5 Best Sights in The Highlands, Iceland

If you've seen postcards of Iceland, you might already be familiar with the beautiful symmetrical form of this 1,682-meter (5,518-foot) table mountain. Standing alone in the vast Ódáðahraun lava field, Herðubreið (meaning “the broad-shouldered”) is a national favorite and dubbed \"Queen of the Icelandic Mountains.\"

The star attraction of the Kjölur route, the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range features steaming hot springs and a span of beautiful rhyolite mountain slopes topped with several dramatic glacier-speckled peaks, the highest rising to 1,488 meters (4,882 feet). The main area is protected as a nature reserve and is increasingly popular with hikers. There's a range of great hikes of varying lengths and difficulty, with steps and trails climbing the slopes to give access to dramatic, otherworldly panoramas. To reach the mountain cluster, turn off Route 35 onto Route F347 and drive for 10 km (6 miles), where you'll reach Highland Base resort. You can hike along a canyon from here to reach the mountains or continue on a rough gravel road for 5 km (3 miles) to reach a parking lot in a popular visitor area known as Hveradalir.

As the old Icelandic saying goes, distance makes the mountains blue. Rising on the horizon as you drive north, Bláfell (which means \"Blue Mountain\") is a magnificent 1,204-meter (3,950-foot) peak steeped in myth, legend, and tales of hidden treasure. A trail off the main road leads to the Fremstaver mountain hut, which makes an excellent base for those planning to climb the mountain—it's a challenging but rewarding loop trail of over 8 km (5 miles).

On the Eyjafjörður exit via F821, 25 km (15 miles) west of the main Sprengisandur route, Laugafell is a mountain oasis with a steaming hot spring on its northwestern slopes. Close by are naturally heated mountain huts with sleeping-bag accommodations and a fantastic geothermal pool to relax in.

A short but challenging climb to the top of this Highland mountain will reward you with sweeping views of the rugged glacier-cut realms for which the region is famous. A 2-km (1-mile) marked trail leads up to Virkisfell (1,109 meters [3,638 feet]) from the back of the Sigurðarskáli mountain hut.