A young polar bear from Greenland recently made an unexpected appearance in Iceland, much to the surprise of a local resident who spotted it near her summer house. Despite the 300 km distance between the two islands, polar bears have reportedly visited Iceland around 600 times since human settlement, either by drifting on ice or swimming.
However, the bear's stay in Iceland is likely to be short-lived. Locals are aware that alongside tourists, other furry and feathered visitors may arrive via water and ice, including animals like jackals.
The only native land mammal in Iceland is the Arctic fox, which I have had the pleasure of encountering a few times. In summer, these charming creatures are brown, while in winter, they turn completely white. On the southern coast of Iceland, this white coloration may not be very beneficial, as winters tend to be quite snowless. However, there are numerous large and powerful glaciers where guided hikes can be enjoyed.
Speaking of winter conditions, snow often arrives horizontally and with such force that nothing can stand outside. Roads may become blocked, leaving guests at our guesthouse temporarily stranded.
Personally, I would recommend visiting Iceland in spring or summer when the winds are milder, roads are almost always open, and daylight lasts 24/7. Tourism thrives here during the summer, but with a little planning and stepping away from popular attractions, one can enjoy the unique nature of Iceland even in the height of summer. One of my most memorable experiences was witnessing a volcano erupting. The otherworldly sounds, heat, smell, and immense flow of lava are difficult to describe. At that moment, I felt quite small as a human being.
In recent years, volcanic eruptions near the town of Grindavik have become so frequent that nobody speaks of them with the same enthusiasm anymore. I was quite saddened to pass through the abandoned town of Grindavik, now surrounded by new lava fields.
While you can occasionally find a tree, even the Icelanders joke that if you get lost in a forest in Iceland, you just need to stand up.
In contrast, Hiiumaa has a lot of powerful forests, which are hard to find in Iceland, like a needle in a haystack. I remember taking cycling trips around beautiful Hiiumaa with a friend during school years. In my memories, the roads were calm and quiet. Perhaps there is more traffic in summer now as mainlanders flock to the island for vacations?
Here in Iceland, I would certainly not undertake a cycling trip around the ring road. First, tourists often drive with their heads in the clouds, and secondly, the wind rarely calms down for more than ten minutes (there are no forests to block it, so it howls from Antarctica to the Arctic!). You could end up pedaling in one spot forever!
As a great animal lover, I must also mention the Icelandic horses, which can be seen at almost every turn. They live outdoors year-round and grow such thick coats for winter that it can be hard to spot them among all that fluff! Icelandic and Estonian horses are quite similar in size and temperament—both have plenty of character. There are many Estonian horses in Hiiumaa, and it’s wonderful that my love for horseback riding has repeatedly led me to the enchanting trails of Kassari, where I can gallop along the golden sands by the sea just like on Iceland's volcanic black beaches. Both Iceland and Hiiumaa are also home to fantastic bird habitats! My favorite has become the puffins, and on summer evenings, I can’t think of a better pastime than sitting on the local Dyrhólaey promontory and watching them return home. After a day of fishing in the ocean, they return to their nests on the cliffs each evening, and since they are quite accustomed to humans, they graciously allow us to observe their somewhat clumsy antics.
I could go on for a long time, but it’s time to wrap things up! In conclusion, I would like to share the favorite phrase of the Icelanders, which is 'þetta reddast!' This means that there’s no need to worry, and everything will somehow work out in the end. Sometimes it feels like I’m in Spain instead of the North, but it’s nice that problems are approached with a bit of relaxation, and no panic is made over little things! You have the same vibe on your lovely tranquil Hiiumaa. I never hear Icelanders complaining about the weather either—it is what it is, and they have accepted that long ago.