Iceland
A new programme for 2008
Iceland has to be one of the most exciting countries on earth! Not only is it geologically young - some of it is positively pre-natal! Here lava fields bear witness to long-gone volcanic eruptions while geysirs and mud holes blow and bubble and you can see where the plates have moved again to produce cracks in the earth's crust as the island continues to grow. Even if you start with no knowledge and little interest in geology, you're hooked by the end of 10 days in this land of ice and fire.
This might sound a rugged and barren land but it is by no means so. The scenery is dramatic, the summer flowers prolific and the island simply teems with birds from the rare Gyr Falcon to the abundant Red-necked Phalarope. The surrounding seas of the North Atlantic are rich in nutrients, sustaining not only impressive seabird colonies but also several species of whale and dolphin including the rare Blue Whale.
Such is the character of this amazing island that most people want to return to see more. For this reason we have changed our itinerary for 2008 and will be incorporating the far north-west of the island for the first time in our main tour. Some elements will be familiar to those who return, giving a comfortable familiarity. But we'll also be pushing the limits to incorporate the incredible scenery and remote atmosphere of Isafjordur in the far north.
Our holiday starts with a three-night stay at Thingvellir - site of the island's first parliament - from where we'll explore the national park, drive the famous "Golden Circle" with its geysirs and waterfalls and spend a little time in the cosmopolitan capital of Reykjavik. We then start our journey north. We'll stay at Skykkisholmur on the Snaefellness Peninsula, with its beautiful glacier made famous by Jules Vernes, and from here we'll take a whalewatching trip to enjoy some of the wealth of wildlife to be found in and on the nutrient-rich seas. We continue by ferry to Breidavik where we'll have a two-night stay and a gentle day's birding and botanising. We finish our exploration with two nights at Isafjordur with its stunning scenery, fantastic bird cliffs and always the possibility of Arctic Fox.
All in all, this is a wonderful and very different approach to a holiday in Iceland which we believe will be a delight both to first-time visitors and those of you who long to return.
