Black sand beaches, sea stacks rising straight from the surf, waterfalls that fall directly onto the road, and glaciers pushing down from the icecap to the water’s edge — it is the version of Iceland that photographs best, and it earns every image.
Iceland’s most famous driving loop takes in three genuinely extraordinary natural features — a rift valley where two tectonic plates visibly pull apart, a geyser that erupts on a reliable schedule, and a waterfall of almost unreasonable scale. Crowded in summer and worth every moment of it.
Crowned by the glacier that inspired Jules Verne and edged with basalt sea stacks, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is one of Iceland’s most varied stretches of coastline. Better as an overnight than a day trip — the light at the western tip is worth waiting for.
Iceland’s compact and colorful capital punches well above its size. Wander the rainbow-painted streets of the old town, climb to the top of Hallgrímskirkja church for sweeping views over the rooftops and sea, and warm up in one of the city’s legendary geothermal pools.
Iceland’s most remote region rewards the effort of getting there with thundering waterfalls, vast puffin colonies, and fjord roads that wind so slowly through the landscape they begin to feel meditative. Hornstrandir, reachable only by boat, is among the most untouched wilderness in Europe.
