5 Fun Ways to Get off the Beaten Path in Iceland

With a location in the far reaches of the North Atlantic, Iceland doesn’t jump out at you as the type of place where you would have to worry about avoiding crowds. 

But it turns out that you might have to do just that these days as this gorgeous, geological wonder of an island has turned into one of the hottest travel destinations on the planet. 

When we went to Iceland back in 2014, it certainly didn’t seem like it was overly crowded, but in the ensuing years since we visited, more and more people have been heading there to see what makes this place so special (spoiler alert: lots of things). 

I’m hoping to get back to Iceland soon so I’ve been doing my research on ways to get a little off the beaten path while there and the following seem like the five winners.

See the Secret Lagoon

Despite what it may look like on Instagram, the Blue Lagoon isn’t the only place where you can luxuriate in geothermal waters in Iceland. The Secret Lagoon (located near the village of Fludir) was created in the 1890s and is the country’s oldest swimming pool. The pool is set among natural scenery like large stones and bubbling mud pools and even has a miniature geyser that goes off every five minutes or so.  

Visit in Winter

Probably part of the reason we left Iceland thinking it wasn’t overly crowded at all was the fact that we went in January—early January to be exact. 

I’ve checked the official tourism numbers and the winter months (November – March) are still receiving about half as many visitors as the rest of the year. In addition to seeing fewer crowds, there’s another major reason to visit during this time of the year: the Northern Lights. They are best seen during clear, DARK nights and you won’t get as many of those during summertime when the sun doesn’t even set until nearly midnight. For the ultimate experience, go winter camping with a campervan so that you can be ready to snap some photos without being tied to a tour group.  

Go West-fjord

But we all can’t visit in Winter. So, while no trip to Iceland is truly complete without a visit to the Golden Circle (home to the Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall and two of the country’s most remarkable geysers), the area that keeps coming up over and over again as a true undiscovered gem (even in summer) in Iceland is the Westfjords region. It is a peninsula full of dramatic cliffs, natural pools of hot springs, waterfalls and unique wildlife which has remained relatively untouristed. The rustic, seasonal restaurant Tjöruhúsið looks like a super cool place to stop for some fresh fish. 

Icelandic Island Hopping

Another off-the-beaten-path spot is the Westman Islands. Despite their name, they are located southeast of Reykjavik and are just a short ferry ride from the mainland. Here, you will discover a hauntingly beautiful volcanic archipelago that is hardly ever visited by tourists and while some people do take the ferry over for the day, if you stay the night at one of the local guesthouses you are guaranteed a local experience. 

Get to know Noodle Station

This cute, family-run restaurant served us up a warming bowl of noodle soup on a cold winter’s night in Reykjavik and while they have since grown to have multiple locations it’s still only a small spot, so you’ll never have to battle the tour groups for a table here. They offer beef, chicken and vegetable noodle soups that also feature scores of secret ingredients passed down through the Thai owner’s family for several generations.

“View of the Westfjords” by Mariska van de Vosse is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Westman Islands via Wikimedia Commons By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0. Noodle soup photo via Noodle Station. “Northern Lights” by harrymustoeplayfair is licensed under CC BY 2.0