The Aurora Borealis – the Northern Lights and Iceland’s best known tourist lure – is accompanied by spectacular scenery, hot springs, wildlife, lagoons, and sport.
In the dark
The Northern Lights are easier to explain than to guarantee seeing. The Aurora Borealis is caused by electrically charged particles from the sun colliding with gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. Colours include white, green, pink and purple. They have been seen from as far south as New Orleans, although that’s rare. Spotting them from Iceland is an annual certainty between September and mid-April. Hotels turn off outside lights to guarantee darkness, and the lights are active in cycles of two to three days of visibility and three to four days without
Energy pool, falls and puffins
In the land of beautiful waterfalls, the one above is near Mount Kirkjufell, at Grundarfjordur, on the Snaefellsnes peninsula, best viewed by the light of the midsummer midnight sun. With between eight and 10 million puffins in Iceland, these delightful birds are not difficult to find. The Skolaferdalag Energy Pool is rarely short of visitors seeking all it has to offer
Non-energetic pool. fishing and golf
Gently lounging in the 40°C Jardbodin Nature Baths heated by Iceland’s first geothermal power station is best done after removing silver jewellery. For the more energetic, there is fishing and golf to while away the hours
