Every year after 31 August, someone puts on the brakes and Icelandic tourism grinds slowly to a halt. Hotels close, youth hostels and camping grounds shut down and buses stop running. Many late-summer travellers are disappointed to find that all the most popular attractions are practically inaccessible by 15 September, and by 30 September it seems the entire country, save Reykjavík, has gone into hibernation. Although it's safe to predict that the situation will change in coming years, for now it's a good idea to plan your trip with this in mind.
The largest nationwide festival of the year is Independence Day (17 June), a time of colourful parades, street music and dancing, outdoor theatre and general merriment. Other nationwide celebrations include: Sjómannadagurinn (first week in June), which is dedicated to seafarers and has participants competing in swimming contests, tugs-of-war and sea rescues; Midsummer (24 June) - tradition has it that Midsummer Night's dew possesses magical healing powers and that to roll in it naked will cure 19 different health problems; and Sumardagurinn Fyrsti (the third Thursday in April), a carnival-style celebration of the first day of summer. Among the local festivals is Pjóđhátíđ (August), an earth-shaking event of immense bonfires, outdoor camping, dancing, singing, eating and getting uproariously drunk. Elsewhere in Iceland Verslunarmannahelgi (August) is celebrated with barbecues, horse competitions, camping out, family reunions and excessive alcohol consumption.
Time for Visiting
