Safety in Iceland

As a traveler in Iceland, I have only felt nervous about safety when it comes to driving on the narrow roads on the side of the mountains (no guard rails either). Icelanders are generally very genuine and trusting people and Iceland does not have a high crime. Interestingly, I learned while traveling that many mothers will leave their sleeping baby outside in a carriage to nap as opposed to taking the child into a store or restaurant. When my group first witnessed it, we naturally were confused. That is something we would never encounter in the United States, but is incredibly common in Iceland.

I have found that trusting the locals is best when it comes to safety or recommendations. Our group would frequently look to our Icelandic peers for advice on outdoor excursions or sightseeing in different towns. We have all been very impressed with how honest our friends’ responses have been. I would have not realized how dangerous the currents are in most waters, or just how hot the geothermal areas can be. One important tip from our tour guide while traveling in Iceland is to have a hood or a hat with you. A bird species known as the Arctic Tern will dive bomb any threat to their nest and will repeatedly dive at the head of a species until they no longer feel there is danger. Multiple times we had some close calls with the birds!