Duotone NOW Magazine No.03 2022

Take your time, don’t rush. Also, plan enough time if you have to catch the ferry on a certain date for example. That was one of our biggest mistakes, we planned to spend a week getting from Barcelona to Denmark to catch the ferry to Iceland and it ended up being a close call. Go in a van. Like this, you have everything with you all the time. It’s great for the kids as they don’t have to get used to different sleeping arrangements as you would with changing hotels every couple of days. Reduce the stress level whenever you can and go with the flow. When the kids don’t want to drive anymore, well, just take a break. It will also open up the possibility to visit places you would have otherwise missed out on.  Pick kite spots where you can get as close to the water as possible. With the van parked right at the waterfront, we had everything we needed just nearby. When the kids got hungry or needed to sleep, we could arrange everything easily.  The Westfjords Not without reason, the Westfjords are called “Iceland’s best-kept secret”. The region is less travelled than other corners of the country, due to its vastness and distance from ‘must-see’ destinations.  Still, one thing should be noted: the Westfjords are really only accessible in the summer months, from May to October. Snowfall and rain are heavy in the region and due to the small population, the roads are not as regularly maintained as in the rest of the country. Too bad we learned about this the hard way, but still, what an adventure! Highlands One of my most favourite places in Iceland is the Highlands in the middle of the Island. This place is magic, like being on the moon, with green and red volcanos spiking out of the rough grey landscape. It’s so silent, no birds, no rustling leaves, nothing. I remember the feeling when waking up in the van, listening to the sound of silence, it was mystical and almost scary with the fog creeping up, but so incredibly beautiful. Hot pools The kids loved the natural hot pools the most. You can find many of them on the island. It became a daily routine to go swimming and warm ourselves up in one of the pools.  TIPS FOR TRAVELLING AND KITINGWITH KIDS Waterfalls It has been said before that when it comes to water, Iceland has an abundance of it, in all forms. Be it in swimming pools, hot springs, geysers, lakes, glaciers, rivers or waterfalls, Iceland is bursting at the seams. The waterfalls in Iceland are countless. Every year, new ones form from melting glaciers and almost every river has a few. They are impressive and can be seen all over the country, many of them from the Ring-Road. Follow Núria and her family on their adventure: @familyvanexpedition  I C E L A N D 88 E N A B L I N G D R E A M S 89 E N A B L I N G D R E A M S