Here comes the sun and doesn´t leave. Midnight sun in Iceland in June. PIC Gudny Olafsdottir
A s usual we´ll be honest. We have no idea how many of you out there target your travel to this place around the time of the Midnight sun. But we´re guessing there´s many. But for how long does the sun warm these parts of the globe?
A valid question indeed. Some we´ve come across believe the Midnight sun is a one day phenomena while others have never contemplated for how long one can enjoy the rays of the sun for 24 hours. And some, like fantastical sun worshipers and tan fanatics probably have it all figured out.
In any case, we believe some of you out there might want to know just how long one can expect to enjoy the outdoors in Iceland without turning on a light bulb.
Now, this depends a little bit on the cloud cover. Thick clouds are not unfamiliar over this country in summertime and when those appear the light you get is minimal. You will actually have to turn on the lights to continue reading 50 Shades of Gray volume 16.
Roughly though, if clouds stay away, you can breathe easy knowing that this place is getting quite the decent light to disturb a good night´s rest at the very beginning of the month of June. From that moment on there is light over the skies of Iceland for a good month. In other words; you will not need any reading light whilst traveling in this country between June 1st and July the 15th. While there will be darker shades of light at either end of this time frame there is still enough light for you to see all around without the use of a flashlight or a light source.
That being said, the true Midnight sun is only visible from the North of the country and only for three or four days. This means the sun is not setting at all over these few days and you can actually witness the phenomenon if you happen to be in the far North around the summer solstice. Outside of this time the sun disappears under the horizon but only for a few moments and enough light comes across to turn night into day for over a month.
The Midnight sun is a marvel but one thing many visitors are totally unprepared for over this time is how hard it can be to get any sleep when there is light outside for 24 hours. It it quite the challenge unless you are used to it. Make sure the hotel or guesthouse you choose over this period has thick curtains if you have trouble sleeping at all.
Lastly, enjoy your trip over here 🙂
