It’s the most sparsely populated country in Europe, and one of the coldest, with only five hours of dim daylight a year during winter months. But Iceland is also one of world’s most alluring destinations, a land of myths, thunderous waterfalls, crystalline glaciers and the hypnotic Northern Lights. Contrary to most people’s perception, Iceland is covered less in ice than it is in moss, black sand, blue lakes, lava fields, burbling geysers, and colorful houses. You have to be there to feel the primal presence of this land which time has seemingly forgotten.
A pair of birds catch a glimpse of the soft sun as it breaks through the dense black clouds in a mountainous region of Iceland.A lone skier descends the wind-swept snow, turned pink by the setting sun, in a landscape both desolate and beautiful.A gull flies over Jökulsárlón, a glacier lake lagoon in south Iceland that is filled with the meltwater from an outlet glacier. The lagoon is also filled with icebergs breaking from the glacier, some towering several stories high. Photo: Craig Denford.Reynisfjara is a dramatic volcanic beach rising up out of the icy-blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is unquestionably the most well-known and captivating black sand beach in the world. It is also famous for sea stacks soaring over the Atlantic, some as high as 217 feet (66 meters) and are home to different seabirds. Photo by Craig Denford.A slick seal pops its head above the surface for a quick look around, seen here in one of Iceland’s silvery glacier lagoons.Snow melts from one of Iceland’s many mountains feeding a stream. A dilapidated cabin stands in the middle of nowhere, with a vivid blue river winding through the spongey moss towards it.Exploring the surreal innards of an ice cave. Above the lava falls of Hraunfossar lies the famous ‘Barnafoos’ waterfall, captured here racing through the snowy rocks.A bird captured in mid-flight soaring above a vast chasm.Stokksne is a headland on the southeastern Icelandic coast with miles and miles of streaky black pebble beach. A remote cabin shrouded by dense forest, seemingly falling into disrepair with streaks of bright green lining the old roof.The Strokkur – a naturally occurring fountain in the southwest of Iceland which erupts with water every six to ten minutes.Vibrant moss clings to the edge of a black cliff as water cascades down into the mist around them.The photogenic Skógafoss waterfall is one of the most popular attractions in Iceland. It is one of its biggest waterfalls, with a drop of some 62 meters and a width of 25 meters.From every angle and distance, Skogafoss is stunning. Photo by Regina Hronn.The thundering beauty of Skogafoss waterfall viewed up close. Photo by Regina Hronn.A rainbow of colors from another close-up shot of Skógafoss. Photo by Craig Denford. The elusive Northern Lights illuminate the dark skies overlooking the historic black church in Búðir, Iceland.A spectacular display of the Northern Lights framed by the massive dark rocks that surround Skógafoss waterfall.
