by Have you ever had such a great time on vacation that you thought, “I could live here”? It’s an easy jump, since the goal of a getaway is to move, even temporarily, from where you are to a better place.
The strength of these longings is, of course, directly proportional to the severity of your situation at home. Maybe that’s why, in March 2018, from the back of a tour bus in Iceland, with my forehead pressed against the fogged-up window, I looked out at the volcanic tundra and had that same thought.
We had just passed one of those hobbit-like houses: a cozy red cottage with a moss-covered roof, a small speck on an otherwise empty horizon; In short, the dream of an introvert like me, and how I wanted to be stationed there, not where I was, stuck in a small shared flat in London, fresh from a breakup.
So when, four years later, my fiancé was offered a job in Iceland as a helicopter pilot, I needed no persuasion. However, it wasn’t just the stunning scenery and charming secluded cabins that so captivated me during my previous visit. It is, according to the World Happiness Report 2023, the third best place on the planet (just behind Finland and Denmark) when it comes to factors such as health, wealth, freedom, social support and community spirit. The United Kingdom, for reference, is currently ranked 19th.
Well, reader, we moved there in August 2022 and lasted exactly one year. It’s still one of my favorite countries in the world to visit, but I don’t understand how its residents are so statistically satisfied (in fact, I’ve developed a theory about this, which I’ll talk about later). Our situation didn’t help. We moved just 14 days after I gave birth to our son, via C-section. Although Iceland is not a member of the EU, Brexit had turned logistics into a nightmare: my German fiancé was welcomed with open arms, but I couldn’t even get a bank account, let alone healthcare, to the point where I was constantly going back and forth to the UK, alone with the baby, which was never a lot of laughs.
Iceland – one of the newest geological formations on the planet and probably the last to be inhabited by humans – is a place of extremes. It reminds me of the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem that my mother used to recite when I was young: “When she was good, / she was very good indeed, / but when she was bad, she was horrible.”
Seen from the sky, Iceland boasts the most spectacular scenery I have ever witnessed: a vast cataclysm of searing geysers and magma-spewing cracks; rivers of mercury tones and emerald valleys; Cobalt blue glaciers and black sand beaches. However, from a practical perspective, not much of it is accessible (more than half the population is concentrated in the capital of Reykjavik, where rents are exorbitant) and it does not grow much, so native food is unreliable ( fermented shark, anyone? ) and the rest is all imported at are you kidding me? prices.
It’s not just food that is ridiculously expensive in Iceland. Thanks to its unique and complex oligopolistic economy, it is frustratingly difficult to get standard items (there is no Amazon, eBay, Starbucks or McDonald’s), and the items you can find it costs too much. The pinnacle of this problem is alcohol, which costs around three times the price of alcohol in the UK and cannot be bought in supermarkets or anywhere other than specialist liquor stores, which are few and far between and close at 8 pm sharp. and they are not open at all on Sundays or holidays. At Christmas we ran out of wine and my visiting relatives were horrified to find themselves dry for several days until New Year’s Eve.
That’s another thing. In Iceland there are many rules. Until the 1980s, beer was completely illegal, television was banned on Thursdays and during the month of July, to “promote socialization”, and residents of Reykjavik were not allowed to keep dogs as pets. Today, entities like the Postal Service still have infuriatingly strict policies: Packages my mother sent me were periodically opened and their contents taxed (including, seriously, a pair of pajamas and a birthday card for her grandson). ). On the other hand, all systems in Iceland work with ruthless efficiency, so you won’t find poorly planned roads or sloppy customer service.
To be fair, there are many other advantages that can challenge the disadvantages of this nation. Sky-high prices have made the island quite exclusive, so the luxury hotels are sublime, it’s relatively crowd-free and you’ll find very few hooligans. Icelandic is a strange, surprising and disconcerting language, but English is widely spoken. His sense of humor is deliciously dark. The drinking water is incredibly pure. The public pools are immaculate and plentiful (Dalslaug was my favorite). The northern lights illuminate the sky during winter. It’s also one of the only places in the world where there are no mosquitoes: they don’t like the weather and who can blame them?
