Victim of its success, Iceland is invaded (it is our point of view) by the tourist crowd mainly on the circular road n ° 1 but also in some remarkable places of the interior easy of access, such as the Landmannalaugar valley. Elsewhere, 90% of the territory, Nature remains virgin, human presence is rare, no buildings, no power lines, no buses…
This is where we set up our first trekkings 40 years ago and still operate with passion. Most take place in the southern highlands right on the active ridge, mainly in the Fjallabak area which offers an incomparable variety of fantastic landscapes.
During some of our trek, if it happens that we pass through the valley of Landmannalaugar, we do not linger there more than a few hours. Same for the only marked trail in this area, the all too popular north-south Laugavegur trail; we are only crossing it perpendicularly, from west to east.
From this spring of 2020, direct flights between China and Iceland will be set up, which will not improve the carbon footprint of tourism. For Icelandic businessmen and entrepreneurs who have invested a lot in the so-called “luxury hotel” around the island it is surely a relief. This huge clientele already smoothly compensates for the decline of Western travelers, less rich than in the past, and some of them start to think that it becomes a shame to fly. Alas, to go to Iceland there is no other way than to fly or have time for a long seasickness.
The long walks are not (are no longer) a priori what interests these new and very many visitors.
Fortunately much of the interior is under the strict control of national parks and the Ministry of Nature Protection. Hope that their integrity will remain dignified. In the meantime devoid of infrastructure: accommodation, roads, bridges on rivers, it should protect these vast virgin territories for some time.
For our part, we would dream that the entire uninhabited territory becomes one of the largest natural park in the world.