20 Awesome things to do in North Iceland
North Iceland is a beautiful place to visit. It is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic. There are
many things to see and so I visit the northern part of Iceland. I got to do 20 awesome things in North
Iceland. It was a wonderful experience overall. Given below are those 20 things which I did in North
Iceland.
1. Seeing Godafoss-
Waterfall of the Gods. This place is known as the waterfall of Gods. It is
one of the prettiest waterfalls in North Iceland or in-fact I can say Europe. For the photo
opportunities, it’s definitely worth crossing the Skjalfandafljot River. I walked to each side of the
horse-shoe waterfall to get different perspectives.
2. Visiting Dettifoss-
Europe’s most powerful waterfall. Here I got to experience the wrath of
Mother Nature. It is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the whole of Europe with a colossal
500 cubic meters of water falling each second. This was actually something very interesting.
It was so powerful that I could feel the ground shaking as I got closer. I also got to hear the
velocity of water crashing into an Earth-shattering abyss. This is Iceland’s most extraordinary
natural attractions. This place was famously immortalized in the opening scene of Ridley
Scott’s 2012 film, Prometheus.
3. Seeing the rock formations at Dimmuborgir.
This place has a world of its own. This is a park
filled with bizarre lava formations. Dimmuborgir has actually inspired much Icelandic
folklore. It is believed that this where the Earth connects with the infernal regions. If people
believe that elves exist then this is the place it’s going to be.
4. Hverir Geothermal Area:
I could smell this place before I actually got to see it. This place is a
high-temperature geothermal area emitting a strong bouquet of rotten eggs. I was amazed to
see the huge bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, and sticky red soil. This was one of my favorite
places in North Iceland.
5. Hiking up Hverfell:
This is a volcano that can be seen from miles away. It is board, conical,
black and shaped in a cone. It demands attention but it is a flat landscape. It was formed
around 2500 years ago when Hverfell erupted over the Myvatn region. I had an opportunity to
take the short hike to the top of the crater for 360-degree views of the surrounding area.
6. Climbing inside Grjotagja lava cave:
I had entered this place through a crack in the ground. I
stopped at Grjotagja lava cave and after few minutes I climbed down into the low ceiling
tunnel harboring a clear blue steaming pool. I visited this place in winter and so I jumped
into this hot pool. One has to carry swimwear for this. But in summers it’s too hot to jump
and one should be cautious about it.
7. Viti Crater:
Viti here means “hell”. This is an explosion crater formed in the year 1734 by the
massive eruption in the Krafla volcano. It later became to be known as Myvatnseldar and
lasted for five years. It was fun visiting this place.
8. Exploring the Skutustadir pseudo craters:
Iceland is often compared to Mars as we all know.
This place is the reason for it. The scientific interest of people increased in these pseudo
craters after the discovery of the Athabasca Valles region of Mars. This is where the lava
flows superheated groundwater in the underlying rocks. These pseudo craters are among the
largest and most beautifully shaped on Earth. It gave me the opportunity for some scenic
hiking. I was also joined by midges that feed on the lake.
9. Soaking in Myvatn Nature Baths:
After so much of hiking up the volcanoes and traversing
lava fields, this was the best thing to do. It felt like Blue Lagoon on a smaller scale.
10. Seeing Basalt rocks at Hofsos:
It was a tiny fishing port of only 200 people who are home to
stunning coastal views. I came here like most visitors to soak in a pool overlooking the ocean.
The real attraction is the huge expanse of Basalt columns stretching all along the coastline.
This is a natural wonder and one should not miss out on this.
11. Grettislaug hot pool:
Near Hofsos I discovered Grettislaug hot pools which overlooked a huge
fjord. It is actually located in private land. The entrance fee for this place is approx. 3.50
Euro. One could soak in the hot pools for as long as they like. I was also there for a long time
and there were several pools to jump between. It is a good chance for anyone of having this
place when traveling out of season.
12. The pretty fishing village of Siglufjordur:
This is a small village and the nickname was
Herring Town because of its abundance of herring which made the water look silver. There
was once a time when the herring from this one town alone provided more than 20% of the
country’s total export income. Although herring is no longer here its heritage is preserved
wonderfully at the herring museum. It is complete with herring boats, factory and lives re-
enactments. There was a new addition to the village and that was the Siglo hotel which was 4-
star. I stayed there for a night and enjoyed the spectacular panoramic view of mountains and
fjord. I actually didn’t want to leave this place.
13. Akureyri-
the capital of the North: This is the largest town outside of the Reykjavik area. It
had decent shops, cafes, and museums. It is a hub for Iceland’s tourists. It had the best hotels
and the tour companies offered day tours and adventure trips of the surrounding area. I went
for the Whale Safari tour. This region was famous for spotting them. The city’s most famous
landmark is its cathedral which sits on top a set of steep steps. I enjoyed the view of the town
and fjord from there. I also got to see the street art and huge mural on the main high street in
Akureyri.
14. Hvistserkur-
The Drinking Dragon: On the Vatnsnes in Hunafjordur an awesome rock
formation called Hvitserkur. It is a 15 m high monolith eroded into a strange formation which
most people thought as a drinking dragon. It was an interesting place to visit.
15. Lofthellir Ice Cave:
This was an extremely different experience all in all. Going inside an ice
cave was truly amazing. People have given excellent reviews for it too.
16. Whale Watching at Husavik:
This place became the whale watching capital in Europe.Minke
whales were seen on most boat trips in Skjalfandi Bay. The white harbor porpoises and
white-beaked dolphins were also common. Humpback whales were also regular visitors. I
also got to encounter with the blue whales. The harbor side had a whale museum and it had
an interesting collection of artifacts and skeletons. It was worth a visit.
17. Dalvik and Grimsey Island:
Dalvik is a vibrant fishing port and is the departure point for
ferries to Grimsey Island. This is a barely five square kilometers area and is the lonely fishing
outpost. The guided walks revealed the history and birdlife of the island. I also hired a bike
and basked in the midnight sun during summer.
18. Bathing in hell at Askja:
This is an interesting area as it was used for training for the Apollo
program to prepare astronauts for the lunar missions. Their main objective was to study
geology but nowadays people come to swim here in the tepid, stinking water of this huge
caldera.
19. Aldeyjarfoss:
It is one of the most unique waterfalls. If some have a penchant for basalt rock then
this waterfall will deliver that and more. I was lucky that I didn’t miss this out.
20. Turf houses at Glaumbaer:
These gorgeous little turf houses now operate as a museum. This
was a great way to see how the past used to live. It is made from peat. It might seem
primitive but this is the kind of cladding which retains a lot of warmth. It is photogenic too.
