One of the area’s gentlest landscapes is on the forested lava headland at Höfði. Wildflowers, birch and spruce trees cover the bluffs, while the tiny islands and crystal-clear waters attract migratory birds.
From footpaths along the shore you’ll see small caves and stunning klasar (lava pillars), the most famous of which rise from the water at Kálfaströnd on the southern shore of the Höfði Peninsula. The peninsula is another Game of Thrones shooting location.
1.45 MILES
The giant jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally ‘Dark Castles’) is one of the most fascinating flows in the country. A series of nontaxing, colour…
27.45 MILES
The bizarre swirls, spirals, rosettes, honeycombs and basalt columns at Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) are a highlight of any hike around Vesturdalur and a…
18.39 MILES
Goðafoss (Waterfall of the Gods) rips straight through the Bárðardalur lava field along Rte 1. Although smaller and less powerful than some of Iceland’s…
2.75 MILES
Dominating the lava fields on the eastern edge of Mývatn is the classic tephra ring Hverfjall (also called Hverfell). This near-symmetrical crater…
10.85 MILES
Krafla’s most impressive, and potentially most dangerous, attraction is the Leirhnjúkur crater and its solfataras, which originally appeared in 1727,…
3.67 MILES
For superb birdwatching background, visit Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum, housed in a beautiful lakeside building that fuses modern design with traditional turf…
18.42 MILES
Spectacular waterfall Aldeyjarfoss, 41km south of Goðafoss, is well worth the journey. The Skjálfandafljót river churns through a narrow passage and into…
6.01 MILES
The magical, ochre-toned world of Hverir (also called Hverarönd) is a lunar-like landscape of mud cauldrons, steaming vents, radiant mineral deposits and…
1.45 MILES
The giant jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally ‘Dark Castles’) is one of the most fascinating flows in the country. A series of nontaxing, colour…
2.44 MILES
The Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters were formed when molten lava flowed into Mývatn lake, triggering a series of gas explosions. These dramatic green…
2.75 MILES
Dominating the lava fields on the eastern edge of Mývatn is the classic tephra ring Hverfjall (also called Hverfell). This near-symmetrical crater…
3.67 MILES
For superb birdwatching background, visit Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum, housed in a beautiful lakeside building that fuses modern design with traditional turf…
3.86 MILES
Game of Thrones fans may recognise this as the place where Jon Snow is, ahem, deflowered by Ygritte. Grjótagjá is a gaping fissure with a 45°C water…
4.34 MILES
Signposted about 100m beyond Reykjahlíð is Stóragjá, a rather eerie fissure (slightly tricky to access) that was once a popular bathing spot. Cooling…
4.74 MILES
The lava field along Mývatn’s northern lakeshore includes the flow that nearly engulfed the Reykjahlíð Church. It was belched out of Leirhnjúkur during…
4.76 MILES
During the Krafla eruption of 1727, the Leirhnjúkur crater, 11km northeast of Reykjahlíð, kicked off a two-year period of volcanic activity, sending…