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!

    Icelandic Horse

    Although Iceland is covered in ice and snow much of the year, many animals still manage to thrive in this environment. These horses are known as the Icelandic horse and you cannot find them anywhere else in the world because they are actually descended from the type of horse that lived during the Viking rule in the country.

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    Icelandic Horse

    They might look like your average horse, but theyโ€™re actually pretty different. Theyโ€™re smaller than the average horse, they have furrier coats, and they have an unusual gait. Unlike most of the horses you know, they roam free!

    Clean Energy

    Iceland is one of the few countries on the earth today that has really made a point out of harvesting cleaner, natural forms of energy. Today, roughly more than 85% of the homes in Iceland are powered by geothermal energy and the government makes up the additional need for energy largely with things like wind turbines and hydropower.

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    Clean Energy

    We really hope that the lessons made in Iceland can be used as a positive example of this kind of technological change to become more popular around the world.

    Saucy

    Iceland is a culture that is simply obsessed with sauce. If anything, itโ€™s probably the one thing that they have in their culture which most resembles the western diet and no dish is considered completed until the sauce is done!

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    Saucy

    In fact, there are a number of different dishes that are frequently served in the country which are generally paired with their own unique sauce. Some of the more popular ones include Bearnaise, Pylsusinnep (a sort of grainy mustard) and Remรบlaรฐi, a vinegary mayo thatโ€™s popular in Britain as well.

    Sports Fan

    Sports are a big part of Icelandic culture and as you can imagine, when thereโ€™s not much to do in such a sparsely populated area, finding joy in entertainment is important.

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    Sports Fan

    While most countries around the world are used to showing support for their favorite sporting teams, Icelandic people are known to really get sports crazy and are dedicated supporters of their respective teams or national athletes. Itโ€™s not uncommon to see people showing their support in the streets during sports seasons or events.

    Neighbours

    Despite the fact that Iceland is largely regarded as one of the remotest places on Earth, in terms of geography theyโ€™re practically next door neighbors with North America.

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    Neighbours

    Technically speaking, Iceland is split in half by the North-Atlantic ridge which means that the western side of the continent falls on the same tectonic plate as North America and the eastern side of the country, the Eurasian tectonic plate. In fact, scuba diving in the ridge between these two tectonic plates is a highly popular tourist activity.

    One Giant Film Set

    Iceland is one of the most surreal natural landscapes youโ€™re likely to see in your lifetime, and in many ways, it looks as though the landscape hasnโ€™t changed for thousands of years.

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    One Giant Film Set

    Because of this, artists and creatives have been drawn to the continent for many years and more recently, it has become a hotspot for international film and television productions on a large-scale. Star WarsGame Of Thrones, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are just some of the films that have been filmed in Iceland.

    Endless BBQ

    There is nothing better than a warm fire to keep the cold at bay and in Iceland, itโ€™s a staple fixture of their everyday diet. During the summer times when the weather is a little more hospitable, natives are likely to be outside enjoying a warm BBQ in the traditional sense of the term with a few beers and good company to keep them warm.

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    Endless BBQ

    So if you plan on staying, be prepared to enjoy a lot of fire-made food and outdoor merriment during the summer times.

    Northern Lights On A Plane

    Yet another one of the most amazing things that youโ€™ll see in Iceland while youโ€™re there and why so many make the journey to the continent is for the chance to have a really crisp and clear view of the Northern Lights.

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    Cool Airplane

    These amazing phenomena are caused by the flux of magnetic radiation and the sunโ€™s ultra-violet radiation being scattered on the Earthโ€™s atmosphere at a high altitude, causing this stunning light show. Iceland Air has even incorporated them into their airplanes!

    Midnight Sunset

    One of the great things about living in an area with such a thin atmosphere is that you get the chance to witness some incredible lighting conditions.

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    Midnight Sunset

    One of the strangest thing about the seasons in Iceland is that in winters, nighttime can last almost an entire day sometimes, and in summer, the sun only tends to set at midnight. As you can imagine, adjusting to this can be quite difficult so itโ€™s best to make sure you have thick curtains or a blindfold to ensure you get enough rest.