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Iceland is a magnificent island that lies on the Arctic Circle and basks in perpetual daylight for much of the summer.
As we have seen, this young country is still being shaped by the forces of nature. It has the fascination of the strangely beautiful and unfamiliar. The primeval fire and lava of foreboding black volcanoes contrast with the freezing white ice-glare of Europe's greatest glaciers. Iceland is, for the most part, sub-arctic in character with a landscape that is bereft of trees.
This magnificent journey will provide us with unequalled opportunities to view and photograph the jagged mountains, barren lava fields, spectacular waterfalls, steaming geothermal springs, and boiling mud pits of this volcanic island. The tour is also designed to let us view the vast numbers of raucous seabirds nesting on high rocky cliffs, spot waterfowl and rare raptors, including the protected Iceland gyrfalcon, and white-tailed sea eagle, enjoy colourful Arctic and European boreal wildflowers blooming throughout the island, and visit some of the islands off the mainland.
We'll begin our tour in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, and then travel in a circle around the country, exploring and photographing its cultural and natural history features. |
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| FACTS: |
| • | 11 days |
| • | Maximum 15 participants |
| • | Start and finish in Reykjavik, Iceland |
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| HIGHLIGHTS: |
| • | Jagged mountains, barren lava fields, spectacular waterfalls, steaming geothermal springs, and boiling mud pits |
| • | Vast numbers of raucous seabirds nesting on high rocky cliffs |
| • | Colourful Arctic and European boreal wildflowers |
| • | Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland |
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| ACTIVITY LEVEL: |
| • | Easy to Moderate. The trails that we use in our explorations of the parks and reserves are usually well marked and easy to follow. Many do, however, follow the contours of the hills, valleys or cliffs and a few have steep inclines. The trails have to be traversed carefully but are accessible to anyone who has normal walking ability and stamina. Sturdy hiking shoes or boots are strongly advised. We recommend a trekking pole for extra comfort and safety. You should also be able to get in and out of boats. |
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| ACCOMMODATIONS: |
| Hotel Cabin |
| Framnes Hotel |
| Guesthouse Ongullstadir |
| Hotel Örk |
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| ITINERARY IN BRIEF: |
| Day 1: |
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Arrive in Reykjavik |
| Day 2 - 3: |
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Snaefellsnes |
| Day 4: |
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Boat trip to Flatey Island, Helgafell |
| Day 5: |
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Breidafjordur, Eyjafjordur |
| Day 6 - 7: |
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Lake Myvatn and area |
| Day 8: |
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Interior of Iceland, Gullfoss, Hveravellir |
| Day 9: |
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Myrdalsjokull, Vik |
| Day 10: |
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Thingvellir, Stokkseyri |
| Day 11: |
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Depart Reykjavik |
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 Sherry is a naturalist who has worked in the provincial, national and regional park systems in British Columbia, in museums and has run her own business in the field of interpretation. The west coast has been her home for 25 years and she has explored many areas of it. She is the principal author of the art book that helped raise awareness and led, eventually, to the protection of the Carmanah Valley. She has previously been a Quest leader in the Queen Charlotte Islands and on Quest's Vancouver Island trip.
416-633-5666 / 1-800-387-1483
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Our participants say...
...a quick note to let you know how
fabulous the Iceland trip was. The scenery and geography were amazing and the birding was pretty good too. Our leaders, Pete Read and Holmfridur were
absolutely first rate and we both cannot remember having as much fun as we
did on this trip.
We have enjoyed all our Quest trips from Trinidad through Saskatoon, Jamaica
and Spain but put Iceland at the top of the list.
Bob & Anita C.
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