Jórunn
Certified travel blogger
My blogs
December Darkness in Iceland
Are you coming to Iceland in December? Read about the ever changing light and conditions here from a photographer's perspective! Even though December is the darkest month in Iceland this month is all about light. During winter time days get shorter in Iceland with less light because of the country´s high latitude. That means that the longest day in the middle of December is only 5 hours of light maximum. Sunrise is around 11 AM and sunset between 3 and 4 PM. Sounds strange but this is what we Icelanders are used to and nothing is more normal than going to work in total darkness and arrivi
Chasing Waterfalls in Iceland
Iceland is spectacular in so many ways and Icelandic nature is quite unique with its vast landscape, volcanic activity, geothermal areas, glacier lagoons and sceneries, black sand beaches and spectacular mountain ridges. The country's most recognizable series of attractions though are maybe the endless amount of waterfalls making Iceland quite unique. Once I heard the number 10.000. I'm not sure about this number but I sure know that they are in abundance and wherever you go you will find a waterfall so chasing them is easy. Why do we have so many waterfalls some people ask and the a
Attractions by Skaftafell Nature Reserve
Skaftafell National Park was established in 1967 but as from 2008 it became a part of the larger Vatnajokull National Park. The size of the Vatnajokull National Park including Skaftafell is around 14.200 km2 making it Europe's second largest National Park after Yugyd Va in Russia. See also: National Parks in Iceland See also: Skaftafell tours When travelling around Iceland this part of the country should not be left out because there are breathtaking sceneries and vistas wherever you go and great opportunities in terms of photography and outdoor activity of all kind. The landscape can b
What is the weather like in Iceland ?
How is the weather in Iceland ? When is the best weather or when is the best time to visit ? These are questions I frequently get from travelers interested in Iceland. To be honest with you, living in Iceland is tricky and to answer these questions is almost impossible to be honest. Iceland is a land of ice and fire (literally) and the weather can change very rapidly. Our island is located just south of the Arctic circle and temperature is cool in the summer and almost mild in winter. If you don´t believe me this is what the Icelandic met office says. "Iceland enjoys a much milder climate t
The Lopapeysa
I know this is something unusual for me to write about but even so it found its way into my blog. I'm gonna talk a little bit about the hip and cool Icelandic must have thing "lopapeysa". If you are wondering what that might be then it's a hand knitted wool sweater made from Icelandic wool. In the old days this was something that mostly fishermen and farmers put on to stay warm and the grandmothers knitted it but in the middle of the 20th century it came very popular amongst younger people and nowadays almost every Icelander owns one and plenty of people all ages knit those themselves.
The remote island Flatey
Have you ever visited some of the islands around Iceland? I recommend you do and there are several beautiful islands possible to visit. One of them is Flatey island, located in Breidafjordur bay on the northwestern part of Iceland. The island is about two kilometers long and one kilometer wide and is quite flat almost without any hills, so therefore the name 'Flatey', meaning "flat island". Flatey is the largest island among a cluster of about forty other small islands in the area. If you want to go to Flatey you need to take the ferry from either Stykkishólmur or Brjánslækur and please n
The Dynamic Plant Lupine
People have been asking me where to find lupines in Iceland. If you like them you should be able to find them easily in Iceland in summer. They are in bloom and visible almost wherever you drive around the country, very often along roads and lakes. Looking at those purple fields sometimes reminds of a beautiful lavender field and the lupines sure make a beautiful and a vibrant scene wherever you go this time of year. In Iceland we mostly have the purple species but lupines come in several colours; purple, blue, pink, red, yellow and white. The lupine is one of the taller and prosperous p
Þingvellir National Park - Where You Walk Between Two Continents
Discover why Þingvellir National Park is such a sought after tourist destination and the significance of its history and geology. Why is it the only UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Icelandic mainland? How did it form? Why is it so popular? Read ahead for all you need to know about Þingvellir National Park. Most visitors to Iceland will, at some point, take the Golden Circle, the most popular tourist route in the country. Images from its three destinations adorn postcards and websites, to the extent that many know what to expect from the tour before they even arrive. The iconic Gullfoss wa
The Glacier Lagoon Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón literally means "glacial river lagoon". I'm sure you have heard about this beautiful natural wonder of Iceland. The lagoon is located on the south-east side of the country and can be seen from the main road nr. 1 so if you are surfing around in this area you have to make a stop there. Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park and developed into a lake after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has grown because of melting of the glaciers and has increased fourfold since in the 1970s. It recently became the
Puffins in Iceland
Did you know that Atlantic puffins spend most of their lives at sea, but return to land to form breeding colonies during spring and summer? Iceland is one of those colonies because in spring time they come over here for nesting and Iceland is the breeding home for about 60 percent of the world's Atlantic puffins. Puffins can be seen in Iceland from early April until September each year. There are more than one puffin species but the one that breeds in Iceland is the so called Atlantic Puffin. What makes them special is the penguin like colour with a very colourful beak. The beak fades
My blogs
