Fjadrárgljúfur—Purchased for Protection

On November 2, 2015, Canadian musician Justin Bieber premiered the music video for his song “I’ll Show You,” where Fjadrárgljúfur canyon played a starring role. Nearly half a billion people have watched this video as of now, which well and truly put this short but beautiful canyon, just west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, on the map. One of the country’s largest tourism companies, Arctic Adventures, has now purchased the canyon and the surrounding land, intending to prioritize conservation and development of the area. Fjadrárgljúfur is located about 250 km (150 mi) from Reykjavík. Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, minister for the Environment and Natural Resources of Iceland, officially protected Fjadrárgljúfur in May 2024. The protection was established in good cooperation with the previous owners and the municipality. Last year, about 350,000 tourists visited Fjadrárgljúfur. Arctic Adventures also owns Kerid crater in Grímsnes, one of the country’s most visited tourist destinations, and will take over Fjadrárgljúfur after the purchase is finalized on January 1, 2025.