Iceland for Kids: A user's guide (Travel in Iceland)

Eleven-year-old Ástráður Leo (pronounced OWst-row-ther) plays football, swims a lot, and wants to be a baker (“not a cook, a baker”) when he grows up. He’s freckled, precocious, and charming and as one of Iceland’s exuberant youngest generation, he knows better than many what makes his homeland unique.

How would you describe Iceland to someone who has never visited before?

We’re so small, sometimes Iceland isn’t even marked on maps. But we’re bigger than Denmark, although of course not many people live here. Mostly, though, I’d tell people how good it is to live here.

Why is that?

Because of the water.

The water?

It’s the best in the world. You just turn on the tap and drink it and it’s great. The Family Park & Zoo is good too.

Where would you like to go in Iceland that you’ve never visited?

Egilsstaðir, because it’s far away and it’s fun to drive. It’s nice to have the family together in the car.

What do you think foreigners think of Iceland?

They think that it’s strange. They probably believe that even if they’ve been here before, because when they come in summer we’re in shorts and T-shirts biking everywhere and they think it’s still really cold. They might think that’s a little weird.

What would you recommend to people coming to Iceland?

They should go to the Family Park & Zoo, and to a pool, just any one that has a good slide. And Jökulsárlón, because it’s totally awesome and I know that tourists like taking pictures of it.

Any secret places not many people know about?

There is a museum near Akureyri where you can go and see the polar bears that they shot here a couple of years ago. I’d like to go and see that.

And the food? What’s good to eat?

It’s very funny to see visitors taste the pickled ram’s testicles for the first time. They must think we’re so ridiculous — although I quite like them [the ram’s testicles. He draws no conclusions on the tourists.] The milk here is also different, because our cows are different.

Does Iceland have any other unique features?

The schools are different here. Some girls I know went abroad and they saw schools with huge fences and the kids weren’t allowed to leave at all. I saw their photos of it on Facebook. Also, there are different shops here than you might be used to.

There is no H&M in Iceland and there is no Hagkaup in Norway, for example. Also the rest of the world has cooler animals than we do here. They have crocodiles and stuff. And at Christmas, we open presents in the evening, not in the morning.

Foreigners get up and open presents in their pyjamas, but we’re already in dressy clothes when we open the presents.

Everyone now knows there’s a severe recession in Iceland. Is your life any different since the recession started?

Yes. We used to get Cocoa Puffs all the time and now we have stopped buying them and just have Cheerios and buttermilk for breakfast. Except at Easter; we’ll have Cocoa Puffs then.

Ástráður was interviewed on Thursday 18 February 
Iceland24 

8 Blunders to avoid when in Iceland

If you’re heading to iceland during the winter time, you want to make sure you’re prepared for anything, especially when you’re from the tropics and aren’t familiar with what to look out for when travelling through colder temperate lands.

Blunder #1: failing to bring a set of water–resistant clothes if you’re touring iceland in the winter, you’re bound to encounter fickle weather. Expect frequent showers and snow if you’re heading to glacial or coastal areas. Should this be the case, pack a water resistant jacket, pants, shoes, gloves and hat. If you can squeeze in a poncho, that would be good as well. Any of the known brands like north face, marmot, columbia or 66 north from iceland can help keep you dry.

Blunder #2: no protection for your photography gear like you, your electronic gear i.e smartphones, cameras and tablets need to be covered when taking pictures out in wet conditions. For professional video/still DSLR’s invest in a splash bag. For all other equipment, a shower cap, plastic bag or ‘ziploc’ will do. Always carry extra bags so if one gets wet you can change bags. It will not be easy but keep your gear as dry as you can. Put them in your pocket when not in use or under your jacket. With video/still cameras, keep them warm because you don’t want moisture to hit the inner part of your expensive lenses. When coming in from the cold, place cameras near window sills to allow your gear to warm up slowly to prevent condensation issues.

Blunder #3: not bringing enough memory cards/batteries assuming you’re going to be snapping away like crazy, be sure to bring enough memory cards and an extra battery. A normal mistake was not getting an extra battery so i did go a couple of days when my battery died out on me. This applies to your mobile devices as well. Invest in a good portable charger to power up your devices on long journeys.

