FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IN ICELAND AS A BLACK WOMAN
"It's levels to this s*** .”
The infamous Meek Mill lyric is what plays in my head when I recall my trip to Iceland. I had initially set out to visit Paris and London but Iceland had been on my heart and my notes lists as "next destinations" for about two years. Cause how many Black women visit a place like Iceland?
It seemed Fall would be the best time to visit Iceland because it’s less crowds, and the temperatures has not dropped below freezing. Iceland also represented new and refreshing and iconic. All of these traits is what I wanted to embody during this trip. Here's my favorite things I did in Iceland during my fall travel:
1. Blue Lagoon
I headed to Blue Lagoon as soon as I landed in Iceland. My airbnb host recommended that we go to Blue Lagoon first since our flight landed at 7am. We hopped on a shuttle that took about 50 minutes to get to Blue Lagoon. I was in awe when we arrived. It was like a place in a movie: the scenery was picturesque.
We were handed towels and robe, escorted to the changing areas and showered. Wearing bathing suit and robe, I entered the Blue Lagoon area and quickly entered the hot spring to warm up from the freezing temperature outside the water. The water was hot and steamy. I could feel a milky residue in the water that made my skin feel soft.
This unforgettable experience cost about $90 US for basic package.
2. GLACIER HIKE
I knew I wanted to take adventure to another level. I knew I wanted to tackle some snow while in Iceland. I decided to book a glacier hike in which I would hike a glacier in the mountains of Iceland. I booked this adventure through TripAdvisor for the price of $125.
The adventure included visiting black sand beach, waterfalls and food destination. I wore my brand new colorful Asos snowsuit with Sorel snow boots and trekked the glacier with fierceness and some coolness. Ya’ll I felt soo cool. Until I started to hike.
The guides gave the group crampons to put on the boots to grip the ice during the hike and ice axes. The hike was rough to say the least because it was windy and cold.
However, I knew I could only go up. I knew there was no quitting even though moments I wanted to quit. Determination started to become my mindset because I did not want to be the only one that didn't make it up the mountain and I was the only black woman in the group. I had to represent for the black womanhood so I kept going. I also went with my own pace. Usually, I would keep the pace with everyone but I made sure I paced myself according to my heart rate and body type. I felt accomplished when we reach the top of the mountain. Beyond accomplished, this adventure was iconic. Not a lot of people can say that they hiked a glacier in Iceland and made it to the top of an ice mountain.
This was my favorite lagoon in Iceland. Probably because I learned this is an actual natural hot spring-not man made. And I could tell the difference. When we arrived, we showered and changed and entered the lagoon. This lagoon was warm just like Blue Lagoon but did not feel milky. I could feel minerals on my skin and relaxation settled in. The Secret Lagoon is cheaper-about $65 US dollars.
Iceland was the best place to start my Fall excursions and I am happy for the exploration but also for the encompassing the three traits of new, refreshing and iconic. It remains in my top 10 list of favorite destinations.