20 curious images of things you’ll only see in Iceland

The first thing you should know about Iceland, and we’re sure you already do, is that it gets very cold. Not all year round it stays the same frigid temperature, but for the most part it is known that the weather is not the warmest….

This is perhaps why Icelanders have developed a tolerance that many others from sunnier countries would not be able to withstand. Some girls when out partying are especially resistant to low temperatures – better dead than simple!

Sports are an important part of Icelandic culture and, as you can imagine, when there’s not much to do in such a sparsely populated area, it’s important to find pleasure in entertainment.

While most countries around the world are used to showing support for their favorite sports teams, Icelanders are known to go crazy for sports and their respective national teams or athletes. It is not uncommon to see people showing their support on the streets during sports seasons or events.

One of the best things about all the cold weather in Iceland is that it creates a number of truly amazing and spectacular natural phenomena to behold. This is just one more of the many ice caves throughout the country.

These are essentially rocky ridges that have frozen into an icy ceiling that creates these incredibly luminescent natural structures. However, you often have to walk to reach them, so be prepared for an adventure!

Extreme climates such as Iceland bring with them a number of problems or curiosities that have to be taken into account when driving in such an environment.

Snow jams are one of those things to watch out for, as no one wants to be left adrift in sub-0 temperatures. It’s important to leave with an appropriate vehicle, so you don’t have to push the car later like these girls do… in mini-skirts… in the snow. So cold!

If you’re traveling to Iceland hoping to enjoy a traditional Western-style fast food meal, you’re not going to have much luck! While we can all enjoy a fast food snack from time to time, Iceland’s small population and traditional culture doesn’t eat a lot of fast food.

In fact, there are no McDonalds restaurants in operation in the entire country and the last one closed in 2009. So get used to eating the local food or bring your own snacks!

Despite the harsh cold climate, Iceland experienced a significant increase in the brown rat population during the 19th and 20th centuries, as ships brought them in by accident.

Fishing ports had the highest concentration of this species and, as a result, locals had to import cats to help control the mouse population. Today, having cats as “professional” mouse hunters is still a tradition in Iceland and will hopefully continue for a while. A city for cat lovers.

As you can imagine, the intense cold, which they are already used to and know how to combat, and little daylight can negatively affect the mood and sensitivity of the locals.

To show people that they care (and have a great sense of creativity), the Icelandic government replaced all the red traffic lights with little hearts to help brighten the day of those in traffic who are frustrated at having to stop in their tracks. What an idea!

Game Of Thrones fans, you may recognize the man below. His name is Julius Bjornsson and last year he won the World’s Strongest Man Contest, proving that he is as strong as a mountain!

The Icelander has spent most of his life working out and focusing on bodybuilding. Although he grew up as a normal kid, his immense height and girth are a result of his intensive training and effort to sculpt the body.

One of the most surreal experiences in Iceland are the warm geothermal spas located in the southwest of the country. These stunning natural phenomena will make you feel like you’re in a science fiction movie.

Seeing the cool environment as you warm yourself with the fresh mineral water from the hot springs is definitely an experience you won’t forget!s The water is heated solely by geothermal energy and the mud at the base of the spa is fantastic for the skin.

The fact that someone has to put up a sign like this seems a little disturbing, but…. maybe it’s just as well to be informed about where the land mines are! As you can imagine, having all that open space to yourself means that being stuck without a toilet can sometimes be a real problem.

It seems there are many who choose to ’empty the tank’ in the Icelandic wilderness, so best to be aware of the signs and wait until you get to the bathroom.

Elves and other mystical creatures have become a popular topic in mainstream culture and with so many movies placing them as the center of attention, it’s good to see someone taking the issue seriously!

Icelandic culture is based primarily on traditional Nordic values and folklore, and as a result, elves are a prominent part of their culture. It is not uncommon to see tributes in Iceland, such as these little elf houses, which are bound to bode well.

Puffins are one of the most spectacular birds in the animal kingdom and their unique beaks and color patterns make them unlike any other species in the world. Puffins are considered one of Iceland’s national birds and are believed to have originated on the continent.

Puffins are known to migrate to a variety of different locations around the world, including France, New York, Morocco and even Siberia. They spend their first years at sea to get used to the cold.

As we mentioned earlier, Icelanders are not big fans of Western-style fast food, and sometimes even finding snacks that would be familiar to Westerners can be a challenge.

Local DelicacyIn most cases, locals tend to prefer local dishes that they have known for hundreds of years and one of the most popular is known as Hákarl, a large shark that is enjoyed in cured steaks. There are also plenty of fruits and vegetables to snack on.

