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10 Reasons Iceland Is a Hot Destination

January 11, 2019
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Iceland consists of an unforgiving landscape void of trees, whipped by wind and dotted with gushing geysers and bubbling hot springs.

Only 2% of the population is unemployed, the country has no army, they are pioneers in the use of geothermal energy for space heating. The nation has some of the globe’s lowest crime and highest life expectancy rates, and a long history of being named one of the happiest countries on the annual “World Happiness Report.”

Iceland is the Safest and Most Peaceful Country in the World

Are you thinking about going to Iceland? Here are some things about Iceland that you may have heard.

Here are 10 reasons you should visit Iceland!

Table of Contents
  1. There are no mosquitoes!
  2. The Northern Lights
  3. The Blue Lagoon
  4. Glaciers
  5. Volcanoes
  6. You can dive between continents
  7. Waterfalls
  8. Ice Caves
  9. Þingvellir National Park
  10. Everybody is Equal
  11. Everyone Speaks English
  12. Experience Iceland’s Unique Cuisine
  13. Iceland’s Capital City
  14. Iceland is one of the Happiest Countries in the World
  15. Adventure Trails

There are no mosquitoes!

Iceland is one of only two parts of the planet where the mosquitoes never set up, the other is being Antarctica. In places like New Caledonia, Seychelles and French Polynesia mosquitos exist, but the insects cannot carry the virus as it requires the blood of land-based mammals, which are absent in these places.

Northern Lights Photo credit: Tony Calvert / Flickr

The Northern Lights

The Aurora Borealis  is one of the main reasons travelers from all around the world venture themselves in the dark and cold nights of Iceland. But the reward of facing the extreme temperatures and strong winds is the possibility to appr

You can watch this natural spectacle on the outskirts of Reykjavík, but towards the north the lights can get more intense. the country becomes the best spot to view the full wonder of the Northern Lights. They are usually seen on the Jokulsarlon lagoon located in South Iceland. They are largely seen over the period from September to April.

Blue LagoonPhoto credit: Fabrice TRINITE / Flickr

The Blue Lagoon

This is the most famous attraction in Iceland. There are several hot pools in Iceland and its use of geothermal power, but this one is the total winner. The water is geothermal heated and it is warm all year round and definitely needs to be in your checklist.

The best way to visit the Blue Lagoon is by rental car. But if you do feel driving there, you can use this highly recommended tour from the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon. For current prices and more information, check their website here.

Glaciers Photo credit: N Blom / Flickr

Glaciers

The ancient glaciers of Iceland cover more than 10% of the country and include the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. The Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is one of the best sights in Iceland, where you see a chaotic ensemble of glacier chunks slowly floating their way out to sea. Volcanoes Photo credit: Andri Elfarsson / Flickr

Volcanoes

There are about 130 volcanic mountains, some active and some extinct. You can take an Icelandic super jeep or helicopter and tour the volcanic landscape of Iceland. A trip to see these landscapes is a trip into natural art. One of the highlights is Thrihnukagigur volcano – the last eruption occurred thousands of years ago. This is usually a journey 128 meters deep and allows you to explore the volcano inside of the cavern is stained with russet red scars and flashes of blackened indigo. You can check the tour prices operated by Inside the Volcano.

You can dive between continents

In Iceland and you will witness the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates living together in perfect harmony. You can dive between the North American and Eurasian continental tectonic plates! Waterfalls Photo credit: Guitar photographer / shutterstock

Waterfalls

The iconic Gullfoss waterfall is famed for its scale and beauty. The water stream is fed by the Langjökull glacier, second largest glacier in Iceland, and the power of water is breathtaking. Another of the major ones and a prominent tourist attraction is the Svartifoss waterfall. Make sure you also visit their tallest waterfalls, Glymur, and Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss. Ice Caves in Iceland Photo credit: Giuseppe Milo / Flickr

Ice Caves

Iceland’s ice caves are among the most extraordinary and mesmerizing wonders of nature and can certainly be counted among the most breath-taking sights the world has to offer. Ice caves are natural phenomena that are formed in glaciers during winter. Most often they are formed by water running through or under the glacier and new caves are formed every year. Every cave is different and you never really know what you’ll get to see before you go in. There are knowledgeable guides that will take you on this epic journey under the blue ice.

Þingvellir National Park

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park is a UNESCO Heritage site and it’s very important to the locals because of its historical and cultural background. The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of 2 tectonic plates, with rocky cliffs and fissures like the huge Almannagjá fault. Thingvellir is a favourite stop among travellers along the Golden Circle route. t is the visible site of the mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

Everybody is Equal

Based on Global Gender Gap Report, Iceland tops the list for being the country with the most gender equality in the world for the seventh straight year in a row. Iceland is often referred to as the most feminist place in the world.

