Northeast Iceland

The North of Iceland impresses with its many fjords, mountains, volcanoes and hot pools.

Akureyri, nicknamed the Capital of the North of Iceland with a population of ca 19.000, is situated at the base of Eyjafjörður Fjord and can be reached either by plane or car.  The town invites for a stroll around its Botanical Gardens with a specimen from across Iceland. The centre comprises of colourful old houses and the Akureyri church from 1940. Close to town is also one of the most popular skiing areas of Iceland.

Travel further north to Húsavík, on the north coast of Iceland with ca 2.300 inhabitants. Húsavik is famous for its whale watching tours and the first whale museum in Iceland. The wooden church in the centre was built in 1907 and is one of the landmarks of the town.

The Mývatn area will impress with its rich and diverse nature.  Goðafoss – the waterfall of the gods – is a photo opportunity you cannot miss. This impressive waterfall falls from a height of 12 metres and over a width of 30 metres.

Mývatn is not only the name of this volcanic area but also the name of a shallow lake situated here. The name translates to midge (mý) lake (vatn) and especially during the summer months of June and July you will encounter a vast amount of midges around the lake. On the south-western side of the lake, you find Skútustaðagígar, an impressive chain of pseudocraters. A lovely path will take you along the chain of volcanic craters with a  view of the lake.

You can find an information centre on the north-eastern shore in Reykjahlíð, which is also an excellent base for exploring the area. The Mývatn Nature Baths, a human-made naturally heated lagoon, invites for a relaxing bath with beautiful views of the lake area nearby.  Also, only a short distance away is the out-of-space-like hot spring area of Námaskarð with its heated sulfuric bubbling mud pools and steam vents. Close by is Krafla volcano with its impressive crater landscape.

One of the most popular natural tourist sites is Dimmuborgir, which translates to “the dark city”. It is a large area of unusually shaped lava rock formations and volcanic caves and pillars. Follow one of the many paths that take you around the vast lava field. You can even go for a longer hike to Hverfjall Mountain, a volcano crater approximately 1 km in diameter and a hiking path that follows around the edge of the crater. You will have a spectacular view of the whole Mývatn area from here.

Dettifoss, Iceland´s most powerful waterfall, is in the Vatnajökull National Park, and a stop you don’t want to miss. Here the water of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier, plunges own in full force into the canyon and provides a breath-taking spectacle.

As you go further north, you find the horse-shoe shaped glacial canyon of Ásbyrgi with a variety of birdlife at the foot of the canyon.