North East Iceland

North East Iceland

North East Iceland is filled with gems of all kinds which are harnessed in The Diamond Circle, the North‘s equivalent of the famous Golden Circle in the south, leading you around this vast and beautiful part of the country to its main pearls. There is Goðafoss A, the powerful curved waterfall of the gods, Lake Mývatn B, a nature reserve and birdwatchers’ paradise and setting for the film Game of Thrones, Hverir C, the hissing steamy geothermal hotbed of Earth´s layers and Námaskarð and Dettifoss D, a powerful glacial waterfall in the middle of nowhere.

Then we have the hidden pearls dotted all over the region.

1 Grímsey, the Arctic Circle island where birds outnumber humans and chess is the favourite past-time. The 100 inhabitants live off fishing and the growing tourism industry. This remote island is a birdwatchers’ paradise and has incredibly beautiful skies, both in summer and winter.

2 Dalvík, a thriving fishing village and departure harbour for trips to Grímsey. The beautiful mountain backdrop provides excellent ski slopes in the winter so Dalvík is fast becoming a ski-hub in the area. The Hvoll Folk Museum which has exhibits of two famous locals, the tallest man in the world, Jóhann the Giant and the third president of Iceland, Kristján Eldjárn, as well as other interesting displays, is well worth the visit.

3 Hrísey Island lies in Eyjafjörður and is the second largest island in Iceland (8km2) where the 150 inhabitants are enthusiastic hosts, offering tractor rides, hiking and lighthouse tours. The birdlife on the island is varied and plentiful, the ptarmigan being the main star. The north part of the island is only accessible by permission as it is a private nature reserve. The ferry to Hrísey departs from Árskógssandur on the mainland and the trip takes about 15 minutes.

4 Árskógssandur is not just the ferry port for Hrísey, it is also home to the famous craft beer brewery Kaldi, which sells top quality beer and is also developing a health spa based on beer baths, soaps and shampoos, called the Bjórböðin Spa.

Iceland's flowers. Photo by Olga

5 Akureyri – the capital of the North and Iceland’s second largest town. Akureyri has a wonderful mixture of culture, adventure and nature. The 18 000 inhabitants enjoy their thermal swimming pool, university and selection of good restaurants. Akureyri has a river running through it called Glerá, along which there are lovely walking trails. The renowned botanical gardens are ensconced in the town, providing a space of tranquillity and beauty. The visually-interesting Hof Cultural and Conference Centre on the waterfront plays a vital role in cultural events in town. The Art Museum and Art Alley indicate the strong art culture of Akureyri. There are a number of museums in town, which are all as interesting as the other, such as the Art Museum, Aviation Museum and Memorial Museum, to name a few. Akureyri is the perfect base for trips and tours in the area, being a short distance away from the main attractions, which has contributed to it becoming the cruise destination capital of the north. There are two main shopping areas in Akureyri: Hafnarstræti, whic is a pedestrian-friendly shopping street filled with quaint coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques and Glerártorg, a shopping centre 1,5km from downtown with 34 shops. It is the only shopping centre of its kind outside of Reykjavík. A beautiful iconic building at the top of Hafnarstræti houses the family-run Bautinn restaurant. The main feature of the town centre is the Akureyri church with its two towers and daunting steps rising above the town. The view from the church makes the climb worthwhile.

The high mountains behind Akureyri provide excellent ski slopes, making it the skiing capital of Iceland. Being a seaside town, activities in Akureyri include whale watching, diving and fishing. However, other activities such as horse riding, hiking, skating and bowling are also possible in Akureyri. The 18-hole golf course is the most northerly and hosts the Arctic Open. The layout is varied, interesting and challenging and many a game of midnight golf is enjoyed here during the summer.

Deep into Eyjafjörður lies Hrafnagil, home of the Eyjafjörður Christmas Garden, open all year round and host to the well-known Arctic Handcraft and Design Festival in August.

Getting there: Air Iceland Connect (www.airicelandconnect. is) has scheduled daily flights from Reykjavík (45 min) and direct international flights from Keflavík. There are also buses (6hrs) all year from Strætó (www.straeto.is) operating on the route between Akureyri and Reykjavík. In summer it is also possible to drive the highland road of Kjölur. SBA bus company operates scheduled tours from Akureyri to the northeast and east during summer.

