Obszar: 
North Iceland is a beautiful region, hosting some of the best attractions on the island.
Home to the Lake Mývatn region, the town of Akureyri (otherwise known as the 'Capital of the North'), the whale-watching hot-spot of Húsavík and the northern parts of Vatnajökull National Park, the North attracts visitors throughout the year.
It is divided by fjords and mountain ranges into many beautiful regions.
Eyjafjordur
Within the bay of Eyjafjörður is Akureyri, a town of 17,000 inhabitants. It is the largest settlement outside of the Greater Reykjavík Area.
It is easy to reach via the Ring Road, and many cruise ships land in the port of the town.
The older part of Akureyri is particularly worth a stroll, as it contains many historic buildings. The town is also home to many interesting museums, galleries, and the world’s northernmost botanical gardens.
If you like skiing or snowboarding, one of the best skiing sites in the country is located nearby.
Siglufjordur
Siglufjörður straddles the border of Eyjafjörður and Skagafjörður and is most famously home to a charming settlement of the same name.
Other than its natural beauty, with huge cliffs bordering the town, Siglufjörður is renowned for its fascinating museums.
There is a folk music museum, which comes alive during an annual festival, and the Herring Era Museum. The latter is the only Icelandic museum to win an international award and is much more interesting than it sounds; it explains how Iceland managed to survive a millennium in such harsh climes by relying on the seas.
The Vatnsnes Peninsula
The Vatnsnes Peninsula gets its fame for two reasons. Firstly, it is the best seal-watching location in the whole country, with colonies hauling out throughout the year. In the town of Hvammstangi, you can visit the Icelandic Seal Centre to learn more about these animals.
It is also famous for hosting the coastal rock formation of Hvítserkur. This bizarre feature is said to be a troll frozen by the light of the morning sun, but to most, it appears to be more like an elephant drinking from the ocean.
Thingeyjarsysla
Þingeyjarsýsla county is home to many incredible sites, particularly due to the fact that the Lake Mývatn region is nestled within it. This beautiful area is renowned for its lava formations, pseudocraters and rich birdlife.
Near Mývatn is the impressive lava field Dimmuborgir, which was featured in the Game of Thrones series. There is also the incredible waterfall Goðafoss, a beautiful feature between Lake Mývatn itself and Akureyri.
Húsavík is a nearby town, considered the whale watching capital of Europe. In summer, many operators see Humpback Whales every time they leave the port.
The Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon is home to some of Iceland's most beloved natural attractions; the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum runs through it and holds several waterfalls including Europe's most powerful, Dettifoss. Nearby to here is the spectacular, horseshoe-shaped Ásbyrgi canyon.
Grimsey
Far north, straddling the Arctic Circle is Grímsey island, the northernmost inhabited territory of Iceland, with a population of about 100 people. It is renowned for its fishing, its rich vegetation and birdlife, particularly puffins.
Mývatn is a beautiful lake with many small islands in the north of Iceland, the fourth largest lake in the country. Due to its serenity, birdlife and volcanism, the lake, including its surrounding area, is one of the most amazing natural attractions in the country.
Mývatn is, in fact, so beautiful that is was used as a site in the Game of Thrones franchise. In mid-winter it was used to represent the lands North of the Wall, namely Mance Raider’s Wildling camp.
Geology
Mývatn sits about an incredibly active geothermal area, giving it a unique and beautiful geology. After all, it is close to sites such as Krafla caldera, which contains the notorious Víti volcano, the name of which translates to ‘hell’.
Many of the islands here are thus pseudocraters, formed by steam explosions as magma rose beneath pockets of water, and many are bizarre basalt columns, rising vertically from the surface, formed by rapid cooling after an eruption.
The high amount of geothermal activity beneath Mývatn, of course, presents the opportunity for bathing in naturally heated waters. This is best done at the Mývatn Nature Baths, a beautiful establishment with serene waters, incredible views, and a reasonable entry fee.
Wildlife
Mývatn has some of the best bird-watching available in Iceland, although those seeking puffins will need to be at coastal cliffs such as those at Látrabjarg and Dyrhólaey, between May and September.
In fact, Mývatn has more species of duck than anywhere else in the world, with thirteen nesting species and many more visitors. Most popular (and common) amongst these is the harlequin duck sometimes referred to as the white-eyed diver after their unique white markings.
Mývatn’s surrounding vegetation and plentiful food make it a happy home for voles, mice and rats that have spread all over Iceland, providing tasty treats for Iceland’s only native land mammal, the Arctic Fox. Visitors, however, will have to keep a close eye out for these, as they are experts in camouflage.
In terms of flora, the most interesting plant life at Mývatn actually exists just beneath the surface of the water. Marimo are ‘moss balls’, bizarre spheres of fluffy green algae that are found in very few other places around the world, namely Japan (where they got their name), Scotland, Estonia and Australia.
Surrounding sites
Visitors to Mývatn often wish to spend more than just a single day exploring its many surrounding locations. Primary amongst these is Dimmuborgir, a lava field which truly reflects the dramatic consequences of a volcanism in Iceland. This area is steeped in folklore and is home to the thirteen ‘Santas’ of Iceland, the Yule Lads.
It was also here that many of the Game of Thrones scenes were shot such as Mance Rayder's wildling camp at Dimmuborgir and Grjótagjá cave, where Jon and Ygritte shared an evening together. Though this site can be admired from the shore, the water temperature is not monitored and can heat up very quickly, so visitors are asked not to take a dip.
