Iceland, some call the land of ice and fire but I would like to call it the wonderland. This amazing islander nation was hidden from the outside world until the 9th century and many have yet to hear about this beautiful island. I call it the wonderland because Iceland’s geography is characterized by natural wonders. From drylands to glaciers, from snowy mountains to volcanoes, from small streams to gigantic waterfalls, from ice lagoons to hot springs, you name it you can find it within landscapes in Iceland.
Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean far North West of the United Kingdom. The geological formation, climate, and location of Iceland have combined to create the most amazing landscapes around the island. As I have mentioned above Iceland consists of volcanoes, lava fields, rock columns, black sand beaches, mountains, amazing waterfalls, rivers, glaciers, and much more travel and photogenic attractions. Because of Iceland’s beauty and scenic views, many parts of the country are movie locations in Hollywood movies and TV series such as Die Another Day, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Game of Thrones Batman Begins, etc.
In this article, I am talking about the most attractive landscape locations you must visit and add to your travel photo gallery on your trip to Iceland.
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Seljalandsfoss
It is the highest waterfall in Iceland. You can access there easily as it is located on the southern coast and around 1km away from Ring Road, which is Iceland’s main highway. Seljalandsfoss or Seljalands waterfall starts its journey from Eyjafjallajökull volcano glacier. Water drops from a 60-meter cliff to the Seljaland River.
What makes this waterfall more amazing is that you can go to a small cave behind the waterfall and watch it. You can plan for breathtaking shots of the waterfall along with the sun, from this cave. There are a couple of small waterfalls next to Seljalandsfoss which add more beauty. This area is amongst the top of the most beautiful landscapes in Iceland
Kirkjufell
If you are a Game of Thrones TV series fan you can identify this mountain in one gaze. This mountain was featured in GOT seasons 6 and 7 as the Arrowhead Mountain. The real name is Kirkjufell, also called Church Mountain is a 463-meters tall and is located on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Even though it is not a volcano Kirkjufell contains volcanic rocks. If you have some hiking experience you can try climbing to the top of the mountain. The geographical shape of the mountain makes it a bit tricky, but still, the view from the top is astonishing. Kirkjufell is also an ideal place to watch the Northern lights.
Nearby water streams, waterfalls, and the sea escalate the scenic view of Kirkjufell. You can walk around and capture some stunning shots for your Iceland landscape album.
Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón, meaning glacier lagoon river is a large glacier lake in the southern end of Vatnajökull National Park. It used to be the tip of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and after the glacier started melting from the Atlantic Ocean edge. The lake is 932 ft. (284 m) deep and has reported as the deepest lake in Iceland.
Ring Road of Iceland crosses Jökulsárlón so you can easily see the beauty of Jökulsárlón from the main road. The lake joins the Atlantic Ocean from Diamond Beach, one of Iceland’s attractive black sand beaches filled with broken glacier pieces that appear as diamonds.
I would recommend you to be at the Diamond beach during the sunsets in the Atlantic Ocean. It will be an amazing addition to your Iceland travel album.
Strokkur
As you can see, Strokkur is a hot spring commonly known as a geyser created as an impact of an earthquake that took place in 1789. It is located to the east of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík.
The geyser erupts every 5-10 minutes and the eruption goes high as 15-40 meters. With a higher shutter speed, you can capture a wonderful geyser eruption shot. It is advised to watch the wind direction to avoid getting wet from the water falling back. The area is surrounded by some other geysers, mud holes, and fumaroles.
Visiting here is a must-add to any landscape lovers Iceland travel bucket list.
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Skógafoss
Now when you see the word foss in an Icelandic name you can easily recognize it as a waterfall. Yes, you are correct, foss means waterfall in the Icelandic language. Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls located on the south coast of the country with a height of 60 meters (200 ft.) and a width of 25 meters (82 ft).
You can walk very close to the waterfall, but you will get wet from the dew. It drops a huge amount of water and on a sunny day, you can see one or two rainbows appear. Even you can take the stairs close by to climb up to watch the waterfall from the top.
Skógafoss has featured in TV series such as GOT, Vikings, and many other movies and songs. This will be another wonderful addition to your Iceland travel itinerary.
Gullfoss
It is another iconic waterfall in Iceland. Gullfoss is located around 10 km (6 miles) from Strokkur. During any season of the year, Gullfoss holds its stunning magnificence.
At Gullfoss the water drops in two tiers, the first tier is about 11 meters (36 ft) and the second is 21 meters (69 ft) in height. You can enjoy the beauty of Gullfoss from many platforms, and if you are not afraid of getting wet you can go to the cliff which is very close to the waterfall.
During winter nearby lands become frozen and create an astonishing charm to Gullfoss. During summer at sunset, capturing the waterfall with the pink sky will be an iconic shot. Throughout the year you can witness different sorts of landscape formations in the area. Gullfoss can be ranked as one of the most amazing landscapes in Iceland.
These are just a handful of Iceland’s amazing places. There are many other attractions in Iceland. Anybody who loves exploring Nordic beauty Iceland is warmly welcoming them.
