Gay Iceland – The Magic Island of Fire and Ice

Gay Iceland

A visit to gay Iceland wouldn’t be complete without immersing yourself in the milky waters of the iconic Blue Lagoon.

It’s just one of the wonderfully weird must-sees in this place that feels incredibly remote, but is just three hours flight-time from London and only five from New York.

Because the sapphire waters of the lagoon are just a short bus ride from capital Reykjavik’s main airport, they are a first or last experience in the country for most.

Tourists and locals alike come to bathe in the geo-thermally heated pool of the Blue Lagoon. Whether there’s snow on the ground or the summer sun beating down, you’ll be beautifully warm once in the lagoon and the mineral-rich waters really do condition and tone your skin.

By Gareth Johnson – Full Story at Gay Star News

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

Gay Iceland

gay Iceland The Land of Fire and Ice according to gay pilot Oegmundur Gislason – from the minimal gay scene to the most unearthly landscapes It’s the magical Nordic island of lunar landscapes, wild weather conditions and volcanoes, glaciers and geysers aplenty. But gay Iceland is also known for its trailblazing LGBTI rights record; it was the ninth country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010, and ex-PM Johanna Siguroardottir was the world’s first openly gay head of state. Icelandic carrier WOW air even revealed it was naming a vessel TF-GAY earlier this year in honour of its LGBTI passengers – and last week, it came to light that the man behind the name was openly gay pilot Oegmundur Gislason. Here, Oegmundur speaks to Gay Star Travel to give a personal insight into the unique country he calls home… What’s it like being LGBTI in Iceland? I can’t imagine a better place to be LGBTI. People are so openminded here. Most people don’t care what your preferences are. Here, you can just be yourself and everybody welcomes you. Are there are downsides to being LGBTI in the country? I don’t know if I can call it a ‘downside’, but the thing I fear is that we, LGBTI people in Iceland, don’t realise how privileged we are. We live in a very protected and accepting environment, but that’s not the case for many LGBTIs around the world. We have to remember to appreciate what we’ve got.

By Jamie Tabberer – Full Story at Gay Star News

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

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In Love With Iceland

Iceland I’ve fallen for this island nation, and I’ve fallen hard. My first visit in 2009 has resulted in two subsequent visits, and I can’t help but dream about a return. I am not the only one. Iceland’s charms have long bewitched travelers. From the first Norse explorers who settled upon the land in the North Atlantic and built a society to the Americans who were stationed here during World War II and never returned back to America, the island beckons. An Off-Broadway play by Drew Larimore titled Out of Iceland, which starred openly lesbian singer/comedienne Lea DeLaria, also noted this magical draw Iceland has on visitors. The protagonists find themselves both mysteriously pulled to Iceland’s center. Larimore explains the island’s magnetism with Iceland’s colorful folklore including the people’s wide-spread belief in hidden people, trolls, and elves–some can’t help but think that maybe there is something bigger than us that attracts us to the land of fire and ice. It’s not just magical hidden people that bring visitors to Iceland, the men and women here have been known to hold special powers as well, or more likely overpowering charisma. A visit reveals ex-pats living all over Reykjavik. Manny S. originally visited from Chicago, but ultimately stayed for an attractive job and an equally attractive man. “I was first interested in Iceland because of the music scene. Many of my favorite bands came from this tiny country, so I decided to come for the Iceland Airwaves music festival. I loved everything about Iceland on my first trip here!” he says. “In the following year, I returned to Iceland twice to drive around the country and meet more people.” Sitting next to him, his partner Pall grabs his leg to get his attention. “Little did I know that I would soon meet the man who would become my husband and am still happily living in Reykjavik after eight years,” the two smile at one another. They aren’t the only ones; it’s easy to see mixed-national couples all over. Just look for the couples speaking English. It’s easier for the Icelandic partner to just speak English as Icelandic is notoriously hard to learn and converse in (though Manny has picked it up after eight years). What was once a not-so-easy-to-get-to destination, the country is now embracing its mid-Atlantic location by attracting large numbers of tourists from both North America and Europe. IcelandAir has increased its service from the United States and Canada, and last year opened up a new direct service from Denver.

By Joseph Pedro – Full Story at Passport

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

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Iceland on a Budget – Globetrotter Girls

Iceland - Dani One of the things I say on my About Page is I make mistakes so you don’t have to – and I actually made a big mistake in Iceland. Well, it wasn’t actually a mistake, because I knew I had to hit up one of the big grocery stores before leaving Reykjavik – big supermarkets are sparse on the island, and we wanted to pick up food to make picnic lunches during our road trip – restaurants in Iceland are pricey. And that’s what we did, we went to the first Bonus supermarket we came across, ready to load up the car with groceries. Only that the supermarket didn’t open until 11am (!), and we were there at 9am. So we decided to head off on the first leg of our road trip, assuming we’d be coming back through Reykjavik after driving the Golden Circle. But we didn’t. We headed straight south. And were stuck with a small town grocery store in Vik, with a very limited selection. I put together some other things I’ve learned on my road trip through Iceland to help save you money during your trip, to give you an idea what to expect as for how much things cost, and last but not least some thoughts on renting a car for your trip vs. using public transportation or hitchhike.

