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Tag: Islands

Islands

White, sandy, coconut-strewn beaches, translucent lagoons in shimmering blue. And chains of mountainous islands with craggy peaks, rising straight from the sea. There are many fascinating islands around the world.

Row of torches at the Þjóðhátíð Festival on Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland.
Vestmannaeyjar – De vurige magie van de Westman Eilanden

Vestmannaeyjar – De vurige magie van de Westman Eilanden

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De Westman Eilanden trokken me aan vanaf het eerste gezicht. Hun mysterieuze silhouetten liggen glinsterend aan de horizon, lonkend als een fata morgana. Heimaey is een spectaculair eiland met steil uit zee oprijzende knoesten, woeste landschappen en vulkanen. Vestmannaeyjar heeft ook het jaarlijkse Þjóðhátíð festival in augustus – in één woord: geWELDIG! ‘Þar sem hjartað slær’ is het ultieme Þjóðhátíð lied dat de sfeer van het Nationale Festival in IJsland als geen ander beschrijft.

Kalapana coastal lava flows from Kilauea, Hawaii Bg Island.
Hawaii (Big Island) – Volcanic fields of fire

Hawaii (Big Island) – Volcanic fields of fire

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The enigmatic Big Island of Hawaii, where flows of lava tumble down its rocky shores into the sea. I walked across the fields of fire from Kalapana to the Kilauea coastal lava flows, and stood utterly mesmerized looking upon the creation process of Earth itself. It is one of the most mindblowing things one could ever hope to see. In this article you can read about the Kilauea lava field hike and the dynamic volcanic activity on the Big Island.

Streams flowing from the jungle into the sea at Mulligan Bay. Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia.
Hinchinbrook Island – Unspoiled tropical wilderness

Hinchinbrook Island – Unspoiled tropical wilderness

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Hinchinbrook Island in Australia is pure bliss. Rugged mountains covered in lush jungle vegetation, broad sweeping beaches and meandering estuaries. Unspoiled wilderness that can only be explored on foot. The Thorsborne Trail follows a 32 kilometre route along the east coast of Hinchinbrook Island. It’s one of the most beautiful hikes in the world.

Cumbre Vieja volcano route, La Palma, Canary Islands.
La Palma – Cumbre Vieja Volcano Route

La Palma – Cumbre Vieja Volcano Route

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Cumbre Vieja Natural Park on La Palma offers stunning hiking routes amongst volcanic cones and giant craters. On the same day that Fagradalsfjall in Iceland subsided, the Cumbre Vieja volcano cracked open a new crater and roared into life on 19 September 2021. Now that this fierce volcano has settled down again, the Cumbre Vieja Ruta de los Volcanes (Volcano Route) is one of the finest walks you can do on La Palma.

Sunrise into the Ko’olau Gap caldera on Mount Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii.
Haleakala – The House of the Rising Sun

Haleakala – The House of the Rising Sun

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Haleakala is the House of the Rising Sun – literally. The sunrise on this volcano on Maui is of such an epic magnitude that it draws people to get up at ridiculous o’ clock at night and drive up its endless hairpin roads to the summit, in order to gawk over the ethereal beauty of its caldera when the sun lights up and paints it in otherworldly colours. You can hike all the way to Halemau’u on the other side of this vast caldera, and explore its countless craters and cinder cones.

Row of torches at the Þjóðhátíð Festival on Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland.
Vestmannaeyjar – Þar sem hjartað slær…!

Vestmannaeyjar – Þar sem hjartað slær…!

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This title may look a bit bewildering… It’s Icelandic for ‘Where the heart beats’, the anthemic song of Vestmannaeyjar. I was drawn to the islands of Vestmannaeyjar at first sight. Their mysterious shapes were shimmering on the horizon, beckoning like a fata morgana. Heimaey is a spectacular island of volcanic peaks and jumbled rocks and the landscape is out of this world. Vestmannaeyjar is also home of the Þjóðhátíð festival in August. ‘Þar sem hjartað slær’ is the ultimate Þjóðhátíð song that captures the atmosphere of the Iceland National Festival like no other.

Heimaey harbour and lava fields, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland.
Vestmannaeyjar walking tracks – The best hikes on Heimaey

Vestmannaeyjar walking tracks – The best hikes on Heimaey

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An overview of the best walking tracks around Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar. With its incredible density of spectacular sights and features, this stunning island just off the south coast is a must-see if you’re visiting Iceland. There are steep and craggy mountain ridges, dramatic sea cliffs, hidden beaches, a couple of volcanoes, mossy lava fields and a magical valley. Vestmannaeyjar is also home to the biggest puffin colony in the world. Find out more in this article.

Midnight sunset on Heimaey, Iceland.
Vestmannaeyjar – A force of nature that can’t be denied

Vestmannaeyjar – A force of nature that can’t be denied

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When I saw the volcanic island shapes of Vestmannaeyjar shimmering on the horizon, I felt immediately drawn to them. It was like a force of nature that couldn’t be denied. I just had to go there. Sailing into Heimaey harbour, through a narrow opening between a jumbled chain of steep cliffs and a huge field of lava flows, is mind-blowing. Vestmannaeyjar – also known as the Westman Islands – contains the youngest volcanic island and (until recently) the newest volcano in Iceland.

Pico del Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Pico del Teide – A volcanic playground

Pico del Teide – A volcanic playground

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Pico del Teide on Tenerife is the biggest mountain of Spain. Surrounded by a huge caldera, its peak rises up an astonishing 3718 metres into thin air. Its flanks are a volcanic playground, with a multitude of colourful cones and bizarre cathedral-like formations, and winding roads along titled layers of rock. You can go all the way to the top of Pico del Teide by cable car and enjoy amazing views over the Canary Islands.