Travel Blog

South Iceland is the subject of a new travel guide from Outlook Travel Magazine, created in partnership with Visit South Iceland and published in Issue 26 in September 2026. Written for both travellers and the travel trade, the guide explores the region through every season, from the midnight sun to the dark months of winter. It also includes an interview with Ragnhildur Sveinbjarnardóttir, Managing Director of Visit South Iceland, on sustainable growth, year-round travel and where tourism in the region is heading.

Knitting is part of everyday life in Iceland. The lopapeysa is worn by farmers, students, musicians and grandparents alike, and many Icelanders learned to knit as children, often from a grandmother. For travellers with an interest in craft, culture or simply in how things are made, it offers a way into the country that goes beyond the landscape.

Discover the world of Iceland's glaciers through an immersive year-round experience in Höfn, the gateway to Vatnajökull National Park. Glaciers of Höfn invites visitors to explore how glaciers have shaped the landscapes, ecosystems and communities of Southeast Iceland for centuries. Combining education, technology and powerful storytelling, this indoor attraction offers a unique perspective on one of Iceland's most iconic natural wonders.

There are places in the world where you feel the landscape rather than just see it. South Iceland is one of them. Camping here means waking up to the sound of a river, stepping outside to find a glacier filling your entire field of vision, or lying on your back in the grass as the midnight sun grazes the horizon, then slowly and unhurriedly, rises again.

Dyrhólaey is one of the most striking headlands on Iceland's south coast, a 120-metre-high promontory rising out of the black sand just west of Vík. Its name means "the hill with the door-hole," a reference to the massive natural arch carved through the rock by the sea. On calm days the arch is wide enough that a small plane once flew through it, a stunt pulled off by an Icelandic pilot in the 1990s that locals still talk about.

The Alaskan lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis) turns large parts of South Iceland deep purple every summer. The blooming season is short but spectacular: expect peak colour from mid-June to mid-July, with the southern coast usually flowering a week or two earlier than higher inland areas.

Puffins arrive in South Iceland in late April and stay through mid-August, with peak viewing from mid-May to early August. By the time the chicks fledge in late summer, the colonies grow quiet again until the following spring.

No multi-day treks. No F-roads. No mountain gear required. These are the most spectacular waterfalls in South Iceland, all accessible with just a short, easy walk from the car park.

To travel in Iceland is not only to move through dramatic landscapes, but also through centuries of building traditions shaped by climate, scarcity, and ingenuity. Icelandic architecture has always been closely tied to survival. Early homes had to shield people from wind, cold, and long winters, often using whatever materials were close at hand. That is part of what makes the story of Icelandic buildings so interesting for visitors today: the architecture is not just beautiful, it is deeply practical, and it tells the story of how people learned to live with nature.

In South Iceland, nature is more than a backdrop—it’s an active partner in creating some of the country’s freshest and most distinctive foods. This region is shaped by powerful geothermal forces and fertile volcanic landscapes, making it an exceptional place where innovation and tradition work hand in hand.

Iceland has become one of the world’s most popular filming destinations. Its glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, and black-sand beaches create a natural backdrop that feels otherworldly and versatile. Producers love it because within a short drive you can find landscapes that look like medieval battlefields, Himalayan peaks, or even alien planets. It’s no wonder that Icelandic nature often appears in international blockbusters.

South Iceland is one of those regions where the landscapes feel almost unfairly varied for how easy they are to reach. In a single day you can move between powerful waterfalls, black-sand beaches, glacier outlets, volcanic plains, mossy lava fields, and geothermal textures that look otherworldly. The diversity makes it a dream for photographers who like to build a portfolio with range, not just “another pretty viewpoint”.