Don’t Pay for Water in Iceland

I was surprised when I read on other blogs that travelers had paid for water in Iceland. Icelanders proud themselves of having some of the best water in the world! It comes straight from the spring and is delicious – why would you pay for bottled water?! Plus, you won’t contribute to plastic bottle garbage.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

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Dani's Epic Iceland Road Trip

Iceland - Dani After a day filled with waterfalls, geysers and Icelandic horses along Iceland’s Golden Circle, we started day 2 on the actual Ring Road. While we had breakfast, the owner of our lovely Icelandic farmstay came over with a map and showed us a small road just before Vik, a nearby town. It would be worth going in there to see some spectacular rock formations along the coast, she said, and because we were free to do whatever we wanted, we decided to take her up on her advice. And I am glad I did: The rock formations and cliffs at Dyrholaey were stunning, and seeing the waves furiously hit the shore on this grey and stormy morning turned out to be a memorable start to the day. (Tip: if you’re planning to drive this part of the ring road yourself and want to stop at Dyrholaey, turn left onto road 218, just before you reach Vik. This is also a popular place to spot puffins, but we weren’t lucky enough to spot any.) Vik itself was a small fishing town which I didn’t find all that memorable (it’s tiny), but it has a unique black sand beach which was definitely worth a stop. The sand is actually volcanic ashes, a reminder that Iceland is filled with volcanoes (there are around 130) and yes, they tend to erupt every now and again.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

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The Most Epic Iceland Road Trip – Globetrotter Girls

Dani - Iceland The best way to see Iceland? Without a doubt, on a road trip! And since I love road trips, I didn’t have to think about it too long when it came to deciding how we’d spend our week in Iceland: we were going to drive the Ring Road. The Ring Road, or Highway 1, is an 828 miles (1332 kilometers) long road around the country, basically circling the island. It passes everything that Iceland is famous for: stunning waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers and glacier lagoons, geysers, lava fields and geothermal fields, and the country’s incredibly diverse scenery. Since we only had six days (plus one day in Reykjavik, which I didn’t want to skip entirely) we opted for a self-guided driving tour, which was an excellent decision. While I was researching Iceland road trip routes I came across Icelandic Farm Holidays, a local tour operator who offers both self-drive and guided tours of the country. There are several self-driving tours available, depending on how much time you have and what you’re most interested in, and the tour that caught my eye was the ‘Highlights of Iceland’ tour. It would bring us around the island in six days, leaving the seventh day to explore Reykjavik. Perfect! Six days for the Ring Road is pretty ambitious and meant we would be spending a lot of time in the car – but if you don’t mind driving and are equipped with some good podcasts or/and entertaining travel companions, it’s not too crazy. In hindsight I have to say that I’ve driven longer distances on previous road trips, but if you want some time to hike or do some activities along the way, I’d recommend allowing ten days to drive the Ring Road.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

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Iceland's Most Mind-Blowing Sights

iceland Some destinations don’t live up to expectations. Others exceed them. And then some, like Iceland, are so bang on what you imagined, it’s almost uncanny. The eerie, otherworldly beauty of this Nordic island nation is not overrated. To behold it for the first time is to revisit some strange, recurring dream you never knew you’d had: the feeling of deja vu is unmistakable. From brooding black sand beaches to exploding geysers; from gigantic glaciers to commanding volcanoes – 130 of them, both active and inactive – these perplexing natural wonders feel emancipated of time, like they could belong to the ancient past or the distant future. The weather, too, is unlike anything we’ve experienced.

By Jamie Tabberer – Full Story at Gay Star News

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

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Lesbian Iceland Road Trip: Icebergs, Waterfalls and Geysers – Globetrotter Girls

Dani - Iceland My trip to Iceland feels almost like a dream now. But the photos (and video!) show that it really happened – for a week, I road tripped through one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever visited. With its surreal landscapes that often made me feel like I was on a different planet, Iceland blew my mind. Otherworldly, that’s how most people describe Iceland, and to be honest, I don’t think there is a word that fits better than this: otherworldly. The only other place I’ve been to that I described as such were the otherworldly landscapes of Chile’s Atacama Desert, where I also came across volcanoes, a bizarre moonscape, rugged mountains amidst wide open barren lands, geysers and geothermal fields.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Iceland Gay Travel Resources

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