Northeast Iceland and Akureyri

Akureyri – the capital of the north

Akureyri lies at the head of Eyjafjörður, the longest fjord in Iceland, and is often called the capital of North Iceland. The town received its charter in 1786, on the same day as Reykjavík. It is known for its fine weather, lush gardens and heart-shaped red traffic lights. Akureyri Church, designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, towers over the town centre, and the Botanic Garden is one of the northernmost botanical gardens in the world. Hlíðarfjall has one of the best ski areas in Iceland, and the University of Akureyri, founded in 1987, is the largest university outside the capital area.

The Mývatn area

Lake Mývatn is one of the largest lakes in Iceland, about 37 km², and was formed by an eruption about 2,300 years ago. The area around the lake has unique natural features:

• Skútustaðagígar – pseudocraters formed when lava flowed over wetland.
• Dimmuborgir – a labyrinth of lava formations where the Yule Lads are said to live.
• Hverfjall – an explosion crater about 2,500 years old and about 1 km across.
• Námaskarð and Hverir – a high-temperature area with mud pots and sulphur mounds.
• Krafla and Leirhnjúkur – a volcano that erupted nine times during the Krafla fires of 1975–1984.
• Mývatn Nature Baths – natural baths with views over the area.
• Grjótagjá – a cave with hot water on the plate boundary.

The Diamond Circle

The Diamond Circle is a touring route of about 250 km linking Húsavík, Ásbyrgi, Dettifoss, Mývatn and Goðafoss. Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, and Ásbyrgi is a horseshoe-shaped canyon with walls up to 100 m high; according to folklore it is the hoofprint of Sleipnir, Odin's horse. Hljóðaklettar in Jökulsárgljúfur are unusual columnar basalt formations. The area is part of Vatnajökull National Park.

Húsavík, Siglufjörður and Tröllaskagi

Húsavík is the oldest trading post in North Iceland and has been called the whale-watching capital of Europe. According to the Book of Settlements, the Swedish Viking Garðar Svavarsson spent a winter there around 870. The town attracted worldwide attention in 2020 when the film *Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga* was shot there.

Siglufjörður was the centre of the herring boom in the first half of the 20th century and one of the country's leading fishing towns. Its Herring Era Museum is Iceland's largest maritime museum and won a European museum award in 2004. The Héðinsfjörður tunnels link Siglufjörður with Ólafsfjörður. In Dalvík the Great Fish Day was held every August for many years, when the townspeople offered tens of thousands of guests free fish dishes.

Islands of the north

Grímsey lies about 40 km north of the mainland, and a ferry sails there from Dalvík. Visitors can walk across the Arctic Circle and receive a certificate to prove it.