| Northern Iceland | |
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Location  | |
| State | Iceland |
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| Institutional website | |
Northern Iceland is a region ofIceland.
To know
Geographical notes
It includes the northern part of the territories of Norðurland eystra (Northeastern land) e Norðurland vestra (Northwest Land).
Background
Some of the best known Icelandic legends originate in these lands: Grettir the strong, Vatnsdalur, and the civil war of Sturlunga.
Territories and tourist destinations
- Vatnsnes - The western peninsula whose coastline is home to colonies of seals and walruses. The wide bay of Húnaflói separates it from the region of the Western fjords
- Tröllaskagi (literally: Peninsula of the Giants) - The mountainous peninsula with mountain peaks of 1000 - 1500 m.
- Skagafjörður - The fjord that limits the Giants peninsula to the west. It is also the name of a county famous for horse breeding.
- Grimsey - Island on the line of the Arctic Circle
Urban centers
From east to west:
- Hvammstangi - With its 580 inhabitants, Hvammstangi is the largest center in the western part of the region. It lies on the Miðfjörður, at the entrance to the Vatnsnes peninsula and 10 km from the state road nº 1 (Ring Road). The locality offers the possibility of excursions on horseback (site information Gauksmyri).
- Blönduós
- Skagaströnd - Just north of Blönduós.
- Sauðárkrókur - With its 2600 inhabitants, Sauðárkrókur is the second largest regional center. It has hotels but its tourist interest is limited. It still offers the possibility of boat trips to the islands of Skagafjörður.
- Glaumbær - A little further south of Sauðárkrókur, Glaumbær is a quaint Icelandic village with a folklore museum.
- Varmahlíð (Literally: Warm hill) - Boasting numerous hot springs, the village of Varmahlíð is located on the Ring Road and has hotels. It offers possibilities for horse riding (Information on the website of the Hesta Sport) but also to practice rafting in the summer thanks to the abundance of rivers in the surroundings that often cross wild gorges and form rapids. (more information:www.rafting.is is www.bakkaflot.com[link previously not working]).
- Siglufjörður - At the terminus of the panoramic road nº 76 which branches off from the ring road, skirting the western coast of the Tröllaskagi peninsula.
- Akureyri
How to get
How to get around
What see
Itineraries
Main route (Ring Road)
Entering Northeast Iceland from Varmahlíð and along the Ring Road we will meet first Akureyri, second city in the country and therefore Reykjahlíð, the only village on the banks of the famous lake Mývatn.
A few km further Reykjahlíð is the left fork for Krafla, famous caldera.
Back on the Ring Road we will meet after 25 km the intersection on the right with the F88 which is nothing more than a track, practicable in off-road vehicles only in the summer season. The F88 unravels for 100 km in the Drekagil Mountains allowing access to Herðubreið, another inland volcano that rises in the Ódáðahraun lava desert and leaves room for a single oasis called Herðubreiðarlindir where a campsite has been set up.
The road stops at the Vikraborgir parking lot. From here you walk a stretch of 2.5 km up to the Víti crater which is part of the volcanic system called Askja. The area has such a lunar aspect that it was chosen as a training site for the Apollo mission. Askja can be reached via the F88 road which is nothing more than a track, practicable in off-road vehicles only in the summer season. It detaches from the Ring Road some tens of km east of Mývatn then unravel for 100 km on the Drekagil Mountains up to the Vikraborgir parking lot. The stretch from the parking lot to the central crater called Víti is about 2.5 km and must be done on foot.
Akureyri-Ásbyrgi
A secondary but no less interesting itinerary is the route of the state road 85 from Akureyri until Húsavík, the European capital of whales.
From this locality continue up to Ásbyrgi, main entrance to the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park. Often referred to as the "Grand Canyon of Iceland", the park occupies the gorges carved by the "Jökulsá á Fjöllum", Iceland's second river that has its sources in the Vatnajökull glacier. Inside the park are the largest waterfalls in Europe, Dettifoss, often compared to those of Niagara.
Asbyrgi-Raufarhofn
Another possible itinerary but little traveled by tourists in a hurry, is what it gives Asbyrgi to Raufarhofn, the northernmost municipality in Iceland. From here it is possible to continue up to Þórshöfn, village on the peninsula of Langanes.
What to do
At the table
Safety
Other projects
Commons contains images or other files on Northern Iceland