Those with an interest in Iceland’s strange geothermal and geological sites should also check out the Skútustadagígar pseudo-craters and the aforementioned Víti crater and its surrounding lava field. There are also several geothermal hot spots around Krafla and the Námaskarð Pass which is a fascinating and primordial place.
Lake Mývatn is located on the Ring Road that fully encircles the country, making further sites easily reachable. To the west is the ‘Capital of the North’, Akureyri, a charming town with the highest population outside of the capital area.
To the east, you can find the largest waterfall in Iceland, Dettifoss which also happens to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe, and the incredible horseshoe-shaped canyon, Ásbyrgi. This feature was said to have formed by the stomping of one of the feet of Oðinn’s eight-legged horse as it leapt through the sky.
Hverfell is a dramatic explosion crater in north Iceland. It is also called Hverfjall; both spellings and pronunciations are correct.
Hverfell is located in the Lake Mývatn Area of north Iceland, one of the most volcanic parts of the country due to the fact that it sits directly on the Mid Atlantic Rift. Evidence of this volcanism can be seen everywhere, with many lava fields, hot springs and craters, although Hverfell is perhaps the most classic example.
With a diametre of a kilometre and a depth of 140 metres, it is a dramatic site to behold; it is, in fact, one of the largest explosion craters in the world. It can be hiked around although only by sticking to the path, as the surrounding nature is very delicate.
The eruption that created Hverfell occurred just under 3,000 years ago. Iceland was uninhabited by people at that time, although that is not to say its eruption had no effect. Many of the eruptions in the Mývatn area have caused great ash clouds that have cooled the temperature across Europe, devastated agriculture, poisoned rivers and blocked ports.
Most famously, the eruption of Laki in the 18th Century is believed to have caused the famine that, in part, lead to the French Revolution and the subsequent surge of liberalism as a global movement.
Explosion craters like Hverfell are formed when there is a sudden ejection of material that erupts at or near the surface of the earth with enormous force. Later, erosion from the wind and rain cause these craters to have the ‘lip’ that encircles them. While Hverfell is, of course, naturally created, not all explosion craters are; in Germany, a massive blast at an ammunitions factory left a similar phenomenon. Bomb strikes often also leave such craters
Hverfell can easily be reached by those staying Akureyri, Mývatn, Húsavík or another location in the country’s north. It is visited on select tours and included in some routes around the Diamond Circle, the area’s famous tourist trail.
Ludentarborgir is a crater row east of Lake Myvatn, about 15 meters long.
These craters take their name from the explosion crater Ludent, to their north east. The astronauts of space shuttle Appolo 11 trained for their mission in the lunar landscape of Ludentarborgir. The two southernmost craters are known as Threngslaborgir, and that name is often used for the whole crater row, or at least the southern part.
A volcanic eruption in the crater area created the Stora Laxarhraun lava field some 2300 years ago. The lava field covers some 220 km2 and is home to such attractions as the famous Dimmuborgir and the Skutustadagigar pseudocraters.
Hvannfell is a mountain in Sudur-Thingeyjarsysla county in North Iceland.
The mountain is located near the famous Lake Myvatn. The Burfellshraun lava field lies between Hvannfell and mountain Burfell, with colourful and mixed lava.
Lofthellir Cave is a lava cave renowned for its incredible ice formations in north Iceland.
Geology of Lofthellir
Lofthellir was formed in a volcanic eruption about 3,500 years ago. Like all lava caves, it was created when a river of lava cooled from the outside, forming a crust around the molten rock, which then flushed out, leaving a tube behind it. The lava field surrounding Lofthellir, also formed in this eruption, is called Laxardalshraun.
The cave itself is approximately 370 metres long, and varies in width throughout; entering it requires guests to crawl, but inside there are large, open spaces where you can comfortably walk. Due to the elements brought up from the mantle of the earth in the eruption, the walls and ceiling of the cave have interesting colourations, with red, yellow and green shades revealing deposits of iron, sulfur and copper respectively.
Ice Within Lofthellir
Officially, Lofthellir is an ice cave; while this term is usually attributed to the crystal blue caves underneath Vatnajökull, these are, in fact, glacier caves. Ice caves have permanent ice within them, but their structures are composed of rock.
The temperature of Lofthellir is around freezing throughout the year, meaning the beautiful ice structures do not melt. This ice forms when liquid water seeps through the porous lava rock above, and trickles down the walls and ceilings of the cave. This is what creates the ever growing icicles that make Lofthellir so unique.
Most other caves in Iceland, such as Leiðarendi on the Reykjanes Peninsula, have ice within them throughout winter, but this melts in the warmer months.
Accessing Lofthellir
Lofthellir is located several kilometres to the east of Lake Mývatn, and thus is most easily reached from the northern settlements of Akureyri, Húsavík and Reykjahlið. After parking near Mount Hvannfell, it is accessed by hiking for about half an hour across a relatively flat plane of lava.
The cave, however, should not be entered without the company of a professional guide. Not only are they familiar with the cave and the dangers associated with exploring it, but will provide you with a helmet, torch and crampons for safety. Furthermore, guides can tell you about the geology and folklore associated with Iceland’s lava tubes.
Reykjahlid is a small village by the shores of Lake Myvatn, in North Iceland.
Reykjahlid has about 300 inhabitants and is close to many natural attractions, such as Krafla, Dimmuborgir, Viti, Hverfjall and the lake itself. Many tours are hence operated from Reykjahlid and the village offers excellent facilities for travelers.
