Less than 170 miles (270 km) from the Arctic Circle is an island dubbed The Land of Fire and Ice as home to active volcanoes as well as Europe’s largest glaciers. Iceland is a heady mix of incomparable vistas, unique experiences and some of the friendliest people in the world and Reykjavik showcases the best of the country.
If you are a single, whether you are looking to mix or to explore on your own, it is definitely worth a visit.
For most people with a bucket list of sights to see, the Aurora Borealis (The Northern Lights) is on it, and Iceland is one of the best places in the world to catch the elusively beautiful play of light. That oneness with the Universe that you feel as you lie gazing up at the color amidst the blackness of the night is just as pervasive whether you are hands are folded behind your head or locked with a new friend’s.
You have probably seen pictures of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon even if you did not realize where and what it was. It is one of the world’s most picturesque natural swimming pools – the water is as blue as the summer sky and heated by underground geothermal activity to 100 degree Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius), as well as enriched with minerals that are renowned for their skin rejuvenation characteristics.
Simply take a dip or gaze at the ancient mountains and people-watch as misty vapor swirls around you.
Volcanoes are never really that far away in Iceland – there are over 130 of them, dormant and active. Depending on how adventurous you want to be, you can either descend into the dormant Thrihnukagigur volcano, fly veeeery safely over active ones in a helicopter or trek closer and feel the heat from the lava on your cheeks with a safe guided trek.
If heat is not your thing, a glacier trek might be right up your alley.
All these activities are done in groups where you can enjoy a solo thrill apart from the others, or abandon that notion if a suitably cute companion happens to turn up.
Iceland’s outdoorsy reputation sometimes eclipses the fact that it has an immensely rich literary tradition, and that Reykjavik was the world’s first non-English-speaking capital to be recognized as a UNESCO City of Literature. It also has a strong history of creativity in various fields of the arts. There are about 200 museums to explore catering to virtually every single genre you could imagine for a place with a population of just about 300,000.
When the adventures and discovery are over, settle in at one of the local pubs in the capital region that are famous for their fantastic selection of local ales and great atmosphere. Sippbarinn, Kaldi Bar & Café and Íslenski Barinn are great places to start.
