Until recently, Iceland was relatively unknown and visited only by the most extreme adventures, much like modern day Greenland. However, things are turning around. These days, the tourism industry in Iceland is booming! Every year, Reykjavík (the small capital of Iceland) somehow accommodates tourists in numbers over 6x more than the number of locals who reside there. It’s not surprising that once the world became aware of the beauty of Iceland, its popularity spread like wildfire.
There is so much beauty and there are so many adventures in Iceland that you can easily make memories that will last a lifetime and cross off most of your bucket list in a single trip. You can camp under the dazzling Northern Lights, watch the midnight sun, and even boat across stunning icebergs. You can dive into crystal clear waters between two continental plates or go ice caving in the most awestriking caves. The possibilities are endless; almost every mountain can be climbed for an epic hike, and every glacier awaits you for a rewarding trek.
The natural wonders of Iceland are still being discovered today! As if the stunning waterfalls, snow-capped volcanoes, geysers, and black sand beaches weren’t enough – there’s even more to find. Iceland is a natural phenomenon that will make you realize just how lucky you are to be alive and to witness the beauty in our world.
If the natural wonders of Iceland aren’t enough to make you fall in love with this country – the locals will certainly do the trick. Warm, friendly, and welcoming, Icelanders will make you feel right at home. This country has a gritty, resilient reputation because Icelanders know how to make a comeback! They have endured much – the major banking crash and recession in 2008, leading to the stock market plummeting by more than 90% and leaving almost every company bankrupt, followed by a catastrophic volcanic explosion in 2011. Iceland has made a strong comeback since both events and has registered an impressive growth of 5.5% GDP this year, with the help of tourism and successful government policies. The people here are strong, kind, and resilient.
This sudden influx of tourism and the high prices here do make Iceland a difficult country to backpack through though.
