Romantic Escape in Iceland: Soaking in Norse Mythology

Walking around the small city, which feels like a big village, you will be impressed by the quality of the food and the welcoming Icelandic people.

While walking around, you will get to see some typical Norse architecture, including the Ásatrú temple. This dome-looking church, called a "hof" in Icelandic, is dedicated to the Norse pantheon, including Odin, Thor, Frigg, and Baldur. When I visited Iceland in 2017, it was still under construction, and no one is sure when it will be completed—like a Nordic Sagrada Família...

Depending on the time of year when you go, you may have high activity and not worry too much about finding them. However, if you want to compromise and be less cold but still see them, I recommend shoulder season around mid-March, when the weather gets less aggressive but you still have chances to see them. That being said, you may have to adjust your schedule to see them.

Be prepared, and have a quiet, restful day ahead of time, because looking for them and enjoying them takes a long time, often standing outside in the cold for extended periods of time.

Icelandic people really care about the Northern Lights because they are also part of Norse mythology. During every battle on Earth, Odin would choose the warriors who fought valiantly and earned the right to join him in Valhalla. The Valkyries were tasked with getting Odin's chosen warriors to Valhalla, and the Vikings believed the Northern Lights were reflections of the Valkyries' armor as they led the warriors to Valhalla. In other stories, the aurora was believed to be the Bifrost Bridge, as seen in "Thor."

After being cold chasing the Northern Lights, you deserve to warm up. Most people will go to the Blue Lagoon because of its unique shade of blue. We went because we are spa addicts and added a water massage to our experience. It was nice but a little crowded, with more of a party ambiance, with music and drinks.

The most interesting for us was the intimacy of the secret lagoons. They are basically people who found a hot spring in their garden and built a little pool around it. There is no music and no drinks, just a dip in hot water with very few people and natural landscapes. I recommend that experience over the Blue Lagoon if you have to pick between the two.

Once again, you will have to endure the weather for the experience, but if you are a wildlife and nature lover, you're going to have a unique experience. Whale watching supports tourism over whale hunting and also supports the protection of whales.

In Norse mythology, Lyngbakr is the name of a massive whale-like sea monster reported in the Örvar-Odds saga to have existed in the Greenland Sea. According to the saga, Lyngbakr would bait seafarers by posing as a heather-covered island, and when a crew landed on his back, he sank into the sea, drowning the crew. The whales are supposed to be descendants of the sea monster.

You want to visit a glacier but fear for your safety, comfort, or logistics? Fear not, the Icelandic people have your back and built a glacier museum in the middle of the city at the Perlan Museum. Over there, you get to visit a glacier they brought in and maintain within the museum. It is an easily accessible experience if you want to try the glacier experience without the hassle.

The glaciers, or Garm, in Norse mythology were known to be the door to Helheim, the afterlife realm ruled over by Hel, Loki's daughter.

If you feel like wandering around further from the city, you have to go to the Geysir. The name Geysir itself is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush."

The Geysir represents the change of seasons and connecting with Sumarr and Vetr, the Norse gods of the seasons.

You can either visit at the same time as Geysir or split it into two days, but if you can drive around, Gullfoss waterfall is also a mandatory stop.

Gullfoss is located in the river canyon Hvítá in southwest Iceland. Named the "Golden Waterfall," the legend says that a wealthy farmer could not bear the thought of someone taking his wealth after his death. Instead, he threw all his belongings into the waterfall. Gullfoss bears some similarity in legend to the well where Mimir's head was thrown, holding the wisdom of the gods.

It's the only place in the world where you can swim between two continental plates. It's very cold, but the visibility underwater is almost as good as on land.

For me, it was my first time diving in cold water in a drysuit, so I loved it. For non-initiated divers, be ready—it will probably be one of the coldest dives of your life. But also one of the most memorable.