Iceland is called the land of fire and ice; however, I would also add the land of rainbows. Due to frequent weather changes, you can see a beautiful rainbow almost daily. Iceland is known for the fact that the weather in one village doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the same just 5 km away. There are very local climates that change just around the next bend.
If you know Kirkjufell, I lived just behind this mountain and commuted to the town of Grundarfjörður (about a 7-minute drive). Many times, it happened that the weather at home was sunny and pleasant, while in Grundarfjörður, it was windy and rainy – and vice versa. We could not predict the weather, and even local apps weren’t much help. The weather here plays its own game, and you have to be prepared for it.
On the other hand, all of this contributes to the phenomenon known as the rainbow – which is created by the refraction of light on water droplets. Light of different colors bends at different angles on the surface of the droplets. To see a rainbow, you need rain and the sun peeking out from behind.
In just two and a half months in Iceland, I saw more full-arc rainbows than in my entire life before. That’s why I’m excited to return to Iceland again this summer!
If you're heading to Iceland in the summer, keep your eyes open!
Helping with translations: Deepl
Helping with translations: ChatGPT
Helping with grammar: Grammarly