Small but Ever So Vast

Iceland is not a large country, but it is unique. Distances are short, and the landscape is constantly changing. That’s what makes the country so special. When driving across the plains of Canada and the United States or flying over Siberia, the scenery remains unchanged for hours on end. Here, everything transforms in the blink of an eye.

It is possible to drive around Iceland in 24 hours, but then you only see the landscape—mountains and waterfalls that disappear as quickly as they appear, without truly experiencing anything. To properly experience Iceland—drive the Ring Road, add the Westfjords and Melrakkaslétta—you need at least ten days. If you include the Highlands, add another week. Only then will you begin to grasp Iceland, to get a sense of where you want to return—to stay, to experience.

Here are images of places that deserve time to be appreciated, places worth returning to… again and again, like Ásbyrgi in the north, a little over a seven-hour drive from the capital.