When I went to Iceland last year, I took notice to the striking similarities between it and Hawaii. Both places have volcanic origins, so I guess the similarities are to be somewhat expected. It wasn’t until I did some side-by-side comparisons that I realized just how alike the two places are. Below are side-by-side comparisons of different landmarks in and around Hawaii and Iceland. Hawaii is on the left. Iceland is on the right. Each individual picture can be clicked on to enlarge.
In the next comparison between Queens Bath Lava Tube and Grjotagja, the biggest difference between the two caves is not visual. It’s physical. The water inside Queens bath is very cold….even in the hottest of summer. The water inside Grjotagja is hot….even in the coldest of winter. But the visual similarities are remarkable.
Part of what makes Hawaii and Iceland feel so different is each location’s population. Hawaii is far more densely populated than Iceland. There is likely to be a lot of traffic when driving around Makapu’u Beach on Oahu while Iceland is desolate and more peaceful.
Of a particular note, both Rainbow Falls and Selijalandsfoss have small caves behind them that are big enough to walk into.
The lava fields in both places from recent volcanic eruptions are so similar that I think even locals from each respective place would be hard-pressed to tell which is which.
I did notice the Icelandic coast was calmer than the Hawaiian. It could have just been that day.
Any debate between which place is more beautiful is entirely subjective. In my opinion, both places are incredibly majestic. Hawaii is more tropical with more predictably sunny weather. Iceland is much further north and has colder, more unpredictable weather. If I had to pick a perfect combination for me…..I would like Hawaii’s beauty and Iceland’s weather.
Immortalized 