Iceland is a country unlike any other in Europe! It is the least populated country in Europe. In Iceland, you will travel through beautiful nature, admire waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, and walk on black beaches. In the winter months, you can even witness the Northern Lights. It is a special and beautiful country, where there are many special things to see.
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Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon is located in southwest Iceland and is created from geothermally heated seawater. Many people think Blue Lagoon is a natural phenomenon, but unfortunately, this is not true. It was created by Icelanders themselves with water coming from deep holes. This warm spring water is used to fill the spa.
The geothermal seawater of the Blue Lagoon consists of 70% ocean water and 30% fresh water enriched with silica, algae, and minerals. In 2012, Blue Lagoon was declared a wonder of the world by National Geographic. This is because of its special water. Apparently, microalgae, silica, and minerals can work wonders for the body, skin, and mind. The water from Blue Lagoon even forms the basis for skincare products.
The water of Blue lagoon has a beautiful blue, sometimes even greenish, color. The sun gives the water a "blue" color. But if you were to put the water in a glass, it has a milky white color.
Volcanoes
Iceland's sometimes bizarre landscape forms are the result of many thousands of years of volcanic activity. There are some 140 volcanoes in Iceland, about 30 of which are active. In the last 200 years, 11 of these 30 volcanoes have erupted, some even several times. Everywhere you go in Iceland you can see the effects of volcanic activity. Scattered across the landscape are volcanoes, hot springs, bubbling mud pools, smoking geothermal areas, lava fields, craters, and geysers. Without volcanic activity, Iceland would never have existed.
Volcanic activity is often preceded by earthquakes caused by geothermal changes. Below are the 3 most famous active volcanoes in Iceland.
Askja Volcano
Askja Volcano is a stratovolcano and is best known for its amazingly beautiful crater lake. The volcano is only accessible for a few months of the year. The huge eruption in 1875 of the volcano had enormous consequences for all of Iceland. Because of this eruption, many Icelanders had to leave the country. The last time the volcano erupted was in 1961.
Eyjafjallajökull Volcano
The Eyjafjallajökull Volcano has a notorious status. Since the last ice age, the volcano has often made its presence felt. The last eruption was in 2010. During this eruption, the volcano paralyzed much of the air traffic in Western Europe. The highest point of the volcano is 1,651 meters high and the crater is 3-4 kilometers in diameter. The volcano was once part of the coastline, but over the past several thousand years the lava has retreated about five kilometers.
Hekla Volcano
Hekla Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland and is feared every day. In the past century, Hekla Volcano has already erupted five times. The volcano is part of a chain of volcanoes that is about 40 kilometers long. The volcano has emitted about 8 km3 of lava in the past millennium. No other volcano worldwide has emitted such large volumes.
Waterfalls
Iceland's waterfalls are among the natural wonders of Iceland. This is because of their diversity and beauty. Iceland's climate with high precipitation makes it the ideal environment for waterfalls to develop. The glacier Vatnajökull feeds many large waterfalls and is the largest glacier in Iceland. Below are the three most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland.
Dettifoss
Dettifoss is Iceland's largest waterfall. The waterfall is 44 meters high and 100 meters wide. Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Near the waterfall are two smaller waterfalls, the 27-meter-high Hafrigilsfoss and the 11-meter-high Selfoss. Selfoss is a waterfall made up of ten separate waterfalls. Dettifoss is located in northeastern Iceland and is part of the Diamond Circle.
Aldeyjarfoss
Aldeyjarfoss is located in northern Iceland. The waterfall is surrounded by black basalt columns, which creates a strong contrast between the dark stones and the clear water. It is a beautiful waterfall because of the beautiful contrast. Aldeyjarfoss plunges water down from 20 meters high. Downstream, the water from the waterfall reaches the Goðafoss waterfall.
