Iceland tourist attractions include Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, Geysir, Gullfoss waterfall, Húsavík whale safari, and Perlan in Reykjavik.
Blue Lagoon geothermal spa (www.bluelagoon.com) is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, and contains legendary Icelandic geothermal waters, which are part of the country’s lava formations.
The lagoon waters have been found to be rich in terms of a variety of minerals and, perhaps together with the water’s pleasant temperature (a medium temperature of around 40° C / 104° F), the spa has gained a reputation for healing various dermatological diseases.
Blue Lagoon spa is an easy day trip from Reykjavik, as it is located within the Grindavík lava field, about 39 km (24.2 miles) from central Reykjavik.
Geysir, also known as the Great Geysir, is the world’s oldest known water geyser, located within the valley of Haukadalur, in Southern Iceland.
The word “geyser“, used to describe a vertical jet of hot water, was derived from this particular geyser’s name, and it is, in fact, the only loan word from Icelandic used within the English language.
Historically, Geysir water jets erupted every 30 minutes, but in recent years, the water sprouts have become less frequent, with a frequency ofonly a few per day.
For this reason, most tourists to the area also visit the nearby Strokkur geyser, which is more reliable, spraying water every few minutes, at best 30 meters into the air.
As a whole, the region contains around 30 smaller geysers and hot springs.
Iceland tourist attractions also feature Gullfoss waterfall, the most photographed waterfall in Iceland (a country full of waterfalls), located within Hvítá river’s canyon, in Southwestern Iceland.
In English, the waterfall’s name translates as “Golden Waterfall“, with the water falling a total height of 32 meters (104 ft), in two majestic stages (11 m and 21 m / 36 ft and 68 ft).
The most common way to visit the waterfall is via the “Golden Circle”tourist route, available from several tour operators.
As a route, “Golden Circle” goes to all of the major South Iceland attractions, including
- Gullfoss,
- Geysir, and
- Thingvellir National Park.
Whale safari in Husavik, North Iceland, is one of the surest ways to see a whale during a whale safari in the world…
…as the region’s tour operators report a 95% success rate in terms of seeing whales on the tours.
Other popular tourims activities in the region include horse riding with Icelandic horses, one of the world’s oldest horse breeds, within the harsh, but beautiful terrain.
You can participate in a whale safari using, for example, tours byHusavik Whale Museum (www.whalemuseum.is).
Popular time to participate in a whale safari cruise is from June-August, but all in all, tours are available from April to October.
Finally, Iceland tourist attractions include Perlan in Reykjavik(www.perlan.is), one of the city’s most famous landmarks, and in an evening lighting, the building is reminiscent, from a distance, a massive pearl within the Islandic landscape.
The Perlan building is located on top of Öskjuhlíð hill, a short distance from Reykjavik, and contains over 10,000 cubic meters (353,147 cubic feet) of exhibition and event space.
In addition to various types of exhibitions, the building is also a very popular venue for concerts.
When visiting the Perlan, you should also tour the 4th level observation deck.
The observation level features telescopes on each of the six corners of the platform, with the available views narrated in five languages.
Additional services within the building include:
- coffee shop,
- gourmet shop,
- gift shop,
- year-round Christmas shop, and
- revolving restaurant on the top floor.