December Darkness in Iceland
Are you coming to Iceland in December? Read about the ever changing light and conditions here from a photographer's perspective! Even though December is the darkest month in Iceland this month is all about light. During winter time days get shorter in Iceland with less light because of the country´s high latitude. That means that the longest day in the middle of December is only 5 hours of light maximum. Sunrise is around 11 AM and sunset between 3 and 4 PM. Sounds strange but this is what we Icelanders are used to and nothing is more normal than going to work in total darkness and arrivi
Chasing Waterfalls in Iceland
Iceland is spectacular in so many ways and Icelandic nature is quite unique with its vast landscape, volcanic activity, geothermal areas, glacier lagoons and sceneries, black sand beaches and spectacular mountain ridges. The country's most recognizable series of attractions though are maybe the endless amount of waterfalls making Iceland quite unique. Once I heard the number 10.000. I'm not sure about this number but I sure know that they are in abundance and wherever you go you will find a waterfall so chasing them is easy. Why do we have so many waterfalls some people ask and the a
Attractions by Skaftafell Nature Reserve
Skaftafell National Park was established in 1967 but as from 2008 it became a part of the larger Vatnajokull National Park. The size of the Vatnajokull National Park including Skaftafell is around 14.200 km2 making it Europe's second largest National Park after Yugyd Va in Russia. See also: National Parks in Iceland See also: Skaftafell tours When travelling around Iceland this part of the country should not be left out because there are breathtaking sceneries and vistas wherever you go and great opportunities in terms of photography and outdoor activity of all kind. The landscape can b
What is the weather like in Iceland ?
How is the weather in Iceland ? When is the best weather or when is the best time to visit ? These are questions I frequently get from travelers interested in Iceland. To be honest with you, living in Iceland is tricky and to answer these questions is almost impossible to be honest. Iceland is a land of ice and fire (literally) and the weather can change very rapidly. Our island is located just south of the Arctic circle and temperature is cool in the summer and almost mild in winter. If you don´t believe me this is what the Icelandic met office says. "Iceland enjoys a much milder climate t
The Lopapeysa
I know this is something unusual for me to write about but even so it found its way into my blog. I'm gonna talk a little bit about the hip and cool Icelandic must have thing "lopapeysa". If you are wondering what that might be then it's a hand knitted wool sweater made from Icelandic wool. In the old days this was something that mostly fishermen and farmers put on to stay warm and the grandmothers knitted it but in the middle of the 20th century it came very popular amongst younger people and nowadays almost every Icelander owns one and plenty of people all ages knit those themselves.
The remote island Flatey
Have you ever visited some of the islands around Iceland? I recommend you do and there are several beautiful islands possible to visit. One of them is Flatey island, located in Breidafjordur bay on the northwestern part of Iceland. The island is about two kilometers long and one kilometer wide and is quite flat almost without any hills, so therefore the name 'Flatey', meaning "flat island". Flatey is the largest island among a cluster of about forty other small islands in the area. If you want to go to Flatey you need to take the ferry from either Stykkishólmur or Brjánslækur and please n
The Dynamic Plant Lupine
People have been asking me where to find lupines in Iceland. If you like them you should be able to find them easily in Iceland in summer. They are in bloom and visible almost wherever you drive around the country, very often along roads and lakes. Looking at those purple fields sometimes reminds of a beautiful lavender field and the lupines sure make a beautiful and a vibrant scene wherever you go this time of year. In Iceland we mostly have the purple species but lupines come in several colours; purple, blue, pink, red, yellow and white. The lupine is one of the taller and prosperous p
Þingvellir National Park - Where You Walk Between Two Continents
Discover why Þingvellir National Park is such a sought after tourist destination and the significance of its history and geology. Why is it the only UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Icelandic mainland? How did it form? Why is it so popular? Read ahead for all you need to know about Þingvellir National Park. Most visitors to Iceland will, at some point, take the Golden Circle, the most popular tourist route in the country. Images from its three destinations adorn postcards and websites, to the extent that many know what to expect from the tour before they even arrive. The iconic Gullfoss wa
The Glacier Lagoon Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón literally means "glacial river lagoon". I'm sure you have heard about this beautiful natural wonder of Iceland. The lagoon is located on the south-east side of the country and can be seen from the main road nr. 1 so if you are surfing around in this area you have to make a stop there. Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park and developed into a lake after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has grown because of melting of the glaciers and has increased fourfold since in the 1970s. It recently became the
Puffins in Iceland
Did you know that Atlantic puffins spend most of their lives at sea, but return to land to form breeding colonies during spring and summer? Iceland is one of those colonies because in spring time they come over here for nesting and Iceland is the breeding home for about 60 percent of the world's Atlantic puffins. Puffins can be seen in Iceland from early April until September each year. There are more than one puffin species but the one that breeds in Iceland is the so called Atlantic Puffin. What makes them special is the penguin like colour with a very colourful beak. The beak fades
Photos by me
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