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North Iceland

 

North Iceland has a very varied landscape with both acricutural areas, fjords and geothermal districts. There's a lot to see for tourists with the great Jökulsárgljufur National Park and Lake Mývatn. Here is also Akureyri, the largest town outside the capital area. In the west is Skagafjörður where you surely run into the Icelandic horse.

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Skagafjörður is the place for those who want to get to know the Icelandic horse. All over the area you can find horse farms with horse rentals. This is one of the larger agricultural districts in Iceland. The largest town in the area is Sauðarkrókur with 2500 inhabitants. The area is well represented in the Icelandic sagas and there are a lot of historical sites to visit, such as Glaumbaer, Vidimyri and Hólar

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Eyjafjörður is the longest fjord in North Iceland. At the bottom of the fjord lies Akureyri, the capital of the north. The area is ideal for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. There are a few towns along the west coast: 

From Dalvik (pop.1500) there is a ferry to Grímsey, an island which is the northernmost part of  Iceland. The arctic circle goes right through it. Just south of Dalvik lies the small village Árskógssandur from where there are trips to Hrísey, the island in the middle of Eyjafjörður. Both Grímsey and Hrísey are populated. 

Ólafsfjörður (pop.1000) is connected to Dalvík with a short tunnel through the mountain. This is a beautiful town, not least in winter with the white mountains in contrast to the deep blue sky. 

Siglufjörður (pop.1600) is most famous for being a busy spot when the herring industry was big up here. The town used to be a lot bigger but when the herring disappeared so did the jobs and a lot of people. A nice museum in memory of the era has been opened. 

Akureyri is the capital of the North and with around 15000 inhabitants the largest town outside Greater Reykjavík. It has a lot to offer the tourist with museums, shops and guided bus tours.  It's a green town that lies beautifully almost at the end of the fjord EyjafjördurAkureyri is also a big wintersport destination, with great skiing slopes at Mount Hlidarfjall. It offers both cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. 

East of the town, half way to Lake Mývatn, is the beautiful waterfall Goðafoss (Fall of the Gods).

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One of the absolute most popular tourist destinations in Iceland is Lake Mývatn and the Krafla area. The landscape in the area is varied to say the least.  The lake itself (Mývatn - Lake of Midges) is famous for its rich birdlife and its not so popular midges. The midges can be a real pain so be prepared! 

The Skútustadir pseudo-craters in the south is a place to visit. These green craters are only "fake craters". Dimmuborgir is another area of interest, this is a big labyrint of lava sculptures. Follow the paths so you don't get lost! 

The whole area is highly geothermal which can best be seen at Hverarond with its sulphur pits and bubbling mud.  Definately one of the most exciting geothermal areas in Iceland.  At Krafla you can see lava from the Krafla eruption in 1984. Here is also the deep-blue explosion crater Víti.

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The National Park Jökulsárgljúfur is definately one of the most exiting and spectacular parts of iceland. Jökulsárgljúfur (Glacier-river-canyon)  is a gigantic canyon which has been shaped by the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum. The river has created an amazing landscape with powerful waterfalls and peculiar sculptures carving its way through stones and rocks. 

In the northern part of the park is a popular camping spot called Ásbyrgi. It's a horse shoe shaped canyon told to have been created by one of the horses of the ancient nordic Gods.  Hjódaklettar (Ecco-cliffs) is another interesting place. It's a number of huge cliffs with strange acoustics. 

The most famous sight in the park is the massive waterfall Dettifoss. It is not one of the higher waterfalls in Iceland (45m), but it's by far the most powerful, and actually the most powerful in Europe. Close by are two other beautiful waterfalls, Selfoss and Hafragilsfoss.

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Húsavík (pop. 2500)  is often called "the whale watching capital of Europe" and this is why so many people visit this place every year. The whale watching industry has been growing rapidly and there are now operators in all parts of Iceland. In Húsavik there are two whale watching companies with departures a couple of times every day. The church in Húsavík is said to be the most beautiful building in Iceland. 

 


Ólafsfjörður


Akureyri 


Goðafoss


Dimmuborgir


Hverarond


Húsavík

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