I’ve been leading trips in Iceland since my first year with Backroads in 2019, and I’ve returned every summer since. It’s one of those places that’s relatively close—but feels like another planet. Raw, untouched landscapes. Glacier-fed rivers. Clean air. You feel the elements in your bones—whether you’re hiking across black sand or standing beside an active volcano. Iceland is one of the few places left where nature is still fully in charge. That intensity is what keeps pulling me back.
Earlier this summer, I stood once again on a windswept beach near Grindavík—this time not with guests, but alongside nine fellow Backroads leaders for a day of service. This wasn’t just a cleanup—it was a reunion with a familiar face and a full-circle moment.
Tommi, the local activist leading our effort, was someone I knew from another chapter of my life. Years ago, I worked as a guide for a scuba diving company that took guests between tectonic plates in Iceland’s glacial fissures—and Tommi was the founder. In a country with such a small population, these serendipitous reconnections happen often. Iceland is wild, yes—but it’s also wonderfully tight-knit. Paths cross, stories resurface and community holds it all together.
200 Kilograms of Trash—and a Whole Lot More
Through Backroads’ Give Back Field Project program—which offers our leaders paid time off to volunteer in the communities where we travel—we partnered with Tommi and his nonprofit, Blái herinn (Blue Army), for a beach cleanup along Iceland’s southern shore. By the end of the day, we had collected over 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of trash: fishing nets, ropes, plastic debris, and other remnants swept in by the tides.
But for Tommi, it was never just about the trash. It was about what we carried away with us. Since retiring at age 45, Tommi has dedicated his life to protecting Iceland’s fragile ecosystems. He organizes regular cleanups, gives educational seminars and campaigns to hold industries accountable for their environmental impact. Some of the waste we collected will be recycled—sent to the UK to be turned into something as unexpected as socks.
Before we left, Tommi looked at us and said, “You are soldiers of the ocean.” It wasn’t just a compliment—it was a call to action. He asked us to take what we learned and bring it home: to keep cleaning, keep educating, keep advocating.
Our cleanup took place just outside Grindavík, a coastal town deeply impacted by recent volcanic eruptions. Tommi walked us through the aftermath. We stood at the edge of lava fields that had cut into the town, saw buildings cracked by the earth’s movement and heard how residents had to leave their homes—some permanently.
It was sobering. Iceland’s beauty is undeniable, but it’s also a place in flux. Nature doesn’t wait. That day added a deeper layer to our understanding—not just of the environment, but of the people who live within it and adapt to its rhythm every day.
A Culture of Giving Back
This particular project was part of a much broader ethos at Backroads. Over the years, our teams in Iceland have partnered with Blue Army for other beach cleanups, volunteered in trail-building projects in Hoffelsjökull, donated gear to Skaftafell National Park and contributed funds to Iceland Search & Rescue.
Our trips to Grindavík, like the Iceland’s Fire & Ice Multi-Adventure Tour and the Greenland & Iceland Walking & Hiking Tour, bring guests through these very landscapes. Behind the scenic stops and curated experiences are communities like this one, and people like Tommi, quietly doing the work to protect what makes Iceland so extraordinary.
