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7 {More!} Things I Love About Living in Iceland

It’s no secret I’m in love with Iceland. My list of things I love about this wonderful country keeps growing every day!

Obviously the gorgeous landscapes have me running to the mountains every weekend, but I can’t forget about these day to day things that also rock my world.

Here are some awesome facts about Iceland that I thought you should know.

7 (more!) Things I Love About Iceland | Life With a View


Winter Solstice

Icelanders get through the long days of darkness by decorating with a lot of Christmas lights, lighting a bunch of candles, and calling it being “cosy”. I personally think this is adorable.

Summer Solstice

The summer solstice is around June 21st when the sun sets just after midnight and rises again around 3am. These long days energize people, and Icelanders take advantage by getting out and exploring. To celebrate the longest day of the year, there are all kinds of activities going on: midnight hiking tours, bar crawls, a half marathon, and a music festival.

Summer Solstice Music Festival in Iceland


Love of books

Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world. One in ten Icelanders will publish a book. December is known for jólabókaflóð, which translates to Christmas book flood. There are stacks of new books everywhere – even in the checkout lane at the grocery store! During this time, newly published books are released to the public, and books are one of the most common Christmas gifts.

Jólabókaflóð in Iceland

Best water in the world

Everyday I drink my water straight from the tap, no filters needed! This is the purest and cleanest water in the world. My favorite thing to do while out exploring is fill up my water bottle with water from the mountain stream – it comes straight from the glaciers!

7 (More!) Things I Love About Iceland | Life With a View


Use of r
enewable energy

Approximately 90% of the country’s energy use comes from geothermal energy. Geothermal power heats most of the houses in Iceland and is also used by many companies to manufacture products. Many sidewalks, streets and parking places are able to be cleared by the use of geothermal heat!

Geothermal energy plant in Iceland

There is a swimming pool in every town

Big town, little town, indoor or outdoor, every town in Iceland has a pool. Icelanders love to relax in pools. It’s a place to go for exercise, keep the kids busy, or socialize with friends. How wonderful is that?

There is a pool in every town in Iceland

Low crime rate

Iceland is known for having one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Safety is a given, and police don’t carry guns.
If the local police don’t have a lot to do, they share photos on their awesome !

A photo posted by Lögreglan á höfuðborgarsvæðinu (@logreglan) on


Question: What is something you love about where you live?

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26 Comments

  • Reply
    Jasmin Charlotte
    January 22, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    Ah Iceland does sound dreamy! It reminds me of NZ a lot, they are also really into pools – so many in every town!

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      January 25, 2016 at 2:31 pm

      Absolutely, Iceland and New Zealand have a lot of similarities! I love the concept of pools in every town, it is a great way to socialize and stay active!

  • Reply
    Sarah Elizabeth
    January 22, 2016 at 6:08 pm

    I’ve already been planning a trip to Iceland with my husband (it will be our delayed honeymoon… eventually…) and this post makes me want to just pack up or life and MOVE to Iceland.

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      January 25, 2016 at 2:32 pm

      Be careful girl, that is exactly what happened to us! We visited Iceland on our delayed honeymoon and then fell in love with it 😉 You are going to love Iceland, happy planning!

  • Reply
    Vern
    January 23, 2016 at 7:53 pm

    Am bringing my wife & daughters in March for 4 days and 3 nights. I know not enough time!! Any must sees?

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      January 25, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      4 days is not much time but you will still be able to see a lot! Making recommendations is always hard, it depends on what you like! I think Snaefellsnes/West Iceland is beautiful and not far from Reykjavik. There is a lot to see and the scenery is gorgeous. Otherwise I would recommend all of the main stops along the South.

  • Reply
    Rachel
    January 23, 2016 at 9:05 pm

    Iceland is up there on my travel bucket list, it looks so beautiful!

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      January 25, 2016 at 2:41 pm

      Iceland has so much beautiful scenery, I’m glad to hear it’s on your bucket list!

  • Reply
    Angie
    February 2, 2016 at 10:03 am

    It’s incredible that the water is so pure!

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 2, 2016 at 11:11 am

      Absolutely! I’m used to using a water filter at home or having to put iodine tablets in the water if I’m out camping/canoeing before drinking…it’s crazy!

  • Reply
    Tanja/The Red Phone Box travels
    February 2, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    nice post! #travel linkup

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 5, 2016 at 8:04 pm

      Yay travel linkup! Thanks for stopping by, Tanja!

  • Reply
    Beth @ Paces and Places
    February 3, 2016 at 3:34 am

    When I visited Iceland this summer, the pools and hot pots were one of my favorite parts. I remember a morning where I ran a tough track workout and then immediately headed to the local pool for a shower, swim, and soak. It felt great!!

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 5, 2016 at 8:05 pm

      Thats awesome, Beth! It’s so common for Icelanders to spend their weekends relaxing at the pool. I love that laid back lifestyle!

  • Reply
    Stephanie 'The Travelling Teacher'
    February 4, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    What a place to live! Wish England would adopt some more of the ‘pool’ culture would be lovely to take a warm dip when its cold outside.

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 5, 2016 at 8:06 pm

      Haha, exactly! Every town should have a pool to get through the winter months!

  • Reply
    Jessi (Two Feet, One World)
    February 5, 2016 at 1:25 am

    Ooooh I loved Iceland when I visited it last year, and I love it even more now after reading these. I had no idea it was a bookworm nation – that is so awesome!

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 5, 2016 at 8:09 pm

      Yes, its awesome that they love books so much but we’re at a slight disadvantage because we don’t yet read Icelandic very fluently! More motivation to learn?!

  • Reply
    Frankie Winter
    February 5, 2016 at 8:10 am

    I did not know about the books! That is very cool 🙂

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 5, 2016 at 8:09 pm

      Isn’t it great?! Such a cozy way to spend Christmas 🙂

  • Reply
    Ayla
    February 5, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    Oh I so want to visit Iceland! It’s been on my wish list for ages and I was hoping to go later this year but you have now made my desire to visit even stronger. Plus look at all those books! It’s clearly the perfect place for me 🙂

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 5, 2016 at 8:13 pm

      Exactly! Waterfalls and books, what are you waiting for?!

  • Reply
    Clare (Suitcases and Sandcastles)
    February 5, 2016 at 2:28 pm

    I love this post! It’s so great reading things about another culture. Iceland sounds like somewhere I really must visit. What’s most interesting about your post is that you’ve picked on some of the things you might not find out on a single trip. I really love the idea of the Christmas book flood and the candles and cosying up in Winter!

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 5, 2016 at 8:18 pm

      Thanks so much Clare! The candles and books really are a great way to pass the winters 🙂

  • Reply
    Emma @ Adventures of a London Kiwi
    February 7, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    Who couldn’t love a country with an instagramming police force!

    • Reply
      Jeannie
      February 8, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      Haha, exactly! I want to be friends with them in real life.

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