While northern lights season starts around August 15th in Iceland, I’d never seen aurora here in August. Until this year. The first evening was on my birthday, August 14. I was walking home from an incredible meal at Óx, and there they were.
The second night of aurora were in Flatery, in Vestfirðir. The cloud inversion certainly added to the atmosphere.
Lastly, last night. Walking to meet a friend for drinks downtown and I saw the clouds getting out of the way and a nice chill in the air. It just felt right for northern lights to make an appearance, and did they ever.
This is a reminder that if you know what you’re looking for, you can spot the aurora from Reykjavík. Will darker skies help you see them better? Sure! But you don’t need to have a rental car or book an expensive tour to see the magic.