The Icelandic Nature // As Dangerous As It Is Beautiful

Iceland is a unique country full of beautiful landscapes and gorgeous nature.

But I don’t need to tell you that, you already know that if you have seen one other post on this blog.

One thing that you don’t often hear, all that wonderful Icelandic nature, it can be as dangerous as it is beautiful.

Iceland is one popular place to visit right now. The number of visitors venturing up north is increasing quicker than they can build hotels around Reykjavik (a topic that is for another day, so many hotels are being built I am not a fan).

The majority of Icelanders and people who call Iceland their home see this massive increase in tourism as a good thing. We are a small country, we need to mix it up with new faces on the streets of downtown Reykjavik.

But with all good things there comes a downside.

With the increase in visitors to Iceland has come an increase in people who are finding themselves in dangerous situations while out exploring this beautiful country. Situations that in most cases could of been avoided if proper safety precautions where taken.

Iceland isn’t a country you come to just to explore from behind the window of a car. It is a place you explore up close and with a sense of adventure. But with this sense of adventure also needs to be respect for the nature you are enjoying.

So to all visitors who venture up to this beautiful place, please keep in mind the power of the gorgeous waterfalls, the quickness of those waves on the black sand beaches, and the temperatures of the erupting geysers and bubbling geothermal areas that are all over the country.

They can be as dangerous as they are beautiful, so respect them while taking in their beauty.

Those pathways you see are created so that visitors can enjoy nature safely, not as a suggested walking area.

If there is a rope closing something off, respect it, don’t climb over it.

If a road is blocked, it is because you shouldn’t drive down it.

And if you are repeatedly told that the waves are very dangerous and not to go close to the water do not rush to the shore line to get your selfie in.

I want everyone to come and visit this gorgeous place I call home, but I also want you to return home with no bad souvenirs from Iceland. Enjoy the beautiful nature Iceland has to offer, but also respect it and its power.

I know it is tempting to get closer to all that gorgeous nature, but be happy with the view you get to take in. Don’t be those people that decide to hop onto the floating icebergs in the glacier lagoon to get a closer look. You will end up all over the Icelandic news and people won’t be happy about it. (Yes, this really happened, and there was over 40 people floating around!)

This post is not meant to be a rant, but as the number of stories I hear about visitors getting injured in Iceland increase I want to make sure all my readers are traveling here with awareness for the nature.

So get out there and explore!

But first…

Check the weather report and then head off for that road trip. Listen to the guides when visiting Reynisfjara beach and please keep a safe distance. Visit all those gorgeous waterfalls, some of them you can get right up and personally with, others you need to keep a distance that the ropes tell you, but it will all still be beautiful I promise.

And if you want to learn some safety lessons with a dash of Icelandic humor check out Inspired by Iceland’s Iceland Academy. For your first lesson here is Iceland Academy’s video “Responsible traveling in Iceland.”

Question of the Day?
Do you research safety tips for places you are traveling to? Have you heard any stories about tourists getting themselves into dangerous situations in your home area?

April 16, 2016 by
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  • Aileen Bartels

    This is a timely post, as I am planning a trip to Iceland and I have been thinking about safety while hiking. I’m not the type to disregard safety warnings though. I think the most dangerous place I have traveled to is Cape Town. I did a lot of research about personal safety and a friend of mine who had been there gave me good advice.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      I hope you have a great time in Iceland! When will you be traveling here? It really is all about just respecting the warnings, such a shame to see so many people who don’t. Let me know if you have any questions for your Iceland trip!

      • Aileen Bartels

        Thanks! I’ll be there near the end of September. I can’t wait!

  • http://escapingessex.com/ Danielle @ EscapingEssex

    Great post! More and more people I know are spontaneously flying to Iceland. Spontaneity is a great thing but they really aren’t prepared (luckily most of them are going there because of the one picture they saw of the Blue Lagoon on the internet and will just sit and bathe all day where they can’t hurt themselves haha!)

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Thanks so much Danielle! It really is great that so many people are spontaneously making their way up here, but you are right many aren’t prepared. As long as they stay safe in the blue lagoon that makes me feel better :)

  • http://letslovelocal.com/ Polly - Let’s Love Local

    So true! Sometimes I think people forget that traveling is still real life and there are still real-life consequences from doing stupid things… like dying.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      So totally agree! It’s like people think nothing can hurt them since they are on vacation, when in fact danger can be very real.

  • http://www.lovedandwanderlust.com/ Melai @ Loved and Wanderlust

    Spot on! I also don’t like it when tourists have little regard for the environment, the city or the animals just to have an awesome photo to post in social media. Rules and restrictions are there for a reason. It’s to protect both the site and the traveler.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      So completely agree! And when they are not respecting the environment it just ruins it for the visitors to come, so I am hoping people will really start respecting the nature, it is too pretty to damage.

  • http://www.therachaelway.com/ Rachael | The Rachael Way

    Very good insight and as a geography teacher I agree ;) People have to remember ethical tourism!

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Thanks so much! Ethical tourism, yes!

