Iceland: The Land of Ice & Fire

Iceland is a truly fascinating place where contrasting forces of ice and fire exist side by side, creating a truly incredible landscape. A unique destination that offers pristine nature, breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, it a fantastic place to explore and a great trekking destination.

Join us in 2015 for our Iceland Trek & experience many of the incredible features the country has to offer. From climbing up through the rhyolite, crossing lava fields and passing steaming vents to crossing snow fields, the contrast creates a truly magical experience. Throughout the trek you will pass hot springs, geysers and even camp beside Alftavatn, a huge volcanic lake. As you admire the beautiful scenery and take in views of the amazing Markarfljót gorge and the bridged Ljorsa fissure, look out for the diverse wildlife that calls the Island home.

What better way than to finish your fantastic experience than to explore Reykjavik, the country’s capital!

See our itinerary for more details.

Here are some interesting facts about Iceland to help you envisage what a remarkable place it is:

•  Iceland is an island of 103.000 km2 (39,756 sq.miles), about one-third larger than Scotland or Ireland. Its highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur, rises to 2.119 m and over 11 per cent of the country is covered by glaciers, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe.

•  Iceland contains about 200 volcanoes and has one-third of Earth’s total lava flow

• There are many myths & legends associated with the country and the rich Icelandic culture has a strong association with folklore. telling stories of ghosts, elves & ice trolls! Even today, if a farmer moves any stones in their fields they always take care not to disturb stones that could be home to trolls. Even construction companies have been known to change the course of a road that they think will disturb the peace of the fairy folk! The Icelandic belief in elves is so strong that you will find plenty of elf houses in gardens that have been lovingly put out to provide shelter for the wee creatures (and to stop the elves from turning mischievous!).

• It is home to the only 'Elf School' on the planet!

• Some 11% of the country’s surface is covered with glaciers and about 30% is lava fields

•  Hekla – Iceland’s most famous Volcano last erupted in 2000, with the earliest eruption on record in 1104.

•  The tallest mountain in Iceland is Hvannadalshnjúkur 2119 m

•  The largest glacier is Vatnajökull 8300 km2

• During the months of June and July, Iceland has days with a full 24 hours of precious, beautiful sunlight, with the annual golf tournament teeing off at midnight!

•  The Arctic fox is the only native mammal

•   Roughly 85 percent of Iceland’s energy is from renewable resources, and well over half of that is geothermal alone.