In the end it was this, the weather, that killed us. And not even winter (when we were there, Iceland suffered its coldest period in 100 years), during which the sun only rises a few hours a day and it snowed regularly. There was something dramatic and novel about that. It was summer, when the sun did not set for several months, which was disconcerting and caused insomnia; and the fact that it was still too cold to properly enjoy the outdoors.
Perhaps this is the reason why Icelanders are so happy and, indeed, why the Nordic countries always top these lists. You have to be made of strong material to withstand such harsh elements. The first time we met our neighbor, Eygló, she was wandering in the middle of a snowstorm, dressed in a t-shirt and open sandals, with a giant smile on her face. And she wasn’t even drunk: it was Sunday. In short: everyone should visit this otherworldly, uncrowded fairyland before they die. But very few could spend a lifetime there.
Get there
You can tell a lot about a country by its flag carrier, and Icelandair is a perfect example. It’s modern, stylish, reliable and the pilots have a good sense of humor, but the food is weird. Flights from London start from £135 return. PLAY, the country’s low-cost airline, is also excellent, operating from Stansted and offering fares from £80 return.
Please note that volcanic activity has increased in recent weeks. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warns: “Earthquakes and signs of volcanic activity have increased above normal levels on the Reykjanes Peninsula, south-west of Reykjavik. On December 18, 2023, a volcanic eruption occurred in Sundhnúkagígar, 3 kilometers north of the city of Grindavík. Icelandic authorities continue to closely monitor the area. Some roads are closed and it is recommended to stay away from the area. More rashes may occur. The capital, Reykjavik, and the rest of Iceland have not been affected by this eruption. You should pay attention to local media updates and follow the advice of authorities about traveling to the area.”
Five unmissable things to do in Iceland
Visit the geothermal pools
First, the Blue Lagoon. Yes, it’s the most touristy thing you can do, but with good reason: this warm, electric blue geothermal soup is wonderful. There’s a swim-up bar, silica clay to apply all over your body, and lots of laughter. If you’ve got the cash to spend, check into the adjacent Retreat Hotel, which has its own private labyrinth of next-level magical pools, an elaborate spa and the Moss restaurant, which last year won a Michelin star. Other notable rivals include the new Sky Lagoon (best enjoyed at night) and the elegant Hvammsvík hot springs, which flow directly into the ocean.
Visit the Westman Islands
One of Iceland’s best-kept secrets (we didn’t even find out about it until shortly before we moved), the tiny island of Heimaey is part of the Westman Islands, just a 45-minute ferry ride from the mainland. It’s home to the world’s largest puffin colony and the first beluga whale sanctuary, so wildlife lovers will be in heaven. Be sure to spend at least one night at Glamping & Camping Vestmannaeyjar, where you can sleep in rustic Lord of the Rings-style cabins right next to the beach.
Take a helicopter ride
My fiancé was a helicopter pilot here and has taken many wealthy clients who have been in many helicopters. They consistently reported that this is the most amazing country they’ve ever flown over, and there’s really no other way to see so much of it, from such a vantage point, in a single day. Nordurflug’s Essential Iceland Half-Day Tour takes you to the highlights and costs £1,125 per person. Private expeditions offering glacier landings and customizable itineraries are also available (pricing upon request).
Go on a photography tour.
Photography enthusiasts looking for panoramic sweeps to capture on their next vacation will be hard-pressed to find anything better than Iceland; It is a symphony of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls and geysers during all seasons. The sheer number of tour operators can be overwhelming, but I can attest to Arctic Journeys, run by acclaimed French photographer Kévin Pagès, who takes up to eight guests at a time on customized private tours in his modified 4×4 monster, both showing them his job. and take photographs on site, with professional prints to take home. Packages start at £860 per party.
Discover the South
Some of Iceland’s most stunning places are in the south, and Off the Map Travel offers a package that includes the best of them: from the Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls to the Katla ice caves and black sand beach. in Vik. It also includes a stay at Hotel Ranga, one of the best refuges to enjoy the Northern Lights. Five days from £2,599 per person.
