Sail Away with Adventure Canada to Iceland
By Jennifer Hartley
“Good morning, good morning, good morning.” Every enchanted day aboard an Adventure Canada sailing starts the same way. If it happens to be on an Iceland Circumnavigation expedition, that will come sooner than expected in a magical land of 22-hour summer days.
Just south of the Arctic Circle, Iceland is a geological wonder, one of the few places in the world where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, (an enormous underwater mountain range that runs through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean) rises above sea level. Despite its name, Iceland has a moderate climate warmed by the Gulf Stream.
Spectacular steep and jagged cliffs line the fjords and coastline of this remote country. At the end of fjords, natural majesty awaits in waterfalls, bird sanctuaries, stunning hiking trails and small, welcoming fishing villages, some of them anchored in centuries of history.
There is no better way to experience these secluded areas than by ship, and there is no one better to take you there than Adventure Canada, a family-owned and operated Canadian small-ship expedition company. Passengers are diverse, from all walks of life and many are experts in their fields.
Margaret Atwood has multiple sailings under her belt, as does photographer Michelle Valberg. Artist Robert Bateman and the late great writer Farley Mowat voyaged with Adventure Canada and this past summer’s Iceland Circumnavigation included CBC’s Quirks and Quarks host Bob McDonald. This was a bucket-list trip for the science journalist, since it was 1973 when he first heard about the volcanic eruption that buried the town of Vessmanyar in ash.
An Icelandic storyteller was also onboard, enriching the trip with Icelandic folklore, flavour and history. The Icelandic people are proud of their rich literary heritage and centuries-old tradition of storytelling and saga writing. In fact, the nation boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the world.
Reykjavik
Home to the world’s oldest parliament, established in the 10th century, the capital of this egalitarian country has two museums that provide perfect context for the voyage. The Perlan Museum has a breathtaking exhibit that ventures to the core of a volcano. It also has a real indoor ice cave. The National Museum of Iceland features Viking and Icelandic history. There’s also great shopping for the famous Icelandic wool sweaters.
The church that dominates the skyline, the Hallgrimskirkja, was inspired by the country’s basalt columns. Some will be seen in person during a hike in the spectacular Snæfellsjökull National Park.
Voyage Highlights: Exploring the three colours of the Icelandic flag
Red
The fiery red of bubbling volcanoes, some currently spewing hot magma, results in the giant, beautiful black volcanic rocks and stunning lava flows that pepper the landscape. They create zigzagging hiking paths and turn into beaches of black sand by the water over time.
The 1973 Eldfell volcano eruption garnered international attention, including Bob McDonald’s, and destroyed one fifth of the town of Vestmannaeyjar. Hiking up Eldfell is an amazing experience that should be followed by a visit to the village museum that explores the devastation the eruption caused.
Thanks to that fiery energy, Iceland has the most clean, green energy on Earth, including geothermal heating and hydroelectricity. The country’s hot springs and geothermal pools are also a huge tourist attraction, offering rich mineral baths.
Blue
Blue is life-sustaining for Icelanders. Small fishing villages survive on the ocean’s bounty. Hrísey, a fishing town with a population of 170, has a great museum on Icelandic fishing history.
Húsavík, one of the larger locales, features white mountaintops in the distance and a plethora of marine mammals nearby, including dolphins along with magnificent humpback and minke whales.
Chase the Waterfalls
Blue also symbolizes Iceland’s waterfalls. There are over 10,000 but Dynjandifoss, translating to “thunderous waterfall,” has multiple levels of cascading beauty. A short hike offers spectacular views.
Godafoss, the “waterfall of the gods,” has its own story. When Iceland converted to Christianity to avoid being invaded by Norway, the leader at the time threw his pagan idols in the waterfall. Nearby are some spectacular volcanic rock paths.
White
There is nothing quite like zooming up to a glacier in a zodiac vessel. But witnessing the retreating glaciers at the Fjallsárlón Iceberg lagoon and the calved icebergs on their voyage to the ocean, while beautiful, is evidence of global warming.
Tall mountain ranges with white peaks add to the beautiful landscape. After exploring for 10 days, though, there’s a realization of the interconnectedness of Earth’s elements reflected in the colours of Iceland’s flag. Iceland is rich in all of those ways. A fantastic, spiritual place, it draws visitors back again and again. And Adventure Canada awaits.
