Iceland Intel
The Iceland notes I send to all my friends.
Do you remember when, back in the early 2010s, you could book a one-way ticket to Iceland for about $50 on WOW Airlines? I mean sure, you had to pay for water and they gave you a colostomy bag to do your business, but man, what a time. Between the cheap flights, Game of Thrones fervor, and millennial gorpcore in full swing, Iceland has since lingered in our collective consciousness.
I’ve spent about a month in Iceland, just enough time to be familiar and have some perspective while also realizing you know nothing about anything. My first trip was in May of 2021, right as the country started easing COVID restrictions and allowing tourists back in and the Fagradalsfjall volcano was at full tilt. Truly a surreal experience. Then, last May, I returned to talk with my friend Haukur about his family’s incredible restaurant, Tjöruhúsið, up in the Westfjords. That project taught me more about Iceland and its people than I could’ve imagined, so if you’re planning a trip to Iceland I’d start there:
After my second extended bout in the country, I think I’ve learned a thing or two. Though this guide is a little different than one from Paris. Most folks aren’t going to Iceland for the food (though you can definitely find some good stuff); they’re going to take a picture in front of a really big waterfall. Or something like that. So this is not a guide per se, but rather some intel that might be useful. At the bottom, you’ll find a recommended route in the Westfjords and a map of places I’ve enjoyed and have served me well.
