Magnus, the bored Icelandic horse, will attempt to give you a host of reasons, from his unique perspective, of why you SHOULDN'T come to Iceland. For example, waterfalls are a dime a dozen, you can't gallop on volcanic cones, whale-watching is all hype, etc. Whether you choose to pay attention to him, or to ignore him and join Birding In Spain on our midsummer Iceland Birding and Photography Tour this June is entirely up to you. Our advice? Take what Magnus says with a pinch of salt, or a lick of salt, if you're that way inclined.

1. ICELAND
JUNE BIRDING AND PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR 2024

2. HOW OVERRATED IS ICELAND?
• Get it straight from the horse’s mouth

3. It’s fine if you like waterfalls

4. And fumaroles, volcanic vents … all that kind of stuff

5. Honestly, though, what are glaciers and geysers? Just water!

6. And what’s a headland if not just a bit of rock by the sea?

7. Visitors to Iceland act as if they were something to write home about

8. They see immense lava fields; all I see is rock, sometimes with moss or lichens on it

9. And what good are volcanic cones? It’s not as if you can gallop on them, is it?

10. “Well, but the scenery,” they say. What about the scenery?

11. Call that scenery! Do me a favor!

12. Scenery! Then there are those who want birds … and mammals … and photographic opportunities

13. Ducks! Schmucks! All ducks look alike to me

14. Divers and grebes don’t do it for me, either
They spend the whole day bobbing around on the water

15. And please! I don’t really care how many kinds of gulls you can
see!

16. Now, waders. If only Iceland had some interesting waders!

17. Seabirds too! If you’re looking for seabirds you came to the wrong place!

18. And then, when you wander away from the water what is there? Hardly a thing!

19. Oh, wow! That thing is huge! What is it?
Now if we had a few of those in Iceland, it might be a different story

20. OK, seals are cute, I’ll give you that

21. So are foxes. I wouldn’t mind seeing an Arctic Fox, but you won’t see me in the Arctic!

22. Whale-watching is all hype

25. The locals thinks it’s funny to give places unpronouncable names

26. The roads are terrible, and there’s no other way of getting around
• Except on horseback. Ha, ha!

27. By the way, all the stables are crowded, so you’ll have to stay at a hotel. Sorry!

28. Hah! Pretending to enjoy themselves!

29. Pretending to bird

30. That’s more like it! How can you possibly want to go to a country with weather like that?

31. Björg! Stop trying to encourage them!

32. This is a map of Iceland. Ignore it, and go back the other way

33. So, I hope you’ve seen for yourself. Iceland is most definitely overrated
Take it from the horse’s mouth
Mine! Not Björg’s!