Goðafoss
Goðafoss literally means waterfall of the gods. The waterfall got this name because Thorgeir Thorkelsson, the founder of Christianity in Iceland, walked past the Goðafoss waterfall and, as a token of conversion, threw his pagan idols into the waterfall. Thus, it is a waterfall with great significance to Icelanders. The waterfall is 12 meters high and 30 meters wide. The waterfall falls down steeply in several sections.
Fjords
A fjord is a U-shaped land inlet, carved or formed by a glacial tongue. A fjord is Fjords are normally long, deep and narrow, and similar to valleys, except that they are filled with seawater.
Iceland has a total of 109 fjords. Most fjords are located in eastern Iceland and in the West Fjords. The eastern fjords are separated by steep, high mountain ranges. There are a few fjords in northern Iceland and a few around Reykjavík. The best way to explore all these beautiful fjords is to get in a car and take a tour around the island. You are far away from civilization here. So it is wonderful driving through the middle of nowhere.
Fjords of Eastern Iceland
The route that provides a dose of adventure and breathtaking views is route number 96. This route passes through some of the beautiful fjords in eastern Iceland. It is the perfect route to discover different, beautiful fjords. You will also pass cozy fishing villages, small farms, and here and there a reindeer. It is a beautiful route with views of the fjords and raging seas with snow-capped mountain peaks in the background.
West fjords
In the West fjords, hiking enthusiasts can hike and enjoy the beautiful nature. There are beautiful fjords, bird colonies, and especially beautiful remote areas.
Hornstrandir is the northernmost region of the Westfjords and the area of the Arctic fox. There is even a chance of spotting an Arctic fox. There are also bird cliffs surrounding Hornvik bay. You are in the middle of nature in Horstrandir, making it a peaceful place.
Ísafjörður is the capital of the West fjords. Located on a sandy spur in the Skutulsfjörður fjord, Ísafjörður is the largest town on the peninsula. The town has cozy brightly colored cottages and is surrounded by huge mountains. Nearby, there are many hiking opportunities in the lush, green hills that surround the fjord. You can also do some wonderful mountain biking, camping, and kayaking.
Black sand beach
In the south of Iceland are the black beaches of Vik. Unlike most beaches, the sand at Vik is not yellow or brown but black. The beaches are therefore known as Black Sand Beach.
The color of the sand is because it is formed from black volcanic rocks that have corroded over time into small lumps. At some point, the chunks are so small that the currents of the rivers carry them toward the sea. The strong currents of the rivers and the sea grind the lumps even smaller into final grains of sand.
There are more black beaches around Vik. Each beach has something else special, such as stunning rocky views or a beautiful cave you can visit. If you only want to visit one black beach, Reynisfjara Black Beach is recommended.
Reynisfjara Black Beach is the most popular beach. This is because apart from the beach here you will also find a beautiful wall of huge basalt blocks and a cave in the basalt wall. A little further on, you have a beautiful panoramic view of the stone pillars of Reynisdrangar rising from the sea. And on the other side, you can see a beautiful rock arch of Dyrhólaey. It is a beautiful location, where you can feast your eyes!
Aurora Borealis
The Northern Lights, also called Aurora Borealis, is a natural light phenomenon in the atmosphere that can be seen during clear weather in winter. This natural phenomenon is observed in countries in the northern hemisphere.
The Northern Lights occur because charged particles, after an eruption on the sun, are hurled toward Earth and come into contact with the gases in the atmosphere. This reaction releases energy. We can observe this energy in the form of a colorful aurora. Often this aurora is green but sometimes purple, blue, light red, or a combination of these colors.
Because of Iceland's location, the Northern Lights can be seen almost anywhere in Iceland. The chances of seeing the Northern Lights are greatest during the months of April through September. This is because during these months it becomes pitch black in Iceland, allowing the Northern Lights to shine more beautifully and brightly.
This is the end of the blog about the Best natural wonders in Iceland. We believe this will be of use to you and you now know what these wonderful wonders are. Don't forget to follow us @thewalkingparrot to be always updated on the new releases! We will be back soon with a new article!
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