Everyone Speaks English

If you are worried about travelling to a foreign country and not being able to speak to anyone, don’t you worry! In Iceland, almost everybody speaks English. All children are required to learn both English and Danish in elementary schools.

Experience Iceland’s Unique Cuisine

Iceland is known for its unique cuisine. In Iceland you can go to a restaurant and get amazingly fresh seafood that was caught earlier that day. Icelandic ingredients are known for being fresh, healthy and sustainable. Seafood and lamb stand out as mouthwatering entree items on many menus. They also have options that will cater to specialized diets. Here are suggestions for vegan restaurants in Reykjavik. Reykjavik Photo credit: imgur.com

Iceland’s Capital City

Reykjavik is Amazing. But Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik is a place that will lure you in with Viking-age history, world-class museums, a geothermal beach, inviting pubs and plenty of adventures for the entire family to enjoy. Reykjavik is also a great place for some live music and entertainment. The whole city of Reykjavík is made up of colourful houses, not just in one area, but all over the place!

Iceland is one of the Happiest Countries in the World

According the World Happiness Report, Iceland ranks third in the world for happiness. If you travel to Iceland, you will surely find some happy and friendly locals to talk to. The local Icelandic swimming pools are a great place to meet new people where you can have fun and interesting conversations with the locals.

Adventure Trails

Iceland is the perfect destination for adventure-loving travelers. The Laugavegur Hiking Trail is Iceland’s most famous hiking trail and truly one of the world’s most beautiful treks. The trail connects the Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk Nature Reserves and offers a variety of different landscapes along the way. Every day has different views with beautiful scenery of pristine nature with volcanic mountains, lava fields, glaciers, natural hot springs, black arctic deserts and lush forrested valleys.

When to travel to Iceland?

The pick season in Iceland is during summertime [May to September], with mild temperatures and fully booked hotels. During that time, the days are longer and you can enjoy beautiful moments in nature and outside. Iceland is a small country, to get around you can rent car and go explore it by yourself. Or you can book a tour and visit the waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes and glaciers. This country has some of the most spectacular sights in the world, with active volcanoes, breathtaking mountain scenery and calming geothermal springs.

Find out more interesting facts about Iceland

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Green Transportation Systems

Top 5 Cities with Green Transportation Systems in North American

April 22, 2019
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A new report published by Arcadis ranks the top North American cities with green transportation systems based on the “overall sustainability of urban transportation systems.”
According to that, the cities were measured by ranking measures includes social, environmental, and economic impact.

North American cities rank low compared to European or Asian cities due to the car-centric culture that exists today. However, many cities are striving to provide sustainable, alternative transportation options through various strategies. See what mobility strategies are happening across the nation on the map and download the report for more.

While personal vehicles may be the most common mode of transportation, they aren’t always the most environmentally friendly. This is especially true in populated cities where the public transportation systems can be a lot more energy-efficient with the use of green technology, clean commuting is even more beneficial to the environment.

New York City took the top spot. San Francisco, Vancouver, Montreal, and Washington, D.C., followed, in that order.

Top 5 Cities with Green Transportation Systems

To determine the Top 5 Green Transportation Cities, several factors were taken into consideration, as the average time spent commuting and the system’s hours of operation, how reliable the transportation system is, how much coverage they provide and the system’s ability to lower emissions. Other factors include access to multiple transit modes, bicycle infrastructure, affordability of public transit, digital mapping and payment capabilities, internet connectivity, and more.

Here are the top five North American cities with the green transportation systems, according to data from the Sustainable Cities Mobility Index by Arcadis.

New York City

Photo by Kai Pilger on Unsplash

New York City

New York City, being the most populous city in the United States, has a transportation system which includes one of the largest subway systems in the world; the world’s first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel; and an aerial tramway.
The subway system is one of the most developed in the world. Millions of people use the New York’s public transportation to get across the city without driving their own vehicles. That helps keep more cars off the roads and fewer emissions in the atmosphere.

San Francisco

Photo by Daiwei Lu on Unsplash

San Francisco

The City by the Bay offers public transportation options, but they aren’t quite as popular to use as they are in New York. However, San Francisco also offers many initiatives for green energy. There are many electric vehicles in the city, for example.

San Francisco is becoming a model of how to work successfully with businesses and community groups to phase in and scale up sustainable transportation policies that make an immediate local and citywide impact.

