Iceland review - 2015, Page 119

ICELAND REVIEW 117
When are you an insider? When do you know
your country so well that you can tip fellow
photographers and first-time visitors off about the
best places to get that unforgettable image.
Most of the one million visitors last year saw
Geysir hot spring and Gullfoss waterfall, Þingvellir
National Park and the capital Reykjavík. Few, too
few, went to East Iceland and the West Fjords.
Látrabjarg bird cliff in the west and Papey island
off Djúpivogur in the east are the best places to
get up close and personal with the puffins. The
two regions are also good for seeing small fishing
villages, steep mountains and very few tourists,
compared to other parts of Iceland.
The island of Grímsey or Langanes peninsula
in North Iceland, are the best places to catch the
midnight sun.
If you love horses, to ride and to photograph,
Skagafjörður region in the north is a great place
to visit.
Mountains, lava fields and black volcanic
beaches... Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla county in South
Iceland, from Vík to Kirkjubæjarklaustur, has it all.
Just head in the opposite direction of all the tour
buses.
If waterfalls are your thing, head north to the
secluded Aldeyjarfoss in Skjálfandi and Selfoss
upstrem from the mighty Dettifoss in Jökulsá á
Fjöllum.
As for the northern lights... sorry—it’s too late,
come back in October, it’s too bright at this time
of the year.
And if it’s the wind and the rain you came to
experience, just stay in Reykjavík. You will meet
plenty of interesting characters in 101, the postal
code for the downtown, fighting the elements. *
BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
1/100 ƒ10.0