Travel to Iceland is is perhaps the obvious destination for people looking for the unexpected.
Most of the island is an uninhabited landscape of jagged lava rock, fields of bright green moss, hot springs, towering waterfalls, glaciers, and volcanoes.
Many visitors say that the country is reminiscent of another world.
Plus, it is a perfect place for any adventurous traveler — visitors to the island can scuba dive between two continents, hike amongst a massive volcanic desert, journey into the center of a glacier, and soak in a geothermal spa.
From great waterfalls to the ‘crystal caves,’ here are 32 photographs that will make you want to book a trip to Iceland.
Iceland is a very small country (about the same size as Kentucky) but there are plenty of incredible things to see.
A majority of the island is a treeless moonscape of vast craters and volcanoes.
It is covered in great fields of lava rock and bright green moss.
Just a short drive from the airport is the famous geothermal spa, the Blue Lagoon.
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The Blue Lagoon has healing waters that promise to soothe skin aliments.
There are thousands of waterfalls throughout the country. Skógafoss is one of the largest, and it is rumored that there is a treasure hidden behind the falls.
You can stand underneath the waterfall Seljalandsfoss.
In Þingvellir, you can visit the site where the first parliament was established in 930 A.D.
You could try renting a car to drive around the entire island on Iceland’s 830-mile-long Ring Road.
There are plenty of open roads.
Just off the Ring Road is a great glacier lagoon, called Jökulsárlón.
Visitors can go on boat trips to explore the lagoon.
You’ll also likely spot some Icebergs that have floated down to the beach.
In Hverir, you can walk amongst a giant geothermal field.
Some say it is like walking in another world.
Iceland is famous for its black sand beaches.
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And fields of green moss.
And its rare breed of Icelandic horse.
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You can visit an abandoned US Navy DC plane on the black beach of Sólheimasandur.
In SIlfra, you can scuba dive between two continents.
The country is very sparsely populated, and only has around 325,000 people.
So you’ll never run into traffic.
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You can travel into an ice cave in a glacier. These caves are sometimes called the ‘Crystal Caves.’
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The highlands are especially beautiful, and filled with giant snow-capped mountains.
In Landmannalaugar, you can hike through a volcanic desert.
Photographer Andre Ermolaev captured these aerial images of rivers flowing through Iceland’s beds of volcanic ash. The country is home to 30 active volcanic systems.
You may even catch a volcanic eruption.
The capital city of Reykjavik looks like a wonderland of different candy colored homes.
And there are plenty of beautiful streets to wander through.
Every year Iceland host a massive five day festival called ‘Iceland Airwaves,’ which has become a premier showcase for new music in the world.
Harpa Concert Hall, which opened in 2011, is a sight of its own.
Plus, it really is one of the best places to see the northern lights.
