Places Laura Andersen Wants to Go

This mountain fissure hides a secret path to a secluded mossy grotto within the rock itself.

Three million year old fossils are exposed for all to see on this Icelandic shore.

This tumultuous Icelandic lava field looks so alien European researchers want to use it as a stand-in for Mars.

The oldest (maybe) swimming pool in Iceland is a stunning oasis built into the side of a lush hill.

A sulfuric martian landscape that looks far better than it smells.

This wrecked airplane has been sitting on a black sand beach since the 1970s.

This hobbit-y little hot spring may be the oldest spring used by humans in all of Iceland.

A winding, blood-red tunnel of hardened lava navigable by foot.

The oldest church in Iceland is one of the few to feature ornate decoration.

These ominous lava formations were said to be an entrance to the netherworld so of course they inspired a famous metal band.

A trio of hidden hot tubs takes advantage of Iceland's natural geothermal vents.

The most powerful waterfall in all of Europe.

This modern monument to pagan belief looks like it was transported straight from ancient times.

A stratovolcano located in the south of Iceland, with a long history of charted activity and a rich mythology attached.

Climb right into the heart of this colorful Iceland volcano.

This elegant arc of a waterfall marks a religious turning point.

One of the most remarkable caves in all of Iceland was created by a once raging river of lava.

Walk in the footsteps of the gods and straddle two tectonic plates.

This fantastical waterfall is hidden in a cave located in a cracked cliff.

This volcanic cave lake is essentially hard proof that Iceland is the most magical place on Earth.

Rising from the sea like a stone monster.

Staves, storm-calling, and of course, necropants.

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.

Bell tower juts out from a village buried under a lake.