Launched in 1999 as a one-off event in an airplane hangar, Iceland Airwaves is the world's most northerly music showcase and industry festival, situated halfway between North America and Europe.

From the seat of my Icelandair flight, I was anxious to land and begin exploring Iceland’s many natural wonders. The rugged, windswept isle had come into view as I peered wide-eyed out my window seat.

Iceland’s famed Golden Circle tourist route delivers dramatic scenery, but its quieter regions offer deeper cultural connections and fewer crowds. There’s a reason Iceland’s Golden Circle is so famous ...