Blunder #4: not doing your research heading to Iceland may be the most memorable trip of your life and there will be parts of the journey where you want to keep your itinerary relatively unplanned and spontaneous. By all means do so but then again, you’re not collecting ideas for the next edition of ‘Hitchhiking for Dummies’. Focus on having a rough travel agenda. After all, you do want to enjoy yourself and not have to wear a dazed, surprised look all over your face your entire trip, do you? start with the forums/reviews on tripadvisor and then work your way through other travel forums, blogs (like this one) local tour company sites, your local travel fairs for great deals on flights or online ticketing sites like expedia.com or zuji.com etc. For those on the move, you can also download some really cool apps on iceland right to your phone and tablet.

Blunder #5: visa and health quarantine check the first thing before you decide to visit a country is to check it’s visa entry requirements. Iceland’s visa requirements can be found here. As for vaccination requirements international travellers do not need one. We assume that since it’s quite close to the poles that no germ worth its salt would think it had a fighting chance of survival here in the bitter cold mixed in with loads of sulphur. In fact, with all the geothermic activity on this island, any virus you bring in could be wiped out just by breathing in large quantities of fresh, clean and crisp icelandic air.

Blunder# 6: ignoring road safety rules winter time is really bleak especially in the interior, north and eastern parts of iceland and if you’re not used to driving on snow-laden roads, they can be quite unforgiving to the over-confident driver. The nation’s ring road is a fantastic drive during clear, dry, summer days but even then, a certain level of precaution is advised as many parts of the road are gravelly and can do you and your rented car in. As a result of this unfamiliarity, many unnecessary accidents have occurred on iceland roads, usually involving tourists. Always ask locals for directions if you’re lost and stay as much as you can on the main roads. Veering off can seem exciting and adventurous but if you’re not sure of the way back, don’t do it.

Blunder #7: not packing a sense of humour and fun icelandic people speak english quite well but it’s not their first language so you have to forgive them if they come up with corny jokes every once in awhile during your stay. That’s not to say they lack razor sharp wit because they do and most will spill a joke on you so unexpectedly that if you’re slow on the uptake, it’ll just whizz by you like a maclaren F1 on booster mode. Expect one-liners from guides who will comment on the ‘heavy traffic’ in reykjavik or the insanely ‘beautiful sunny weather’ in the country during your tours. Funny stuff, really if you just let yourself go and indulge in having a little chuckle on your trip.

Blunder #8: missing out on anything geothermal the island isn’t called the island of fire and ice for nothing. Sitting in your hotel room all day and not seeing at least one volcano, hot spring, geysir or lagoon is a blasphemy. Even if you do miss out, at least drive out 20 minutes to reykjavik’s nearest geothermal power facility, hellisheiði power plant and enjoy the educational geothermal energy exhibition.

Berglind Rós
April 2015
Iceland 24

Skagafjörður

Skagafjörður is a wide fjord, maybe even a bay, in Northwest Iceland (not the Westfjords) which is home to the large town of Sauðárkrókur and some lovely natural surroundings.

Another great thing about Skagafjörður is that it’s a little bit off the beaten track because, despite the presence of Sauðár- krókur, the Route 1 highway does not pass through. Or, more accurately, it only passes through very briefly and you could easily miss it.

Skagafjörður is a fertile farming region and particularly famous for its horses. Apparently it is even the only part of Iceland where horses outnumber people. For the record, sheep outnumber people in Iceland as a whole. Just so you know.

The people of Skagafjörður are known for being open and eccentric, in a nice kind of way. The tiny town of Varmahlíð – which Route 1 actually does pass through – is the base of North Iceland white water rafting on the East Glacial River. This is one of the top spots for rafting in all of Iceland.

Sauðárkrókur has over 2,500 people, which makes it the second biggest town in the north, after Akureyri. Icelanders generally find it hilarious to translate the name of the town directly as Sheep River Hook. Weird, right?

The town is pleasant, modern and open with a few good attractions including a museum and a surprisingly interesting rock exhibition. In the winter there is a well-liked ski area by Sauðárkrókur and plenty of hiking opportun- ities. There are also a couple of islands in the fjord and boats in the harbour you may be able to get there on.

Skagafjörður is home to Glaumbær farm, a beautiful old fashioned agricultural centre, now open air museum – and one of the cutest opportunities to take quaint oldy-worldy photos anywhere in the country.

