Iceland is such a magical place. The Land of Fire and Ice is only about 300 miles long (and growing), but it feels so much bigger than that. Truly, it feels otherworldly. Iceland is divided into 7 regions: Reykjavik, Reykjanes, South Iceland, East Iceland, North Iceland, The West Fjords and West Iceland. Most people visit Iceland and spend time in Reykjavik and South Iceland. And for good reason. They are both amazing and well worth your time. My eyes truly opened, though, when we kept driving along the Ring Road and explored less touristed areas of Iceland. I love every region for its own special reason.
Our first trip to Iceland was during the summer. We got to experience the Midnight Sun and honestly, we got so spoiled. Especially as a photographer. Having so much daylight meant we could sightsee into the late evening and have enough usable light for me. On our second trip to Iceland, though, we visited while there was less than 5 hour of daylight each day. It was a very different experience. Intense and moody and cold and beautiful. I recommend getting to experience both extremes in your lifetime.
As someone living with lupus and other health concerns, Iceland offered me one of my most comfortable summer vacations in this hemisphere ever. Don’t let it fool you, though. That sun can still be incredibly overwhelming, especially if you are at higher elevation or hiking a glacier and dealing with the sun reflecting off the summer snow.
Foodwise, if you eat a higher protein diet but aren’t in love with fish or lamb, options become more challenging. Additionally, I can’t eat nightshades and some of the more commonly grown produce items in Iceland are greenhouse tomatoes, bell peppers, and potatoes, which also presents challenges. That being said, I was still always able to find food to eat. I did focus more on grocery shopping, though, as opposed to restaurant eating. This was beneficial in a few ways, since food is generally pretty expensive in Iceland. Kronin is my preferred grocery store, overall. I found their selection, locations, pricing, and quality were superior to our other options available.
I hope you’ll visit Iceland and share your favorite moments. If you haven’t visited yet, it’s never too early to start planning your first trip to Iceland.
