A huge iceberg on the way to the sea Jökulsárlón (Peter Moore)
1: Suck on an old iceberg
Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon is nature at its most monumental, with giant icebergs breaking off a glacier and crashing into a lake before drifting out to sea and washing up again on a beach.
Take a boat ride among these floating giants, be it a leisurely tour on an amphibious boat or an adrenaline-fueled tour on a Zodiac.
On the amphibious boat tour we took, the guide fished out a piece of ice and after explaining that it was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago, the guide broke off pieces so that the kids on board could suckle.
After the tour, be sure to go to the nearby beach and find your way among the blocks of ice washed up by breakers on the black.
icelagoon.is
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Early in the morning at Skógafoss (Peter Moore)
2: Let yourself be soaked in a waterfall
water falls come in all shapes and sizes in Iceland, each with its own personality. For sheer incredible power, consider Gullfoss or Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall.
Although much smaller, Seljalandsfoss has a path that takes you behind the water curtain, which is always fun.
Our favorite, however, was Skogafoss. Its base is easily accessible. In fact, right in front of it is a campsite that was featured in the Marvel Studios movie Thor: The Dark World.
There is something exciting about walking up to this roaring animal, being soaked in spray and kicking gently, as if approaching an untamed animal. How close will you dare to go?
wikipedia.org/Skógafoss
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Taking a bath Fosslaug (Peter Moore)
3: Take a dip in a thermal pool
That Blue Lagoon is the most famous thermal bath in Iceland. That Mývatn natural pools are pretty cool too, surrounded by sulfur-encrusted hills that make you feel like you are on Mars. But our favorite spas were in the middle of nowhere that Icelanders pointed out to us, and they don’t cost anything.
The first was on the side of Eyjafjallajokull, a short drive and a short hike from the museum which is housed in the old garage that damaged it in the 2010 eruption. It feels like an abandoned municipal swimming pool and you get excited knowing that the water you are swimming in is from the same volcano that wreaked so much havoc just a few years ago.
However, it was our all-time favorite Fosslaug, a small pool in the middle of a meadow next to a river and a waterfall. It was recommended to us by a girl who works in the Peat House Museum in Glaumbær. She said it was her favorite place in Iceland and gave us handwritten instructions on how to find it. It was a lovely place, surrounded by meadow flowers, and we had it to ourselves.
jardbodin.is
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Whale watching boat at Húsavík (Peter Moore)
4: Whale watching in Húsavík
Located on the edge of Shaky Bay, Húsavík is known as the Whale watching capital from Europe. Humpback, minke, and blue whales visit the bay so regularly that local tour operators claim you have a 90% chance of seeing one.
We were among the unfortunate 10% who didn’t see a whale, but we smelled one. It exhaled somewhere near our boat but did not show up. Our guide said it smelled of a minke, “a stinking minke” as my daughter named it, but how the guide could say that was never explained.
Nevertheless, the weather was wonderful and our rustic wooden ship, the Knörrinn, was accompanied to and from the harbor by a dolphin school. We were also able to see puffins diving for fish.
Back in town, the local Whale museum is well worth a visit, reminds of the city’s gruesome past (housed in the old slaughterhouse) and challenges visitors to do their part to help the species survive.
In a lighter way, the fish and chips sold down by the dock are delicious.
walmuseum.is
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Viking attack on the Saga Museum (Peter Moore)
5: Get in touch with your inner Viking at the Saga Museum
If your kids love Vikings – and which kid doesn’t? – the Saga Museum in Grandagarður, on a hill overlooking Reykjavík, worth a visit. Basically, it’s a gruesome wax figure replica of key moments in Icelandic history, and gives a compelling insight into how Icelanders have lived over a millennium (ie not very well).
The models are extremely lifelike, and be warned that not everything is what it seems. Some of the wax models are real actors who suddenly come to life. Some of the ‘visitors’ are permanent exhibits, if you get my point of view. The best part is that you can dress up like a Viking at the end of the exhibition.
After visiting the museum, go to the roof for a great view of it Reykjavík and beyond, or visit the mini geyser in the surrounding parkland, which blows with gratifying regularity.
sagamuseum.is
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Main picture: Hiking between the icebergs near Jökulsárlón (Peter Moore)
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