Unusual Things That Could Only Be Found In Iceland

    For those of you who are interested in seeing amazing sights and enjoying the sense of adventure that comes with traveling to exotic places, Iceland should be at the top of your bucket list. While Iceland might not be everybodyโ€™s cup of tea, for those who donโ€™t mind the cold and want to experience something totally out of the norm, then paying a visit to this wintery wonderland is definitely a good idea. The continent is host to some of the most spectacular sights in the world. So join us as we explore some of the most amazing highlights of Iceland, as well as some bizarre and unusual things you definitely wonโ€™t find anywhere else.

    Canned Air

    Believe it or not, but these days, with global warming and carbon pollution rising to all-time levels, the desire to breathe clean, fresh air is becoming something that people are actually trying to make a business out of.

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    Canned Air

    While visiting Iceland to breathe the air yourself is ideal, bringing a can of the stuff back home for those who couldnโ€™t attend would be a nice gesture. While we donโ€™t think youโ€™d really be getting your moneyโ€™s worth, it would be a much funnier gift than a โ€œMy Friend Went Toโ€ฆโ€ t-shirt!

    The Coolest Caves

    One of the best things about all the cold weather in Iceland is that it creates a number of really amazing natural phenomena that make for some pretty spectacular sights. One of the coolest of these has to be the many ice caves that youโ€™ll find around the country.

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    The Coolest Caves

    These are essentially rock ridges that have been frozen over with an icy ceiling which create these amazingly luminescent natural structures. You often have to hike to reach these though, so be prepared for an adventure!

    The Last Cheeseburger

    If youโ€™re traveling to Iceland in the hopes of enjoying a traditional, Western-style fast-food meal, youโ€™re not going to have much luck! While we might all enjoy a fast food snack from time to time, the small population in Iceland and their inherently traditional culture means that they donโ€™t eat fast food much.

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    The Last Cheeseburger

    In fact, there are no operating McDonalds restaurants in the entire country and the last one was sold in 2009. So get used to eating the local food โ€“ or bring your own snacks!

    Mousekeeping

    Despite the harsh cold weather, Iceland did experience a significant rise in the brown rat population during the 19th and 20th century as boats would frequently bring them with shipments by accident.

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    Mousekeeping

    The fishing ports had the highest concentration of this species and, as a result, the locals had to import cats to help control the mice population. Today, having cats as โ€˜professionalโ€™ mice catchers is still a tradition in Iceland and one that we hope continues for a while! Iceland is a cat-loverโ€™s dream it seems.

    Love Is Everywhere

    As you can imagine, with all that cold weather, Icelandic people know how to keep it warm! As you can imagine, having all that cold weather and lack of direct sunlight can make people feel a little sad, drowsy, or isolated from time to time.

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    Love Is Everywhere

    To show the people that they care (and have a great sense of creativity), the Icelandic government replaced all the red traffic lights with little red hearts to help brighten up your day if youโ€™re in traffic and feel less disappointed about hitting a red light!

    Mountain Of A Man

    For fans of the show Game Of Thrones, they might recognize the man below. His name is Julius Bjornsson and just last year, he went on to win The Worldโ€™s Strongest Man Competition proving that he really is as strong as a mountain!

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    Mountain Of A Man

    The Icelandic resident has spent the majority of his life working out and focussing on bodybuilding. Even though he was born looking like a regular toddler, his immense height and girth came as a result of his intensive training and body sculpting.

    Blue Lagoon

    One of the most surreal experiences in Iceland has to be the warm geothermal spas that youโ€™ll find towards the southwestern parts of the country. These stunning natural phenomena will make you feel like youโ€™re in a sci-fi movie.

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    Blue Lagoon

    Viewing the cold surroundings while being warmed by the fresh, mineral water from the hot spring is definitely an experience youโ€™re not likely to forget! The water is warmed purely by geothermal energy and the mud at the base of the spa is incredibly good for your skin.

    Save That For The Toilet!

    The fact that someone would have to put up a sign like this might be a bit worrying to most of us, but it might be better to know where the landmines are sometimes! As you can imagine, having all that open space to yourself means that getting caught without a toilet at times can be a real issue.

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    Save That For The Toilet!

    Apparently, it seems as though thereโ€™s a high inclination for relieving yourself in the wilderness in Iceland, so be sure to read the signs or keep it for the bathroom!

    Homes For Elves

    These days, elves and other mystical creatures have become a popular subject in mainstream culture and with all the movies weโ€™re exposed to regarding the topic, itโ€™s nice to see someone taking the issue seriously!

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    Homes For Elves

    Icelandic culture is based primarily on traditional Nordic values and folklore and as a result, elves are a prominent part of their culture. These days, itโ€™s not uncommon to see tributes to them in Iceland, like these little elf homes, which are meant to be a good omen.

    Puffins! Puffins Everywhere!

    Puffins are easily one of the most spectacular birds in the animal kingdom and their uniquely colored beaks and patterns make them unique to any other species in the world. Puffins are considered to be one of the national birds of Iceland and are thought to have originated on the continent.

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    Puffins! Puffins Everywhere!

    Puffins are known to migrate to a variety of different places in the world, including France, New York, Morrocco, and even Siberia. They spend their first few years at sea in order to get used to the cold.

    Nakedness

    Because of the fact that the majority of Iceland is largely unpopulated, the people there are quite used to being unclothed! This is largely because thereโ€™s a lot more privacy in a place like that and the culture is just driven to be more open regarding the issue โ€“ especially in public places like gym bathrooms, spas, or saunas.

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    Nakedness

    Even though the weather there is frequently below zero, for some reason, the people seem to be more eager about taking their clothes off. So as a warning, donโ€™t say you werenโ€™t warned.

    No Trains

    Over the years, Iceland has tried a number of times to develop a train system for the country as part of their public transport initiative. Thereโ€™s only one big problem โ€“ too few people and too many cars!

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    No Trains

    This means that youโ€™re definitely going to be renting a car if youโ€™re ever planning to travel around the country much and should always be sure to have spare fuel with you on hand, as running out of gas in a sub-zero snowstorm is definitely not an ideal way to spend a vacation!