Due to the fact that most of Iceland is largely unpopulated, people are used to being undressed. This is because there is much more privacy in such a place and the culture is geared to be more open, especially in public places like gym bathrooms, spas or saunas.

Even though the weather is usually below freezing, for some reason, people seem to be more willing to take their clothes off. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Over the years, Iceland has tried several times to develop a train system for the country as part of its public transportation initiative. There’s just one big problem: too few people and too many cars!

You’ll probably rent a car if you ever plan to travel the country and should always make sure you have spare fuel on hand, lest you run out of gas in a sub-zero snowstorm. That wouldn’t be an ideal way to spend your vacation!

Although Iceland is covered in ice and snow most of the year, many animals still manage to thrive in this environment. These are known as the Icelandic horse and you can’t find them anywhere else in the world because they are actually descendants of the type of horse that lived during the Viking era in the country.

Although they look like normal horses, they are actually quite different: smaller, have shaggier coats and an unusual gait. Unlike most horses you know, they roam free.

Iceland is one of the few countries that has really emphasized the harvesting of cleaner, more natural forms of energy. Today, approximately more than 85% of homes in Iceland are powered by geothermal energy, and the government meets the additional need for energy largely with resources such as wind turbines and hydroelectric power.

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

Iceland is a culture that is simply obsessed with salsa. It is probably the aspect of their culture that most resembles the Western diet and no dish is considered complete until the sauce is ready.

In fact, there are several different dishes that are frequently served in the country that are usually paired with their own sauce. Some of the most popular are Bearnaise, Pylsusinnep (a kind of grainy mustard) and Remúlaði, a vinegar mayonnaise that is also popular in Britain.

Global warming and high environmental pollution, has led many to seek clean air, to the point of becoming quite a business for some.

Visiting Iceland to breathe the air is the best option, although if you haven’t had the option there is always the possibility of getting one of these cans. We don’t think it was money well spent but…. It would be a much more fun gift than a t-shirt that says “My friend went to …”!

Miss Universe is an annual pageant that takes place in different countries around the world and presents the most beautiful women in the world.

In 2016, a stewardess named Maria Leifsdóttir entered the competition as a representative of Iceland and ended up winning the competition. As a result, she has become one of Iceland’s most famous models and spends most of her time traveling. She won’t be the only beautiful Icelandic stewardess you’ll find on a plane!

Iceland is one of the few countries in the world that is known for having an incredibly low crime rate and is generally considered to be one of the safest. You will certainly be able to feel safe during your stay.

Also, when you meet a policeman there, they’re likely to be polite, helpful and friendly, rather than traditional authority figures, and they can even be quite funny if you get to know the right ones!

Despite the fact that Iceland is largely considered one of the most remote places on Earth, in terms of geography, they are practically neighbors with North America.

Technically speaking, Iceland is divided in two 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, diving between these two tectonic plates is a very popular tourist activity.

Iceland is one of the most surreal natural landscapes you’re likely to see in your lifetime, and in many ways, it looks like the landscape hasn’t changed for thousands of years.

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

Interestingly, Reykjavík (the capital of Iceland) concentrates 60% total of the entire Icelandic population, which in itself is already a small number of people compared to other countries. This also means that it is not uncommon to travel around other cities only to find empty streets most of the time, as if they were ghost towns.

Quite a contrast to the overcrowded villages we are used to.

Iceland happens to be the most recent civilized biomass in human history, since it was practically among the last ones where humans decided to settle and make it a new land to live in.

The reason is also funny: only a thousand years ago the Vikings discovered the big island by accident, and found it pleasant enough to stay for life.

It may sound strange, but seeing beers in Iceland is a rather atypical occurrence. Why, if it’s practically the common element of any bar anywhere in the world? It is curious but beer was a prohibited item and punishable by law under Icelandic law – until just a hundred years ago.

Iceland has been slowly adopting the brewing system since it became legal, but it’s a curious case nonetheless.

“Thingvellir” is a natural site in Iceland designated as “geographically significant” according to UNESCO: not only was it the political meeting place by nature of the Irish parliament until well into the 14th century, but it is one of only two places in the world where two tectonic plates of the Earth can be observed together (Eurasia and North America) on the surface, just a few centimeters apart.

It may seem strange, but Iceland is mostly devoid of forests, lush flora and any forest component. The reason is quite simple: when the Vikings decided to settle, they required all the wood on the island in order to build their cities, which led to the almost complete loss of all trees.

Today the Icelandic government carries out reforestation efforts, but it is still a very atypical image to find a tree wherever we are.

