Hiking in Iceland is a dream for anyone who loves nature trips. The only problem is that Iceland, a victim of its own success, is starting to be overrun by travellers! Hiking around the Golden Circle and Jokulsarlon is so popular that in order to be a responsible traveller, one must dare to go and look further... Myvatn, in the north of the country, is a good alternative. So here's a quick rundown

Dare to venture north, off the beaten track

With their coastal areas, mountains and national parks, Iceland's west and north west regions are ideal places to observe animals in their natural habitat. Here is a quick guide to the species it's possible to see when visiting Iceland, especially the western and northern parts of the country.

Discovering Iceland's wildlife

Grimsey is a small Icelandic island situated about 25 miles north of Iceland and the arctic polar circle runs through it. The spot is also ideal for watching bird colonies.

Crossing over the arctic circle on Grimsey island

The Westman Islands are an archipelago, only the main island of which is inhabited. One of the largest puffin colonies lives there. Included in these islands is one of the newest islands in the world.

The Westman Islands: lava and puffins

This village is famous for its beach of black sand, its sea-battered rocks and its charming church.

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Skaftafell is an essential place to go if you want to get up close to a glacier or go hiking in the national park, to which this area is one of the gateways.

Skaftafell

Hekla

A wonderful waterfall with the added bonus of an often-present rainbow!

Gullfoss

A wide fjord which often goes unnoticed because a tunnel now allows you to bypass it and save a lot of time and distance.

Hvalfjordur

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Greenland

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Central America

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North America

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Middle East

Oceania

Hvalfjordur is a wide fjord in the west of the country which makes you do a very big detour if you are heading north in the direction of Snaefellsnes Peninsula.  There is now an underground tunnel that crosses Hvalfjordur leaving you near Akranes and allows you to drive straight on. I must say that I took this tunnel in the beginning because it saves you a lot of time and 45 km of curves in the fjords! I recently decided to drive the long way around. And I didn't regret it. The view of the fjord, between the sea and mountains, is wonderful and the landscape is spectacular. At the bottom of the fjord it is possible to stop for a hike to visit the beautiful Glymur waterfall, the highest waterfall in the country but there's a little bit of a walk to get there, which makes it less popular!

Hvalfjordur Vacations

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Hvalfjordur: See when to go ?

Hvalfjordur: For how long?

Hvalfjordur: What to see nearby?

Iceland: our articles for your vacations