6 Þorgeirskirkja at Ljósavatn is a church built in commemoration of Iceland’s choice to become a Christian nation. The church was built in 2000, celebrating 1000 years of Christianity. Open to the public in summer. Goðafoss is the waterfall into which Þorgeir threw his heathen gods as a symbolic act of dispensing with heathenism.

7 The Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum at Ytri-Neslönd on the shores of Lake Mývatn is a comprehensive private bird collection resulting from one man’s passion, Sigurgeir Stefánsson. The museum provides an opportunity to see and learn about Icelandic birds in and out of season.

8 Dimmuborgir, an area of daunting lava formations and home to Grýla, an intimidating troll matriarch, is made up of volcanic caves, chimneys and pillars resembling fallen citadels and strange creatures. This dark area is on the east side of Lake Mývatn.

9 The Mývatn Nature Baths are the north’s answer to the Blue Lagoon in the south. The water contains a rich blend of minerals, silicates and micro-organisms, giving it the beautiful blue colour and enhancing its healing properties. Situated in a lava field overlooking the beautiful Lake Mývatn, this is a wonderful place to relax and recharge.

10 In Skjálfandi Bay on the north coast lies Húsavík, a thriving tourist destination. The main attraction is whale watching as whales are prolific in the bay during summer, making Húsavík the whale capital of Iceland. The harbour has developed into a thriving hub for whale watchers with restaurants, booking offices and souvenir shops and a whale museum

Húsavik is a pretty town flanked by mountains on one side and the bay on the other. It also has a lovely park beside the river and a wooden church dating to 1907, which takes pride of place on the main road. There is a variety of museums and art galleries in town. Besides the good swimming pool in town, there are two outof- town places to soak in, Ostakarið to the north is an old cheese tub and Kaldabakslaug to the south is a geothermal lake containing gold fish.

11 Ásbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon where legend and nature come together. It is a woodland of birch trees and other plants and has lovely walking trails through the area. The tranquillity here is magnified by the idyllic lake in the canyon, which is home to a variety of birds. Being part of the Vatnajökull National Park, it is a protected area. Legend has it that the canyon’s shape is a hoof print. There is a camping site at Ásbyrgi.

12 Raufarhöfn, dubbed the Arctic Circle Village, is the location of a monumental project taking place on a hillside close to town. The Arctic Henge is a sundial which aims to capture the midnight sun’s rays between the stone gateways and to cast shadows in specific locations. It is a monument to ancient pagan beliefs and was inspired by the Völuspá of the famous Edda poems. It is made up of a series of stacked basalt arches placed within circles. The stone arches provide an interesting view of the horizon from the village.

13 On a farm called Svalbarð, near Þórshöfn, there is a study centre on the leader sheep of Iceland called Fræðasetur um forystufé. These leaders are a special breed unique to Iceland that can predict weather and lead the flock through storms to safety. An interesting glimpse into the hierarchy of the Icelandic sheep.

ÁsbyrgiRaufarhöfn

Mývatn Nature Baths

Húsavík

Goðafoss

BJÓRBÖÐIN: Iceland‘s very first beer spa opened in June 2017. Bjórböðin SPA is located in Árskógssandur in the north of Iceland, 25 minutes from Akureyri. There you will soak away the stress of modern life by relaxing in a bath of warm beer. All the tubs also have a draft beer tap alongside, so that visitors aged 20 and over can help themselves to a cold one while they bathe. We will also have an outside beer hot tub for bigger groups and a new restaurant with beer related food. To book and for directions you can visit the website www.bjorbodin.is

KALDI: Kaldi Brewery is located 100 meters from the Spa. You can have a walk through the brewery, hear the story and you get to taste our variation of beers. The tour takes about 45-60 minutes. From June 1st tours are be available every hour. To book tours in the brewery outside these hours, contact the brewery

Akureyri Museum – Nonni’s House: Family friendly local history museum. Discover Akureyri from the 19th

century to the present day. Various short-term exhibitions. Annual Christmas exhibition. Hands on experience. Nonni‘s House is one of the oldest in town containing the story of a 12 year old boy who lived there and became a world famous writer of children’s books at the beginning of the 20th century publishing books even in Chinese.

Aðalstræti 58 , Akur eyri • Sími/Tel: 4 62 4162