Iceland may look like a quiet island up near the Arctic, but there’s a lot more to it than just stunning landscapes and cold weather. This Nordic wonderland has an energy and charm that’s hard to find anywhere else. This is a place where sheep outnumber humans, hot springs pop up in people’s backyards, and locals treat you like family—even if you’re just passing through.
Besides its breathtaking fjords, glaciers, and volcanoes, Iceland shines with the strength of its sense of community and appreciation of nature. Let's explore what makes this Nordic island nation a truly one-of-a-kind destination.
Related: Only In Iceland - 11 Cool Facts About the Nordic Country
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1. Polar stratospheric clouds over Iceland
2. Drinking straight from an Icelandic glacier!
3. Glacier rivers from above in Iceland
4. Blue lagoon in Iceland, a geothermal hot spring
5. People gathered around lava in Iceland
6. A town in Iceland paints a 3D pedestrian crossing to slow traffic
7. Breathtaking Icelandic landscape
8. A stunning shot from Iceland shows nature's perfect blend of colors - dark volcanic sand meets turquoise ocean waves, while a winding yellow stream cuts through bright green grassland.
9. The Viking Sword Road in Iceland
10. Elephant Rock, a basalt rock formation off Iceland's coast, looks uncannily like an elephant dipping its trunk in the water. It's a natural wonder shaped by volcanic activity and erosion.
11. Hotel phones in Iceland have a special button that will wake you up if there are Northern Lights in the sky
12. "Nature does not care for your money" strikes me as a very poetic line
13. Reykjavík looking extra soft after a snowstorm
14. A volcanic eruption in Iceland
15. Krónur coins, the Icelandic currency, have national marine species as heads
16. Iceland's got a funny population balance - while just 323,000 people call it home, the sheep here number around 800,000! That's right, each Icelander could have two sheep and still have some left over.
17. Laugarvatnshellar Caves. A house built into a hill in Iceland
