A steaming pool of milky blue water in an unforgiving landscape of lava, the Blue Lagoon is among Iceland's most attractive sights, and perhaps its most popular. At $60 per head, entrance is scandalously overpriced, but that doesn't deter the crowds from pouring in. And it didn't deter us.
As amazing as it was to stand on the cliffs of Þingvellir and survey the rift valley where two tectonic plates are separating, it was even more amazing to fly over that same valley. I think I know why so many birds spend their summers in Iceland. The views are hard to beat.
Standing in front of the church at Skálholt, my mind wasn't occupied by the magnificent natural scenery of the location, but rather by its quiet solitude. This was once the largest town in Iceland? Unbelievable. And so I asked my question again, this time aloud, in a thunderous voice. Why not? It's not as though anyone was around to hear me.
Arguably the most impressive sight along Iceland's Golden Circle is the enormously powerful double-stepped waterfall known as Gullfoss (Golden Falls). Here, the Hývtá River's journey through the highlands comes to a magnificent end as it drops over 100 feet into the canyon below.
The Haukadalur Valley, found along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just northeast of Þingvellir, is an especially restless area of geothermal activity. Along with other bubbling pools of rotten-smelling sulfur, it's here that you can find Geysir. This is the original -- the geyser which lends its name to all others.
Reykjavík may be the capital, but the rift valley of Þingvellir (pronounced "thing-vet-lir") is the true heart of Iceland. Over a thousand years ago, the country's first parliaments were convened here, adding historical significance to an area of unbelievable natural beauty.
If you hear the same suggestion from a variety of different locals, it's smart to listen. And it seemed that everyone we talked with in Stykkishólmur recommended a boat trip of the islands around the bay. So we bought tickets, and discovered that the locals were right. The Viking Sushi Tour was one of the most entertaining excursions we had in Iceland.
With its quaint multi-colored houses and outstanding location in the Breiðafjörður Bay, Stykkishólmur was the best town during our three-day trip to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Though its population is only around 1000, there's plenty to occupy visitors, including three excellent museums.
Floating on your stomach in near-freezing water is normally an experience one has only after being murdered by the Mafia. But in the right circumstances, it can be enjoyable. When you're alive, for instance, and looking through crystal clear glacial water at the Silfra Fissure.
