East Iceland
East Iceland is one of the older parts of Iceland which means that there is fairly little geothermal activity. But the area has instead been blessed with a striking fjord landscape and is ideal for hiking. A climb up to one of the higher tops around 1000m offers a spendid view across the fiords.
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Egilsstaðir (pop. 2000) is the largest town in East Iceland and together with the neighbour village Fellabær the only population centre that doesn't make a living from fishing. Egilsstaðir is a young town and it's growing steadily. Here you can find all kinds of service which makes the town feel a lot larger than it actually is. It's a good base for travellers since the roads to all other parts of the east join together here.
Egilsstaðir lies at the northern end of the long, milkwhite lake Lágarfljot. The Loch Ness monster Nessie has a cousin in this lake. There are daily boat-tours on the lake and if you're lucky you might spot the monster.
Hallormstaður, on the east side of the lake, is the largest forest of the country and a popular destination among the Icelanders. On the other side of the lake you'll find Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland, and the old convention Skriðuklaustur.
In recent years, the roads in this area have improved alot, not least because of the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project. A paved road from Egilsstaðir to the plant has made the mountain Snæfell more easily accessible.
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Fjarðabyggd is a community containing three of the bigger fishing towns in East iceland. These are Neskaupstaður, Eskifjörður and Reydarfjörður. This is an exciting area with beautiful fjords surrounded by high mountains. Mountains like Hólmatindur (980m between Reydarfjördur and Eskifjördur) and Nipukollur (815m) by Neskaupstaður offer magnificent views.
Neskaupstaður with just under 1500 inhabitants was until not so long ago the largest town in East Iceland (has now been passed by Egilsstaðir). The town is set beautifully on the northern side of Norðfjörður just where the Norðurfloi bay splits into three fjords.
Eskifjörður (pop. 1000) is one of Icelands most beautiful towns and a walk along the shoreline is a must.
Camping at the Fjarðabyggd campsites is free. The campsite in Neskaupstaður is highly recommended, situated right next to the fjord on the outskirts of town.
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Seyðisfjörður is a fishing village 20km east of Egilsstaðir with just under 1000 inhabitants. For some this is the first part of Iceland they see as this is the harbour for the ferry from Denmark (Hanstholm) and the Faroe Islands (Torshavn).
The town itself is also influenced by Scandinavia, with a lot of old wooden houses in Scandinavian style. A lot of waterfalls of different sizes are coming down the mountain sides and just the trip between Egilsstaðir and Seyðisfjörður is well worth the trip.
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Borgarfjörður eystri (Bakkagerði) is a small village with just about 100 inhabitants. The road from Egilsstadir passes by the home of the famous painter Jóhannes Kjarval and than goes up in the mountains. Before Borgarfjörður lies another fjord, Njardvík, with a colorful canyon call Innri-Hvannagil. Than the road goes on the edge of the mountain at Njardvikurskriður before it enters Borgarfjörður.
The area is famous for the colorful stones that can be found here. In the village there is a museum and a workshop (Álfasteinn) with a large stone collection. It's also possible to buy "stone-elves" and other souveniers.
Five km (2 miles) east of the village there's an island called Hafnarholmi where there's a big Puffin colony. There are also other birds so this place is really worth a visit. If you walk from the village you'll have to watch your head though as birds might dive towards it in protection of their nests.
The area is popular for hiking and there are many beautiful mountains and rock formations. There are several marked trails to beautiful mountains like Dýrfjöll or Hvítserkur and to Stórurð, a magnificant boulder area probably created by a landslide during the last ice age.
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