Iceland has a way of swallowing expectations and dispersing them as a fine mist over its lava rock fields, moss-covered valleys, and black-sand shores. Since people began arriving at this glacier-topped island in the ninth century, there has been one constant: the weather rules all. Then, surviving was far from certain, and a single storm could take out a life-saving food source for the settlers who raised farms and livestock along the perimeter of the country. Now, the thought of chasing waterfalls, hiking volcanic craters, witnessing active eruptions, and soaking the afternoon away in hot springs fills the minds of travelers around the world. The unpredictable forecast, well, that’s an annoyance for most visitors, but an opportunity for the more curious to live a little closer to the Icelandic way—which embraces the outdoors, no matter the weather.

Erika Owen

Erika Owen is a Brooklyn-based travel writer, editor, and content strategist. Her interests include vintage design, Iceland (she’s been 14 times!), and the color cobalt blue. Her work has previously been published in Travel + Leisure, Departures, and Vogue. You can also find her work online at GQ, Trip Advisor, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, Bustle, Rachael Ray Magazine, and more.

Nearly a decade ago, I fell under Iceland’s spell and have since been writing about its people, culture, and landscapes. With nearly 20 visits to the Land of Fire and Ice filling my own memories, I’ve married deep research into the country’s past with my impressions of the current in a tome for Assouline, called Iceland Epic. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that your expectations are never enough—there’s always a spontaneous summer snow, flash of Northern Lights, or elusive Arctic fox sighting right around the corner.

Below are some photo highlights from the book, and a little more about the stories they tell of Iceland—plus, how to tap into the culture and experiences they depict on your next visit to Iceland.

For more tips on planning a trip to Iceland:

An image from photographer Anna Isabella Christensen’s self-portrait project

Anna Isabella Christensen/Assouline

Óx restaurant in Reykjavík is known for a dessert that uses locally grown wasabi.

Georg Berg/Alamy; Courtesy Assouline

One of my favorite elements of Iceland is how the people who call it home embody their surrounding environments. There is no fighting with the weather, it’s a part of who they are. Many artists have captured this in paintings, photography, and design—photographer Anna Isabella Christensen (above left) is one of these people. Her work offers a human silhouette to the beauty of Iceland’s natural wonders.

That’s not the only way the landscape is utilized by creatives: The best meal of my life is a memory hand-crafted by Chef Thrainn Freyr Vigfusson and his team at Óx (above right), a Michelin-starred speakeasy restaurant in Reykjavik hidden behind a bookcase. The 20(ish)-course menu proves Iceland is far more than its tourist-attracting headlines (puffin, whale, and fermented shark) but what left just as much of an imprint was the atmosphere. A group of us diners connected in that dining space, designed to mimic Vigfusson’s grandma’s kitchen and living room, spending the next couple of nights meeting up for (more) drinks and dinner. I still keep in touch with one of my friends from that night, Amelia, to this day.

Models wearing garments by Arnar Már Jónsson

Magnus Andersen/Assouline

Lærke Helmer in fashion by Richard Scholz and Magnus Samuelsson

Anna Ósk Erlingsdóttir/Assouline

To stick to the city limits is a choice—and one I recommend everyone try once or twice. But getting out into Iceland’s nature, climbing its volcanic craters or heading underground into its dormant lava tubes, is when you start to crack open what this place is all about. It all starts with the drive along roads lined by both mountains and shoreline, traffic thinning and weather thickening. When you arrive at your destination, it’s almost like you can breathe in its history.