DESTINATIONS NORDICS | ICELAND
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Strokkur geyser; northern lights; Lómagnúpur mountain; Reynisfjara beach PICTURES: Intrepid Travel; Shutterstock/Eliforcat, Nick Fox; Andrew McQuarrie
considerably from its humble beginnings in 1891 and now has modern facilities and a cafe. “If you’re interested in digging into Icelandic culture, there’s no better way to do it than taking a dip in one of our hot springs,” says Kristján. This is the kind of cultural immersion I can really get behind.
FOLK TALES
As we continue our journey south, heading for the black sand of Reynisfjara beach, the weather takes a turn and rain hammers on the minibus windscreen. I rue my lack of waterproof trousers, but Kristján provides a silver lining as he explains the local folklore. “Don’t worry,” he says. “This is just the elves warning us. It will pass. You need to make a promise to the elves and thank them for the opportunity to visit their coast.” Sure enough, whether as a
result of our silent messages or just the cloud passing overhead, the rain eventually halts and we tread through this stunning ‘elven territory’. Sheer basalt columns tower over
56 4 SEPTEMBER 2025
the otherworldly black sand, which I scoop up. It is heavy, moist and dark as tar, but doesn’t leave a trace as it runs through my fingers. From the black-sand beach, we head east with a short stop at Lómagnúpur, Kristján’s favourite mountain. There is certainly something striking about this square-shaped mound rising above a flat and barren landscape. “Breathe in,” I hear Kristján say to someone behind me. “Can you feel the energy?” Normally, my instinctive scepticism would provide a polite but firm ‘No, not really’. But here, in the silence and under the presence of the hulking rock, where there is not so much as a wisp of wind, my honest answer is ‘Yes, I really can’. Gesturing across the plain, Kristján brings us gently out of our collective trance to consider what lies in the distance – Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier, which covers about 8% of the country. It’s a movie star, he says, having
featured in Interstellar, Batman Begins and James Bond films
² TRIED & TESTED
Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
This four-star hotel, the featured accommodation on this Premium itinerary from Intrepid Travel, prides itself on its ‘exquisite’ location, set between Skaftafell National Park and Jökulsárlón glacial
lagoon, a prime spot to see the northern lights. In addition to 125 rooms and a restaurant that can seat up to 180, standout features include a gym and spa with hot tubs offering scenic views. An early-morning dip in the hot tubs proved a welcome opportunity to reflect on the northern lights display of the night before, while soaking up the scenery.
Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
travelweekly.co.uk
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