Iceland – the land of ice and fire. A description we can only confirm after spending five weeks on the island. Vast glacier tongues extend down into the lowlands, volcanic rock covers the entire country, created by the massive volcanic eruptions that repeatedly hit the country.
But Iceland is also the land of waterfalls, the land of birds and the polar fox, as well as the land of colorful mountains. A new breathtaking view awaits around every corner, and the landscape continually overwhelms us.
Iceland – the land of ice and fire. A description we can only confirm after spending five weeks on the island. Vast glacier tongues extend down into the lowlands, volcanic rock covers the entire country, created by the massive volcanic eruptions that repeatedly hit the country.
But Iceland is also the land of waterfalls, the land of birds and the polar fox, as well as the land of colorful mountains. A new breathtaking view awaits around every corner, and the landscape continually overwhelms us.
The Atlantic Puffin
At first glance, it reminds one of a penguin: It waddles clumsily across the hill, is incredibly fast both in the air and underwater, and can dive up to 70 meters: The puffin.
Most people who come to Iceland hope to see the puffin, and with the Icelandic population of 5-7 million birds, the chances are not too bad.
The 30 cm long bird can only be found on the island’s coasts during the breeding season from April till late August; it spends the rest of its life on the open sea.
For us, a puffin sighting was at the top of our wish list for our trip. And thanks to a bit of luck, we had perfect conditions right from the start: a hill with thousands of puffins and their nesting burrows, golden light for hours during the long night of the midnight sun, and not another person in sight.
Landmannalaugar
In the southern highlands of Iceland lies the picturesque Landmannalaugar: „The warm springs of the people of Land(sveit).“ And picturesque is indeed a fitting term, because we’ve never seen a place as colorful as this one.
Almost all the colors of the rainbow can be found partially in a single mountain. The blue, gray, red, orange, and yellow tones are caused by sulfur and lime precipitation. Brilliant turquoise crater lakes are surrounded by steaming hot springs and give the impression that we are on another planet. Moss covering the slopes bathes the mountains in a variety of shades of green. Interspersed with patches of snow, which remain even in summer, are the norm. Pitch-black lava rock pervades the entire landscape, reminiscent of „Lord of the Rings.“
Driving along the South Coast
The white spray of the waves hits the black sand. The contrast couldn’t be more striking and immediately captivates us. The beach at Reynisfjara gets its color from the volcanic rock that forms as the lava cools and hardens.
The Vatnajökull Glacier
Standing in front of the Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe outside of the polar region. we feel very tiny. We hear the humming, cracking, and dripping of the glacial ice and are mesmerized.
The Arctic Foxes of Hornstrandir
Hornstrandir is the northernmost peninsula in Iceland’s Westfjords and one of the most remote and wild places in the country. Since the 1950s, the area has been largely uninhabited and accessible only by ferry. And it is home to the Arctic fox. A fox hunting ban, no roads, and only a few adventurous hikers visiting allow the population to thrive undisturbed.
For three days and nights, we observed and photographed this talented hunter searching for food, cubs frolicking, and the fox family cuddling. These intimate insights into the lives of polar foxes will always remain a highlight of Iceland for us.
Reykjanes Peninsula
It was July 16, 2025, when the earth opened on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik. A few kilometers northeast of the town of Grindavik, a 3 km long eruption fissure had formed. The eruption was unexpected, foreshadowed only a few hours earlier by a swarm of earthquakes.
For us, it was the fulfillment of all our dreams for our time in Iceland. Fortunately, the eruption lasted for a few days, and access to the site was opened to the public, so we not only got a direct view of the erupting volcano, but even stood right next to the steaming lava field. The air smelled of sulfur, and smoke irritated our respiratory system. And never before had we been more aware of the immense power of our Earth than in that moment.
