75 Best Sights in North Iceland, Iceland

A quick and tempting diversion can be found by taking Route 717 off Route 1 and driving 9 km (just under 6 miles) to Borgarvirki, an outstanding natural fortress made of basalt strata. Standing 177 meters (580 feet) above sea level with superior views over the vast plains, you can let your imagination run wild here. Legend has it that Vikings once used this geological wonder as a real fort.

Learning about how beer is made does not take away the pleasure of drinking it, and at Kaldi, Iceland’s first microbrewery, you can do both. You even get to keep your glass as a souvenir. Make sure to call and schedule an appointment in advance. The brewery is located in the town of Árskógssandi, just south of Dalvik.

Once home to a small community, Flatey, or Flat Island, is now inhabited only during the summer, mostly by birds and those who love watching them. A sanctuary to at least 30 different species, it has a large population of cute puffins and swooping, scalp-pecking arctic terns. Gentle Giants and North Sailing offer tours to the island, which is 14.7 nautical miles northwest of Húsavík in Skjálfandi Bay.

There’s an exhibition on a rare breed of remarkable sheep unique to Iceland here at the Leader Sheep Center. This breed can herd other sheep, sense danger, predict the weather, and navigate—they always find their way home. The wool, which is said to be stronger and softer than regular wool, is for sale, as are other woolen souvenirs and products at the shop.

For a quick fix of turf-topped delight visit Grafakirkja (also known as Gröf), a tiny yet fetching chapel dating from around the late 1600s. Maintained by the National Museum of Iceland since 1939, Gröf is the oldest church in Iceland.

This legendary bathing hot spot at the end of Route 748 was constructed with natural stone. The area has excellent views of Drangey Island and is a superb place to relax after a long hike while watching a sensational summer sunset. Changing facilities and showers are available for a small fee next to the pool. There’s also a campsite and a small café.

If you still have a thirst for photogenic waterfalls, head north from Dettifoss on Route 864 on the eastern side of the river (Jökulsá á Fjöllum) to Hafragilsfoss, the sister waterfall to Dettifoss, which plunges dramatically off an 18-meter (59-foot) drop.

Located 15 minutes from Dalvik, several marine containers are now employed as hot tubs installed on the black sand beach at Hauganes, providing a delightful beach spa experience and a great place to warm up after a cool sea swim. There are two traditional tubs and then one that's been remade into a ship's hull for the kids. Showers and changing facilities are next to the tubs. 

The unlimited sea views over the fjord from this open-air swimming pool are especially pretty during the summer months. As it lacks shelter from the north, it can get somewhat choppy when the wind picks up.

Easily accessible just off the main road, Hrútey Island is located in the middle of the glacial Blanda River. Dense with trees and vegetation after an extensive reforestation program, the island is now home to a thriving population of birds. A small footbridge connects to the island, which is closed to the public from April 20 to June 20 to protect nesting birds from being disturbed.

Inspired by adventures in European taprooms, the owner of Húsavík Öl traveled to Newcastle in the United Kingdom to learn the art of brewing beer before setting up his microbrewery and taproom in Húsavík. Located in the old Gamla Mjólkurstöð cheese factory, Húsavík Öl now produces a range of tasty IPAs, including their signature brew Skjálfandi, named after the glacial river.

Proceed along the eastern shore of Lake Mývatn to this 1,300-foot-high ash cone, several hundred feet from the road. Two paths lead to the top. The outer walls of this volcanic crater are steep, but the ascent is easy. The walk around the top of the crater is about 1.8 miles.

Next to the Námaskarð Mountain Ridge, on the eastern side of the Ring Road, are the bubbling, gray-mud sulfur springs of Hverir, boiling like a witch's cauldron in the strange red-and-yellow valleys. Hike around this fascinating area, but remember to step carefully. Though the sulfurous vapors smell like rotten eggs, the fumes are generally harmless.

Also known as Vesturfarasetrið in Icelandic, this permanent exhibition documents the mass emigration of Icelanders to the New World during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At least 20% of the Icelandic population at that time headed west to make a home in North America, resulting in many modern-day Americans with Icelandic heritage. The exhibition also details the fates of those who left and offers a genealogy service.

This farm on the western coast of the Vatnsnes peninsula, just off Route 711, has a trail from the parking lot that leads to a viewing platform with excellent views of Strandir, where you can observe seals at play. Apart from being a seal-watching paradise, the location is the setting of a historic murder case in Iceland, which was dramatized in Hannah Kent’s award-winning novel, Burial Rites. Note that the area is home to a large population of eider ducks and is closed to visitors from May 1 to June 20 during their nesting period.

Among the mysterious arches, gates, and caves of Dimmuborgir, the best known is the Kirkja (church), resembling a Gothic chapel (it's marked by a sign, lest you miss it). Don't wander off the paths, as Dimmuborgir is a highly fragile environment.

If you don't mind treading in troll territory, a short 5 km (3 mile) detour off the Ring Road (Route 1) on Route 715 brings you to the striking and relatively unknown Kolugljúfur canyon, where torrents of water from the Víðidalsá river plunge into a tiered gorge. The canyon is named after the legendary lady troll named Kola who supposedly made her home there and feasted on the salmon in the river.

Not to be confused with the mountain of the same name, this volcano’s rise to blazing fame arrived with the dramatic Krafla Fires episode (1975–1984), when huge curtains of lava spewed from a system of fissures inside its huge caldera. The volcano is part of the Greater Krafla Volcanic System, and its caldera, located at the center, has a sizable 10-km (6-mile) wide ring that is difficult to see from the ground. Located within the caldera is the Krafla Geothermal Area, home to the bubbling mud fields of Hverir and the Mývatn Nature Baths. There is also a power station on Route 863 where you can learn about how geothermal energy is cleverly converted into electricity.

A surreal mix of still-smoldering lava fields, bubbling solfataras (volcanic craters emitting sulfurous gas), and steam vents can be seen at Leirhnjúkur, which sits on top of a vast magma chamber, with some parts as close as 3 km (1.9 miles) to the surface. From the car park, a circular footpath leads around the area with sensational views over the impressive volcanic landscapes. The terrain outside of the marked trail is hazardous, especially in the high-temperature regions, so don't be tempted to wander off. Good walking boots are essential.

Legend has it that a small lake on top of this landmark mountain occasionally produces magical wishing stones, but the real treasure is the glorious views from the top, where you will also find a cairn named Unicorn (Einhyrningur). Access to the marked hiking trail leads from Skógarhvammur off Route 745. The mountain also has a skiing area ( www.skitindastoll.is) during the winter.

Located in Pálshús, one of the oldest buildings in town, the Natural History Museum of Ólafsfjörður features a permanent exhibition entitled The Desire to Fly, which focuses on Iceland’s diverse bird life mixed with elements addressing the human desire to fly.

A well-preserved 19th-century turf farmhouse, Nýibær is located next to the university buildings. Maintained by the National Museum of Iceland since 1956, the house is open to visitors daily from 8 am to 6 pm.

Climate change, global warming, and other issues affecting the Atlantic puffin population are issues covered at this excellent museum, which also features the taxidermied corpse of an unfortunate polar bear that found its way to Iceland in 1986. They also have footage of whales and a sensational 360 VR experience of the northern lights and the vertigo-inducing cliffs of Drangey Island.