What makes iceland so unique

Odin, father of the Norse gods, had an eight-legged horse called Sleipnir. Iceland is famous for its folklore, often centered around elves and trolls. Sound friendly? No, these little creeps are all-knowing and sometimes ruthless. All 13 of the Christmas Lads have different personalities, which are hinted at in their names. In the 13 days leading up to Christmas, Icelandic children put a shoe in their bedroom window.

For instance, if Sausage-Swiper swung by, the sausages in the house may have vanished. If the kid behaved nicely, they might find candy in their shoe. If not, they can add a rotten potato to their Christmas gift collection. On Christmas Eve, Icelandic families exchange gifts of books and cozy up to read them in the evening. The tradition took off during World War II when foreign imports were restricted but paper remained cheap and easy to get hold of. Iceland is famous for having active volcanoes, some active, others inactive.

Some of the other major volcanoes in Iceland are called Katla, Askja and Krafla. The most recent eruption was in , and that time it was the volcano Holuhraun, located in the center of Iceland. Most Icelandic towns and cities are built far away from the volcanoes to avoid damage from glacial floods or ash, so the south-coast of Iceland is pretty barren when it comes to villages. Tourists are often keen to get a glimpse and photos of them, but stay up-to-date with local news to do it safely!

Iceland is known for its many naturally occurring hot springs, and National Geographic named the most famous one, the Blue Lagoon , as one of the 25 Wonders of the World. The water is naturally heated and derived, but the shape of the pool was actually a man-made accident in There are even diagrams showing you which bits to target and how to, er, wash them properly!

It might be the most expensive dip you ever take, but on arrival, you get a towel, mud mask and drink included in the price. The less people there are in a country, the more likely they are to be good at doing stuff. Icelanders drink the most Coca Cola, read the most books, and produce the most music per capita.

Not only that, but one in 10 Icelanders will publish a book, more than anywhere else on the planet. Incest is not rife in Iceland despite the small population. For 75 years, Iceland had a beer prohibition in place.

Up until then, you could buy any other alcohol — spirits, wine, etc — but absolutely not beer. Be warned, though. Iceland is famous for its holistic approach to tackling underage drinking and drug-taking. At the beginning of the s, Icelandic teenagers were some of the worst binge-drinkers in Europe. Here are our seven reasons why Iceland is right now the coolest place on earth to explore: 7.

Folklore Thanks to the exquisite environment and long, dark winter nights, storytelling traditions are alive and well in Iceland, where more books are produced per capita than any other nation in the world. Sign Up. Surprisingly, it did not work out! This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here. Skip to main content. Online Chat. Contact Us. Freedom Due to its small population and low crime rate, living in Iceland gives you a lot of freedom.

Family Speaking of the small population, there are a few things that seem to baffle those from larger countries. Clean, Clean, Clean With its abundance of geothermal energy, used to heat up our houses and swimming pools, Iceland is one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world. Tradition Icelanders as a nation are really prone to fads. Iceland is known the world over as the land of ice and fire. As well as containing a multitude of glaciers and snow-peaked mountains, volcanoes are also dotted around the island.

The volcano's name translates to 'Three Top Crater', though it has not erupted since the second century BC, making it perfectly safe to enter. What makes this volcano unique is the fact that you can actually go inside the magma chamber! The magma chamber is metres deep ft and covers 3, square metres 35, sq ft. To get there, you will board a specially constructed elevator that will you take you all the way down to the bottom.

The Inside The Volcano tour is available in the summertime only, from the 15 th of May until the end of September. Any activity during an Icelandic summer night instantly becomes unique with the gorgeous midnight sun hovering above.

The midnight sun only occurs during summertime, meaning the following experiences are only available sometime between late May to early August. Horseback riding in Iceland is always a unique experience as the Icelandic horses are famous for having an extra gait and being smaller than horses elsewhere.

So how do you make a horseback riding trip even more unique? By doing it under the midnight sun, of course. Where else in the world can boast trail riding quite so surreal as this? In Iceland, you have the distinctive opportunity to play golf throughout the summer nights; many golf courses are open 24 hours a day, allowing golfers a seemingly endless amount of time to smack a ball into a hole. You might be surprised to hear that Iceland boasts a wide variety of golf courses; for such a small population, there are, in total, 65 golf courses found all over the country.

Many of them are easily accessible, whilst some are a challenge to even the most experienced players.

Unfortunately, Iceland is known to be quite windy, however, the wind often dies down in the bright summer nights. You'll also be rewarded with incredible scenery on Icelandic golf courses, playing within lava fields with views towards impressive mountainscapes or out towards the open Atlantic Ocean.

For golf enthusiasts, the courses here offer an experience quite like anywhere else, a point made all the truer during the midnight sun season.

To make it even more appealing, the courses are also surprisingly affordable, with many even offering a special discount for couples. Iceland is full of hot springs, be they man-made hot tubs or naturally warm rivers. Around Iceland, one can easily stumble across natural hot springs, though the highest density is found in the Westfjords area. Nothing beats relaxing in a secluded hot spring during the summer; it is truly one of the most wonderful experiences that Iceland has to offer.

Visiting a glacier is a unique activity on its own. Although glaciers can be found all over the world, they are slowly diminishing and one glacier in Iceland has already lost its glacier status, the former glacier 'Ok'. The sad reality is, if you would like to hike on a glacier, you should do it sooner rather than later.

In other words, the conditions are perfect to go hiking! Iceland boasts many mountains, volcanoes, glaciers and hiking trails; an endless plethora of trails from which to choose from. Kirkjufell with Transfer from Grundarfjordur. What better way to get close to the nature you are admiring than to get on the water and actually interact with your surroundings. Kayaking presents the opportunity to take in the natural wonder of the landscape in a completely different way and see things from unique angles unknowable from land.

Kayaking in the midnight sun is an authentic and exciting way to take in the breathtaking sights whilst the warm glowing sunlight reflects off the water. The radiance and warmth of the persistent sun will feel genuinely neverending while you navigate Iceland's rich and clean waters.

You can book a midnight sun kayaking tour here to see one of Iceland's most iconic landmarks bathed in the rich oranges and reds of summertime. A helicopter brings you high enough to see the vast landscapes from above but is also able to get up close, even landing in spots rarely explored by your average, land-dwelling mammal.