In July, dozens of North Hawaii residents visited Iceland — Europe’s northernmost island nation. Although on separate trips, they found both commonalities and stark contrasts to their homeland.
Deemed “the land of fire and ice,” Iceland is about 10 times larger than the Big Island, yet has a population only twice as large. Tourism is the top industry on both islands, and more than two million people will visit the Big Island this year, while Iceland will only see one million.
Thirty-five minutes from the capital city is Thingvellir National Park, situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. At the park’s southern edge is Iceland’s largest lake. Lava fields abound, similar to those found in Hawaii, but these are 16-18 million years old.
More than 6,000 miles away from Hawaii, visitors captured stunning scenes in Iceland. Some resemble familiar scenes here, while others are vastly different.