The Icelandic Emigration Centre is in the Skagafjörður region and you will find it in the town of Hofsós, which is a pleasant village of 200 people which has recently been remodelling itself to better cater to tourists. This means, among other things, that the place is well-maintained.

Skagafjörður is roughly a hundred kilometres from Akureyri and 300 kilometres from Reykjavík. There is an airport in Sauðárkrókur which is not used for scheduled flights. Akureyri, on the other hand, has lots of scheduled flights and there are plenty of coaches (and even city buses) along Route 1.

Peter, Mars 2015
Iceland24

Seljavallalaug: A Hidden Swimming Pool in South Iceland

Seljavallalaug is a protected 25-metre outdoor pool in southern Iceland. The pool is one of the oldest swimming pools in Iceland and was built in 1923.

Seljavallalaug is located not far from Seljavellir. The construction was headed by Bjorn Andrésson Berjaneskoti, who received the Ungmennafélagið Eyfelling for the work. Courses in the pool were initiated as part of compulsory education in 1927. The pool is 25 metres long and 10 metres wide and was the largest pool in Iceland until 1936.

Seljavallalaug is one of those places many visitors in Iceland miss because they are busy checking off all the highlights of the south on their Been There Done That list. It’s nestled in a narrow valley below the infamous Eyjafjallajökull and it’s the oldest pool in Iceland that is still standing. It was built in 1923 by some visionaries that wanted to provide the locals with a place where they could learn how to swim.

Unlike today, where Icelanders won’t graduate school without passing a swim test, most Icelanders didn’t know how to swim in the beginning of the 1900s which was a problem since many of them lived off fishing. It was important to get these things in order and those who built this pool knew that.

Today I believe the pool is mostly maintained by volunteers and of donations but you can still very much swim in it while enjoying the spectacular surroundings. It’s built next to a rock wall that makes up one of its four walls and the water comes from a natural hot spring close by. It’s 25 meters long, 10 meters wide, and even offers dressing rooms where you can change but no showers.

There is no entry fee and you are asked to treat it with care and respect but alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden. I don’t think you want to be wasted in that location with something happening and no life guard anyway!

How to get to Seljavallalaug

When you are driving in the direction from Reykjavík you turn of the ring road (No.1) into road 242 marked Raufarfell. It’s just past Þorvaldseyri (The Iceland Erupts exhibition) so make sure you don’t miss it (like we did). You drive until you see a sign that says Seljavellir but if you follow that road you get to a new pool that was built later where you can park. There's a parking area close to the Seljavellir Farm and from there it's a 20 – 30 minute hike to reach the pool. You can’t see it until you get to it so if you think you’re going the wrong way you probably aren’t. You will have to jump over a little stream and the way is a bit uneven but it’s an easy walk and everyone should be able to do it.

It’s been a few years since I was there last time and I’m sure that the access to the pool changed a bit in the eruption because it didn’t look anything like I remembered. So if you have a guide book that says it has a nice trail to it and you feel confused when you don’t find it – don’t worry about it. It’s there!

Source: I heart Reykjavík / Wikipedia / Iceland24
Iceland24, Mars 2015

Visiting Iceland with children

Iceland is a superb family holiday destination because all the things that make it merely unique and special to you will make it an amazing world of adventure for your kids.

Most of the Iceland holiday highlights mentioned elsewhere on this website are very much suitable for children of all ages; the main exception to that rule being the kicking Reykjavík nightlife scene.

As you can see in our article on childhood in Iceland, kids pretty much rule the country and enjoy an amazing level of freedom. But living somewhere and visiting there on holiday are two very different things; so here is a random, unscientifically compiled selection of our highlights for children visiting Iceland:

1. Head up to Perlan in Reykjavík, with its spaceship-like dome and incredible water fountain inside. The kids will especially enjoy the manmade geyser outside and they will be chuffed to discover the obstacle course hidden in the forest.

It is more of a collection of old wooden exercise equipment for adults than it is a specially-designed children’s playground. But that doesn’t stop it being a fun diversion. You can walk from Perlan, through the forest and down to Nauthólsvík:

2. Nauthólsvík is Reykjavík’s geothermal beach and it is the perfect place to take kids on a nice day. The water is toasty warm and the sands are golden. There is also an ice cream shop, showers and changing rooms. And talking of beaches, we would highly recommend some beach combing around many of Iceland’s beaches. Children love finding unusual stones, sea glass and odd creatures and plants!

