‘‘Time flies’’ they say. It has been a decade since I took up photography and started to explore this land of fire and ice. Now here I am, after all my trips, after all my experiences, asking myself: ‘‘How much is there left for me to explore?’’. I want to believe there´s still plenty, but I think I have come to a point where I can safely claim that my knowledge of this magical land is extensive enough to share it with others and not feel phoney.
I haven’t traveled world enough to assert that Iceland is the best place in the world to do landscape photography, however, if I go by what my clients are telling me, it´s definitely high up there with the most picturesque places.
In this writeup I wanted to list some of my favorite places for landscape photography. What makes them special is obviously subjective. My experience tells me that people have wide range of what they find beautiful. Some people prefer mountains over coasts, winter over summer and large vistas over detailed subjects. Please keep this in mind when I go over this list.
Another thing I wanted to mention is the issue of secrecy for certain locations. While I believe that we should share the beauty of the world, mass tourism has affected Iceland heavily. So don’t be surprised if I´m not mentioning exact location of some of my favorite places. Additionally, some of the places that used to be special to me, have lost their charm due overexposure and while they might be listed as iconic in other lists, you will not find them in mine. Sure, due to pandemic, number of tourists have decreased dramatically and these places are empty once again, but I just can not look at them the same way as before. Anyway, enough with this pessimistic perspective, let´s jump to my list.
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Geothermal AREAs
In essence, Iceland is one giant volcano. Located at the continental rift zone with multiple intrusion zones, unrelenting eruptions have built this island over centuries. One of the most intriguing areas of the country lie in the immediate zones of recent volcanic activity. Rugged terrain, geothermal pools, craters and spectacular colorful rocks are prominent in these areas. There are dozens of spots like that in Iceland. Some of them very well known, like Geysir or Hverir, but some are relatively unexplored when it comes to tourism, so I love to take photographers on tours to this place.
Kerlingafjöll
This is another area that lie on the current rift zone and is volcanically active. It´s also located what people usually refer to as Icelandic highlands. It´s extremely hard to reach in winter, but for couple of months a year, it opens up to exploration. While not as big of an area as Landmannalaugar, another famous location in highlands, it feels more wilder, more untamed.
Jökulsárlón
This is probably one of the most iconic places in Iceland. If you would look up any information about top places to go in Iceland, chances are Jökulsárlón will be on the list and deservedly so. It´s a unique place for many reasons, but main attraction there is the black sand beach that is often littered with ice chucks of various sizes that are washed by the Atlantic ocean. There’s only one place like this in Iceland and even though I have been there many times, I always look forward to go back.
Kálfafel
I love this mountain. It´s a very easy find, right by the main road on the South coast, but yet, not overly exposed on the social media. I just can´t put my finger on it as to why out of thousands of mountain peaks in Iceland, it´s this particular mountain, that draws me in. I suppose, this is the subjectivity of the beauty I talked about earlier.
Eystrahorn
Another mountain on the list. Name of the mountain translates to ‘‘Horn of the East’’ and unsurprisingly, there´s a mountain not far from it, named - ‘‘Horn of the West’’ or Vestrahorn. While Vestrahorn is more popular with tourists and photographers alike, my personal preference lands on Eystrahorn. It is smaller, but to me it has the aura of a fairy tale look that I strive to find in landscapes.
Svalvogar
Svalvogar is a 49-kilometre circular route between the fjords of Dýrafjörður and Arnarfjörður. It´s a narrow coastal road past the Westfjords' tallest mountain. Svalvogar or ‘‘Dream road’’ really lives up to it´s name. It´s a dangerous track, as part of it is only passible during low tides and you do not want to be stuck on the rocks there when the swell is on its way. However, if you are accompanied with someone who is familiar with the area, I promise, you will fall in love with the area.
Hvannadalur
This is probably the most unknown of the areas that I will list. It´s hidden deep within glacier valleys, accessible only on foot. I discovered it while on an all day hike, just to explore the area. I never bring people there as it is a grueling hike and its importance is more personal than any other place in Iceland. If someone askes me, what is my favorite place in Iceland, I mention Hvannadalur, but then add that others might not agree with me and find it just as another generic glacier valley in Iceland.
Ice caves
Now, this is another thing that Iceland is famous for and deservedly so. Ice caves form during the warmer months, when melting ice on the surface of the glacier finds it´s way down and form streams and rivers. This flowing water then carves it´s way through dense beautiful ice and when temperature drops, melting stops and we are able to venture into these tunnels. These caves often change year to year, so it´s always a new experience and hence so exhilarating to visit them year after year.
Goðafoss
Iceland is truly land of waterfalls. There are thousands of them and at some point it can become overwhelming, to the point where you just shrug and overlook their power and majesty. While I have few personal favorites, there is one that always stands out to me - Goðafoss. Waterfall of the gods, as the name implies, is one of the biggest ones in Iceland and while it is easily accessible and very popular with tourists and photographers I never shy away to visit it time and time again. Due to its accessibility, it one of the best waterfalls to visit regardless of the time of the year.
Múlagljúfur
Lastly I want to mention a place that not that long ago was hidden from wider public eyes. In recent years its beauty has been exposed on social media, so I do not feel like I need to hide its name or location, as it is a public knowledge. Having said that, it still has its special charm as ‘‘place tucked away’’. When you arrive at the edge of this gully, and take a look deep into it, there´s this feeling that you just entered land of imagination, where the word ‘‘beauty’’ takes a whole deeper meaning.
While this, of course, is not the whole list, it is a good spread of places that I would visit again in a heartbeat and love to bring my fellow photographers during my photo tours.