Iceland Locations

By Ben Hattenbach
The name “Iceland” may conjure up visions of a frozen, desolate and dangerous outpost beyond the reach of civilization. Upon arriving on the island, however, most visitors quickly appreciate that the country’s population center, Reykjavik, and its suburbs are actually quite modern and hospitable. While most tourists seem to remain within a day’s drive of Reykjavik, some do venture beyond its comfortable surroundings but still usually adhere to the main highway around the island, a road that is fittingly called the “ring road.” On my first trip to Iceland last May, my activities were largely restricted to this road as well, because the interior of the country was still deeply frozen and the four wheel drive treks into the central highlands were impassable.
The objective for my second trip to Iceland, this July, was quite different. I planned to head away from the paved highways and into the highlands, the western fjords, and other isolated areas where the human inhabi...