles,” curious pillars of lava created some 2,000 years ago.
• Soak in geothermal hot springs to relax your legs after a day of walking.
• Sample a bowl of skyr, a type of yogurt that locals often pair with fresh berries.

Reykjavík’s arts scene

Nature and creativity merge in Reykjavík’s many galleries and museums. Many of the city’s artists have been inspired by the surrounding wilderness that you’ll explore. And with the capital’s easy distance by plane from North America and Europe, their work is getting noticed by international collectors. Browse the new art spaces for yourself—perhaps the Marshall House, a renovated post-war fish factory—and you might discover a favorite new piece.

Iceland's hidden elves

Witnessing Iceland’s spectacular vistas is captivating enough. These fantastical landscapes become more magical when you believe in the tiny elves that hide themselves among the splendor. As kids, Icelanders believe that elves conceal themselves among the forests. Disturbing them will bring misfortune. Adults merely shrug off the little beings as superstition. In Reykjavík, the Icelandic Elf School sets the record straight, teaching its students about the various types of elves—13 in all.

The birds of Mývatn

The Atlantic puffin gets all the attention in Iceland’s Westfjords region. But the shallow waters of Lake Mývatn host one of the planet’s most diverse bird populations found in a single area. In May, September, and October, the bird population swells with some 115 species. The most common, the tufted duck, numbers up to 6,000 pairs. Other species are also present in the hundreds. When you do the math, the lake’s waters and the skies overhead are thick with birds.