Location: Northern Europe, northwest of the UK, between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean
Capital: Reykjavik
Tourist Attractions: The large volcanic island of Iceland is well known for its geysers, active volcanoes, glaciers, hot springs and Viking heritage. The geothermal area of Geysir is famous for Strokkur, a hot spring which spurts every few minutes.The Thingvellir National Park, Gulfoss, Europe’s biggest waterfall, and the Myvatn Lake with volcanic craters are other popular tourist destinations. Tourists also frequent Blue Lagoon for its amazing health centre and the outdoor pool. The Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the Snaefellsjokull glaciers, dotted with lava caves, waterfalls, and hot springs are home to many fishing towns and offers stupendous coastal views. The Westmann Islands, replete with wildlife and the Keiko the famous whale star of the movie ‘Free Willy’ are a pleasant getaway.
Access: The Keflavik international airport receives direct flights from U.S.A, Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Italy, France, Sweden and Switzerland. Cruise Lines also operates cruise services to Iceland from Denmark, Faroe Islands, Shetland Islands and Norway.
Climate: Iceland experiences gentle, windy winters and wet cool summers. Despite its name and latitude, the winters don’t get that cold due to the moderating effect of the North Atlantic Current.