Vancouver

Photo by Mike Benna on Unsplash

Vancouver

The transportation system is aiming for allow for personal freedoms and environmental benefits to coexist, making sure there are many sustainable options to get around. Gas-fueled vehicles accounted for approximately 37% of our total emissions in 2017.

The city scored well in terms of system maintenance, air pollution and incentives to promote the use of electric vehicles, especially the public transportation systems.

Montreal Green Transportation Systems

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

Montreal

According to a new report from the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Mobility Index, Montreal ranks as the fourth greenest transportation city in North America. The city ranked well for green transportation options with well-organized subway and easy for passengers to use. Montreal’s public transportation is an environmentally-friendly choice.

Montréal is home to a rapidly-growing sector of clean transport innovators, and their work is changing the face of it.

Washington DC

Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash

Washington DC

The United States’ capital ranks well for clean commuting with diverse range of national parks, including the National Mall, residents are often found walking to their next destination.

Washington, DC was the first city in North America to launch a bike-share system, which now has more than 4,000 bikes.

While the above cities top the North American none of them find a place in the international cities rank, according to the data from Arcadis.

Check our International Cities Top the List post to find out who top the number one position in the world.

The top European cities ranked well due to their organized metro systems and efficient infrastructure. These cities also use a lot of green technology in their transportation efforts, which means they release fewer carbon emissions.

Featured photo by Hala AlGhanim on Unsplash
traveling to Greenland

Top 30 fun facts about Greenland

July 11, 2019
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Greenland is the world’s largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The nearest countries are Canada, to the west and southwest across Baffin Bay, and Iceland, east of the country in the Atlantic Ocean.

It is a unique country that people do not know much about it.
The country has been controlled first by Norway and then by Denmark. Once it was part of the EU in 1973 when the country was part of Denmark, but it later left. The majority live in the lower part of West Greenland, while a small part lives in the northern Thule area.

We’ll share some fun facts about the world’s largest island to inspire you to make your dream trip a reality.

Facts about Greenland
Photo credit: Helen / Flickr

Here are 32 fun facts you didn’t know about Greenland

1. The name Greenland means “Land of People.” and it was originally discovered by Vikings in the 10th century.

2. It is the largest island in the world. If you think about Australia and Antarctica – they are continents.

3. Almost 80 percent of the island is covered by ice and glaciers.

4. If all an ice-sheet on Greenland melt, the world’s sea level would rise by 7 meters.

5. The only time the average temperature in the country goes above zero is in July.

6. The population is roughly around 56,000, about 25% live in the capital Nuuk.

7. The largest town in southern Greenland is Qaqortoq, which has been occupied for about 4,300 years.

8. Scientists have estimated that the ice sheet is between 400,000 and 800,000 years old.

9. The fishing and funds from Denmark are the primary sources of income for inhabitants in Greenland.

10. There are no roads connecting the cities.

11. The Hvalsey Church was the first Christian church on the island.

12. The primary transport is by boat. There are less than 3000 cars in the whole country.

glacier in Greenland
Photo credit: Ívar Atli Sigurjónsson / Flickr

13. A full round trip takes 80 hours in each direction.

14. The island became part of the Norwegian Empire in the 13th century.

15. In 1946 The USA offered to purchase Greenland from Denmark for $100,000,000.

16. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1979 and began full self-government in 2009.

17. The country has been largely self-governing since 1979, but Denmark oversees some aspects of government.

18. The religion on the island today is mainly protestant Christian.

19. The hydropower renewable energy on the island has great potential.

20. The Greenlandic cuisine is based mostly on fish, sea mammals and birds.

21. The country’s flag has a polar bear in a blue shield – the polar bear is meant to symbolize the fauna of the island and the blue represents the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

22. Danish krone is the currency of Greenland.

23. Recent research confirms that the inhabitants of Greenland originated from eastern Siberia via Canada.

24. “Kayak” and “igloo” are Greenlandic words that became popular and have been adopted by other languages.

25. Coffee in Greenland typically includes whiskey.

26. The world’s largest National Park – Kalaallit Nunaanni nuna eqqissisimatitaq covering an area with over 375,000 square miles can be found here.

27. June 21 is a national holiday and it is the longest day of the year.

28. The country is geographically part of North America, but politically is part of Europe.

29. The official languages of the country are Greenlandic and Danish, though English is widely understood.

30. It is the largest dependent territory by area in the world.

Its remote location, small population and seemingly insular political and economic system make it largely inaccessible to all curious tourists.

Read more interesting articles about Greenland.

Want to learn more about sustainable travel? Check our other posts.

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