Aurora hunters were in luck on Sunday when the Northern Lights put on a magnificent show over Iceland, making their hunt super easy: All you had to do was look up to the sky! The Northern Lights also put on a beautiful show yesterday, Monday, delivering some stunning displays.
Aurora induced traffic jam
The Aurora forecast had promised high levels of geomagnetic activity over the northern hemisphere, coupled with mostly clear skies, creating the ideal conditions to see the dance of lady Aurora. Locals and travelers alike took to the popular Aurora viewing spots around the capital region, including Grótta lighthouse. The small parking lot and the small street leading up to the bird sanctuary and recreational area was totally overwhelmed by the large number of visitors, resulting in a traffic jam. The local newspaper Morgunblaðið documented the chaos created by people jostling for parking spaces.
This is not the first time a traffic jam develops at Grótta on a night on high Aurora activity. Aurora hunters have also been caught on the lighthouse island by the incoming tide. We at Iceland Insider have on numerous occasions advised our readers to check out some of the other excellent (and less crowded) Aurora viewing spots around Reykjavík:
Read more: Where to see the Northern Lights in Reykjavík?
Also note: Several of the photographs we picked for this story are taken in people's backyards in Reykjavík, a reminder you don't necessarily need to drive off to some scenic spot to enjoy the Aurora.
Amazing photographs
For the past couple of days our social media has been full of Aurora photos, as travelers as well as locals have been sharing their favorite photos of Sunday's and Monday's displays. You can see some of these below.
Unfortunately the Aurora forecast for tonight, Tuesday and tomorrow, Wednesday, is not nearly as good as the forecasts we had for Sunday. While the geomagnetic activity will be high, the cloud cover is likely to block our view of the Aurora.
Aurora hunters were in luck on Sunday when the Northern Lights put on a magnificent show over Iceland, making their hunt super easy: All you had to do was look up to the sky! The Northern Lights also put on a beautiful show yesterday, Monday, delivering some stunning displays.
Aurora induced traffic jam
The Aurora forecast had promised high levels of geomagnetic activity over the northern hemisphere, coupled with mostly clear skies, creating the ideal conditions to see the dance of lady Aurora. Locals and travelers alike took to the popular Aurora viewing spots around the capital region, including Grótta lighthouse. The small parking lot and the small street leading up to the bird sanctuary and recreational area was totally overwhelmed by the large number of visitors, resulting in a traffic jam. The local newspaper Morgunblaðið documented the chaos created by people jostling for parking spaces.
This is not the first time a traffic jam develops at Grótta on a night on high Aurora activity. Aurora hunters have also been caught on the lighthouse island by the incoming tide. We at Iceland Insider have on numerous occasions advised our readers to check out some of the other excellent (and less crowded) Aurora viewing spots around Reykjavík:
Read more: Where to see the Northern Lights in Reykjavík?
Also note: Several of the photographs we picked for this story are taken in people's backyards in Reykjavík, a reminder you don't necessarily need to drive off to some scenic spot to enjoy the Aurora.
Amazing photographs
For the past couple of days our social media has been full of Aurora photos, as travelers as well as locals have been sharing their favorite photos of Sunday's and Monday's displays. You can see some of these below.
Unfortunately the Aurora forecast for tonight, Tuesday and tomorrow, Wednesday, is not nearly as good as the forecasts we had for Sunday. While the geomagnetic activity will be high, the cloud cover is likely to block our view of the Aurora.
