Tourists raise concerns after seeing others climb protected natural wonder: 'People are so disappointing'

A tourist in Iceland sparked a lively debate around tourist behavior at the country's basalt columns in Reynisfjara.

They shared a photo of tourists climbing and posing atop the natural wonder to the r/VisitingIceland subreddit, and added context.

Their post said they "felt icky" witnessing the tourists, and that it took them about 10 minutes to get a clean shot of the columns. They added their tour guide said of the behavior that "not only is it unsafe but also disrespectful" while revealing they're "resigned" to it as it occurs daily.

The OP asked: "Can we as humans admire nature without literally trampling all over it?" They finished by asking for the community's thoughts.

The Redditor's account led to a spirited discussion. A poster identified the "Social Media tourist." They elaborated, saying "they often don't respect the rules, are loud/noisy, walk on sneakers or even flipflops and do the most dangerous stuff for a cool photo."

Another user agreed, saying, "It was so strange … to look at them making weird poses, doing weird things and going to dangerous places just for a photo."

"They are rocks, let people climb them," a user argued. "Not everything is sacred and cannot be touched by humans." A few posters went back-and-forth whether the rocks were damaged by the behavior or if the salty oceans and waves were responsible.

Another wondered how the actions were disrespectful. A user answered, referencing the on-call workers who have to risk their own safety to help tourists. A different user referenced "frequently falling rocks from the hillside overhead" that could injure oblivious tourists.

Safety concerns in Iceland are certainly real, as a poster alluded to a tourist death in the fall of 2024, and there have been other close calls in recent years for tourists who disregard the rules and power of natural features. Tourists straying off the path and flagrantly littering in Iceland is unfortunately common, and those trends are especially concerning given the fragile state of the country's renowned natural features.

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Even if tourists don't markedly damage the basalt columns, it was frustrating to many Redditors, with one writing, "People are so disappointing."

A user summed it up: "Did I want selfies and record ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS? Yes. But you can do that while also being respectful."

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