Due to the nature of the Icelandic terrain, one can request what are known as Super Jeeps: 4×4 vehicles modified to be able to traverse any area without much trouble.

They are quite imposing cars, and very fun to drive, so it is not unusual to be walking through the Icelandic landscapes and suddenly find some tourists (or the inhabitants themselves) at full speed in one of these mastodons.

Unlike the rest of the world, Iceland has its own dating app.

This may already sound particular in itself, but it also has a second purpose: due to Iceland’s low population density, this app lets you know if the person you want to share a Saturday afternoon with is related to you (careful!) or if there is no blood link (hopefully not!).

In the province of Hólmavík you can find the recreation of Europe’s largest sea turtle ever seen. It was hunted in 1963 by an armed group of fishermen after seeing their shores terrorized by the creature over and over again, and became a provincial symbol and object of tourist worship.

As a curious fact about Iceland, it is strictly forbidden to keep turtles as pets, perhaps because they still remind them of those terrifying nights on their beaches.

A curious case happens in Iceland when you have a baby, and that is that not just any name will do. Literally, the government can refuse to name a boy or girl if it doesn’t pass the standards of…effectively, the Icelandic Naming Committee, which has the power to take parents to court if they feel that the name they want to give doesn’t sound like what names should sound like in Iceland.

There is no name in the country that has not received its approval.

Known as Vatnajökull, the largest example of a place crystallized and immortalized by time is located in Iceland. It is a glacier that runs through an important part of Icelandic land, and which all tourists agree is quite exciting to visit.

It is the closest sensation to traveling to the heart of a glacier and one of Iceland’s most precious natural resources.

Interestingly, among the most typical elements of Icelandic cuisine are their hot dogs…made with lamb sausage, surprisingly.

They have a curious texture and a quite unique taste; besides, they always stuff them with a homemade sauce whose recipe they refuse to disclose, but which gives them a very appetizing look, as you can see in the picture. mouth watering!

The Dettifoss is a visual beauty that we can find in the Icelandic landscape: it is the most powerful waterfall in all of Europe, with more than one hundred meters long and a fall of forty-four meters.

The fluvial force that it possesses is only comparable with the beautiful views that it grants to all those who enter to see it. Undoubtedly, one of the most recommended tourist spots.

Don’t be alarmed: seeing babies on the streets of Iceland is not the stuff of bad parents or child neglect. It turns out that in Iceland they take peace and quiet inside food courts very seriously; so much so that there are public strollers available for people to leave their little ones outside while they enjoy a good coffee.

It seems very shocking when compared to the rest of the world, but they already have it internalized.

In Iceland we have what is known as Glima: the traditional wrestling system that consists of taking down your opponent using only grabs and clockwise movements, like a waltz. It is considered a very gentlemanly sport, with specific rules to prevent both passivity and aggressiveness.

The Glima honor code is known as “drengskapur”, which means respect and safety.

It may sound unbelievable, but Iceland has the smallest military force in the world, which makes encountering any maneuvering soldier a unique event in itself. The last land-based military base (which was also U.S.-owned) closed in 2006, leaving only its small naval and air force, which have not been belligerents in any modern conflict, as state forces.

They are also more highly regarded as a national security team than a military one. A small group for a peaceful country, as it should be.

There’s nothing better than a warm fire to keep the cold at bay, and in Iceland it’s a staple of their daily diet. During the summer periods, when the weather is a little friendlier, the natives are likely to enjoy a warm barbecue outside in the traditional sense, with a few beers and good company to keep them warm.

So if you plan on sticking around, be prepared to enjoy plenty of fire-made food and outdoor summertime merriment.

Another of the most amazing things you’ll see in Iceland while you’re there and why so many make the trip to the continent is the opportunity to get a clear view of the Northern Lights.

These amazing phenomena are caused by the flux of magnetic radiation and ultraviolet radiation from the sun being scattered in the Earth’s atmosphere at high altitude, causing this awesome light show. Iceland Air has even incorporated them into their planes!

One of the best things about living in an area with such an atmosphere is that you have the opportunity to witness some incredible lighting conditions.

Midnight SunsetOne of the strangest things about the seasons in Iceland is that in the winters, the night can last almost an entire day, and in the summer, the sun only tends to set at midnight. Adjusting to this can be quite difficult, so it’s best to make sure you have thick curtains or a blindfold to ensure rest.

Due to the fact that Iceland is based on a large tectonic ridge, the continent is subject to many tremors from the shifting of the underlying plates. As a result, Iceland has become a hotspot for the formation of powerful volcanoes, many of which are still active today.

Every four years, a major volcano erupts – if you have the courage, seeing one of these up close is definitely a good idea!