3. Skemmtigarðurinn is the name of a company running two ‘theme parks’ near Reykjavík. One is indoors and the other outdoors. This being Iceland, they don’t have any rollercoasters so to speak; but they are both geared up to keeping families entertained. Read more about them here.

4. Most towns and villages across the country have children’s playgrounds for residents and visitors alike. But two that particularly stand out for mention here are the hand-built Bjössaróló park in Borgarnes and the high adrenaline family garden, Raggagarður in the Westfjords village of Súðavík.

5. As above, most towns and villages also have swimming pools which are an unrivalled place to relax, play and exercise for people of all ages and eternally popular with families. A few of our favourites for those travelling with children include the biggest pool in Reykjavík at Laugardalur, and the suburban haven with commanding views of the city over in Árbær. Away from the city, your children will love the pools in Akureyri and Neskaupstaður. All of the above have fun things like water slides and toys. For the record, lots of other pools not mentioned here also have excellent slides.

6. While at Laugardalur, be sure to explore the park itself. Here you’ll find not only adventurous play opportunities, but also Iceland’s only zoo. Well, we call it a zoo – but you’ll probably consider it more of a farm park than anything else. There are no giraffes or lions; but there are reindeer and seals. It tends to be a real hit with everyone – especially if you get to feed the animals.

7. Horse riding is clearly not suitable for young children. However, Iceland’s strong, small and steady breed of horse makes it an ideal place for that first-time equestrian adventure a kid will remember for life. Iceland has lots of riding stables staffed by experienced and enthusiastic experts, so give it some serious consideration.

8. As mentioned above, Iceland’s rugged scenery and natural wonders are no less inspiring for children than adults; but you can really go out of your way to blur the lines between reality and fantasy by taking a duck boat tour at the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Drifting among icebergs and playful seals in an amphibious boat is a genuine-fake Arctic experience and will be sure to bring the North Pole from books and fairy tales to life in unforgettable fashion.

9. On the cheaper front, a visit to central Reykjavík’s Tjörnin pond is a surprisingly rewarding experience for four reasons: feeding the ducks, geese, swans, pigeons, starlings, seagulls and terns is a more intense experience than most places due to their large numbers and tameness. Then you will notice Reykjavík’s modernist city hall and the interesting things inside. The pond is surrounded by pleasant parkland, and finally there is a small adventure playground and climbing net at the far end.

10. Finally you’ll be wanting to take a trip out to the capital region municipality of Mosfellsbær. There are many good reasons to do this (including the pool, the Laxness museum, the walking trails and farmers market); but for this article we are only concentrating of the two children’s adventure parks on offer. One is a nature park, and the other is a Viking park. Enjoy!

Peter & Berglind Rós
Iceland24 2015

Route 550 - The Kaldidalsvegur / Kaldidalur Interior Route

The Kaldidalsvegur (officially known as Route 550) is the shortest of the highland tracks traversing the Highlands of Iceland, therefore the nickname "highlands for beginners". Its name derives from the valley it crosses: kaldidalur means "cold dale/valley.

Sometimes the Kaldidalsvegur is referred to as simply "the Kaldidalur". It is a thrill to drive in kaldidalur! Driving the ring road of iceland is a thing but driving offroad is another thing! The landscape of kaldidalur is mind boggling - you see rocks, rocks, rocks, rocks - then a river suddenly cuts through the rocks and then glaciers and massive packs of ice just looms in the horizon.

It couldnt be the moon, because the moon although composed of rocks has no water. It couldnt be an arid desert because deserts have no ice, and its icy cold here - it is a landscape that you can only see in small parts of the world and fortunately, Iceland has it.

The route begins a bit to the north of Þingvellir and to the west of the volcano Skjaldbreiður, which really comes up to its name (meaning broad shield).

The track continues between the glaciers Þórisjökull and Ok and leads up to the north. To the east of Reykholt it comes near the Reykholtsdalur to Húsafell. Then it continues up to Hvammstangi at the Miðfjörður.

Signed as route 550, the track is 40 kilometers long, and has no unbridged river crossings. The Kaldidalsvegur is not an F road, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is not legally required to traverse it, however many car rental companies forbid the use of their two-wheel-drive vehicles on this interior route.