  • https://theredphoneboxtravels.wordpress.com/ Tanja / The red phone box trav

    There are always tourists who decide to hike in their flipflops and/or get lost in the mountains here during the summer! so they get rescued for free by the mountain service ( who btw are volunteers and don’t get paid for their work).

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Same here, all the rescue workers are volunteers as well and they seem to always be out working away. Hopefully this summer there will be a few less that need to be rescued :)

  • http://www.solongusa.blogspot.com Danielle

    Very well said. So many people underestimate the power of nature (I’m thinking of people who decide to wait out hurricanes instead of evacuating) and it can have drastic consequences. A thought that just came to mind is that Germans would probably be the ideal Iceland nature tourists because they are already so dutiful about following the rules, lol. (For those of you assuming I’m stereotyping, I actually live in Germany so I do know what I’m talking about, don’t worry ;) )

    -Danielle | solongusa.blogspot.com

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Thank you Danielle. It really is so true, so many people thing nature can’t hurt them, until it does. And I totally get what you mean :)

  • http://www.toandfroblog.com/ Mar

    We saw a similar thing happen in Alaska. One time when we were visiting Denali National Park, a back country camper got mauled to death by a bear because he was trying to take photos and got a little too close. Even in the city of Anchorage, tourists would approach moose like they were tame animals. The wilderness is not to be messed with.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      So very true, the wilderness is really not to be messed with, especially for a picture. My best friend live in Anchorage for awhile and I remember her talking about the safety there as well. Just crazy how some people think they care invincible out in nature.

  • http://www.submergedoaks.com/ Meghan | Submerged Oaks

    It’s so sad to hear of people who go somewhere beautiful on vacation, but end up injured, or worse, just because they didn’t follow the rules. As a natural “rule follower” it frustrates me when I see people blatantly disregarding rules out in place to keep them safe. While I don’t research safety rules before I travel somewhere, I do generally look for posted signs and follow them.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      It really is so sad and I hope people start following the rules here so they can have only good memories of Iceland. I don’t really research safety rules either before I travel but am the same always looking out for the signs. Maybe others will follow our rule following and do the same:)

  • http://www.jolliesandjaunts.com Jollies and Jaunts

    Good post - so many travellers just don’t seem to take precautions or think they don’t need to follow the signs or pay attention to the barriers.
    When I last visited Iceland we paid a visit to Dettifoss and while we were there so many people were climbing over the barriers to take pictures which was frustratingly dangerous.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Thank you, it really is true so many travelers just seem to ignore the rules and signs in the area. It is amazing to me how many people are climbing over the barriers to get a closer picture, just so dangerous.

  • http://simplicityrelished.com/ Daisy @ Simplicity Relished

    What a fun video and an important topic! Being sensitive to the environment as visitors is such a huge part of responsible travel.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      It really is I completely agree. I am loving the videos they have been making!

  • http://www.anestingnomad.com/ Rachel

    I think it’s important to be safety conscious wherever you are! Just because you’re not in danger of being pickpocketed in the middle of Iceland doesn’t mean there aren’t other things to watch out for. I think some people think that when they go on holiday they become invincible? I don’t know, but this is a useful reminder. Thanks!

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Completely agree! This is a great way to look at it. Nature can be just as dangerous and people need to be aware of the power it has. Thanks so much for reading!

  • http://heleneinbetween.com/ Helene

    It does seem like more and more people are visiting ICeland and it’s good to know what people need to be wary of!

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      It is amazing how many people we see climbing over ropes that are near steep edges or dangerous waterfalls just for a closer picture. Hopefully people will start respecting the rules and there won’t be as many injuries.

  • http://www.adventuresofadreamcatcher.com Lisa K

    Say what?! 40 people on an iceberg? That’s crazy. Some people really take risks they shouldn’t in the name of “adventure.”

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Isn’t that just crazy! The pictures were quite entertaining and I am glad no one got hurt.

  • http://www.lilliansmall.com Lillian @ The Smalls Abroad

    I need to get my husband to read this! He’s always pushing the boundaries and going in places he probably shouldn’t be in. It’s a major source of stress for me. I totally agree with you. So important to stay safe. Definitely don’t want to be on the news as a careless tourist/traveller. That photo or video shot is not worth it.

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      I am always so worried I will get hurt that I over follow the rules ha. Completely agree, no picture is worth the risk.

  • http://letuswanderlust.com/ Carly @ Let Us Wanderlust

    This is such a fantastic topic Kaelene. I think we often get carried away in our excitement when visiting a new place and often forget all about safety. If I wouldn’t do it at home, I wouldn’t do it anywhere else - like driving through flood waters, don’t blocked roads, into the beaches when there’s rip tides. Definitely a great reminder to respect nature and its infinite power! Xx

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Thanks so much Carly! It can be easy to get carried away in the excitement of visiting a new place and thinking we can’t get hurt. A good way to look at it, if you wouldn’t do it at home don’t do it somewhere else.

  • http://adventitiousviolet.com/ Camila @ AdventitiousViolet

    I think this is a great post! A great pre-trip warning that everyone should read and be reminded of!

    • http://unlockingkiki.com/ Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki

      Thanks so much Camila!