The other well known highland routes are Kjölur and Sprengisandur.

The Cold Valley route was much travelled in the past, especially between the inland located farms of the West and Northwest, and the Parliamentary Plains area. It was the first one to be made permanent with road building in 1830. The view from the highest lying point (727 m) enroute is excellent on a fine day. A few legends and Sagas are connected with this part of the country. A side road to the east from the main route leads to a hut at the edge of The Long Glacier, where adventurous glacier tours are on offer.

It is very important to check rainfall in this area before setting off and make sure you are well prepared for the trip.

You’ll need to check road conditions in advance through this site.

Average opening date: May 31st
Average closing date: September 23rd

Jóhanna, Iceland24
Mars 2015

The Hornstrandir peninsula - Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

The very north of Iceland is considered one of the most remote places in Europe. In this remote location, the Westfjords peninsula is home to Hornstrandir nature reserve: an isolated and unspoiled example of the undisturbed arctic.

Hornstrandir seems to be moving backwards. The current trend around the globe seems to be for people to take up more and more land, but strangely Hornstrandir, a place that used to be widely inhabited, is now completely empty.

In the mid-20th Century, the people of Hornstrandir, who had been hardy people living from the land, left their lives of sheep farming along with hundreds of year of tradition and even their houses, and took off for the ‘big city’. The houses are still there as a strange remnant from a way of life before modern conveniences.

The houses are maintained by their respective families as summerhouses. There are still no access roads and the houses can only be reached by boat and/or a long hike.

Hornstrandir is not a deserted city, rather it is a vast place that was once dotted here and there with sheep farms that have since vanished. It has always been an expansive, lonely, windswept place of great solitude. It's just that the spread-out farmers, fisher-folk and their sheep have gone now too.

If what you are looking for is solitude and a place to be surrounded by nature, Hornstrandir is a place for you. As the ultimate backcountry experience Hornstrandir is a place to be explored, where you can pretty much go as long as you want without encountering another person. Though it is very isolated and almost inhabited, the peninsula is rather easily accessible via the ferry service from Ísafjörður. There are also several tour companies operating in the area. If something should go wrong, there is some cell coverage in the area.

Like in the rest of Iceland, in Hornstrandir the Arctic fox is protected and they are not allowed to be hunted. As a result, the foxes are not as wary of people and give visitors a great chance to see them up close.

Hornstrandir is also a place for any armature ornithologists and bird watchers. The lack of permanent residence means that the birds congregate on the Westfjords in the thousands. The peninsula's extreme cliffs provide seabirds of all kinds with a home, as well as providing some of the most impressive landscapes in Iceland. As the ‘ice’ing on the top, the peninsula is directly north of the Drangajökull glacier.

For reasons of safety, Hornstrandir is strictly off-limits in the winter. However in the summertime, Hornstrandir is a special place that is off the beaten path and can be a trek to remember. In the fall and spring, organized sailing/skiing adventure trips can be the highlight of any epic adventure vacation!

How to get to Hornstrandir

Organized tours. Take some of the stress out of and letting someone else make all the arrangements for getting to Hornstrandir. West Tours offers several options for day tours, which range from 6200 to 21,500 ISK per person and from 4 hours to 12 hours.

By car. If you have access to a car, you can drive from Reykjavik to Isafjordur and take the ferry across to Hornstrandir. However, there are no roads in the nature reserve, so it’s on foot for the rest of the trip.

By boat. Two boat companies offer scheduled boats to Hornstrandir – Sjóferðir operates three boats departing from Ísafjörður. Freydís offers mainly tours from Norðurfjörður to the east side of the peninsula. Ferry schedules only post the departure time and travel time may vary depending on a number of factors.

Once the boat arrives at Hornstrandir, it goes back to Isafjordur. Most people choose to get off the ferry at one point and hike to another ferry stop to re-board for the return trip. Be aware of the scheduled stops. It may be a good idea to book your times and tickets in advance, as most points are only serviced twice a week. West Tours sells tickets for each of the ferries.

If you don’t want to have to worry about the ferry schedule and you have some extra money to spend, you can charter a boat. This is the easier and more convenient option but can be much more expensive. When traveling with a larger group, chartering a boat is the advisable option to avoid overbooked ferries. The extra cost is easily off-set by the number of passengers.

Kolla, Iceland24
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