The South
In 2011 Iceland formed its first ‘geopark’ to protect a region of great geological importance, promote local culture and sustainable development, and…
Must-see attractions in Southwest Iceland
The South
This farmstead is a constant work in progress: every summer, an international group of students practices the building of Icelandic turf houses from local…
The Golden Circle
For more than 20 years, this petting zoo in small-town Iceland has been a popular hang-out for families passing through the village of Laugarás. Orphaned…
The Golden Circle
For centuries (between 1056 to 1785) Skálholt was a political and cultural hub in Iceland, and one of only two areas overseen by bishops. In the wealthy…
The South
About 13km east of Vík and just south of Rte 1, the small peak of Hjörleifshöfði (221m) rises above the black sands of Mýrdalssandur and offers good views…
The South
On the farm of Hellar in Landsveit, this 50m long human-made cave was built up to 11m below the soil at its deepest point. Inside a barn, visitors walk…
The South
On 21 November 1973, a US Navy aeroplane was forced to crash-land at Sólheimasandur. The crew all survived, but the wreckage of the militarised Douglas DC…
The Golden Circle
Behind the Þingvallabær farmhouse, Þingvallakirkja is one of Iceland’s first churches. The original was consecrated in the 11th century, but the current…
The Golden Circle
Straddling both sides of the Öxará river are the ruins of various temporary camps called búðir (literally 'booths'). These stone foundations were covered…
The South
Inside a huge maroon-and-black warehouse in the centre of town, Draugasetrið is a veritable haunted house run by a gaggle of bloodthirsty youngsters. A 50…
Heimaey
The top of the craggy precipice Stóraklif is a treacherous 30-minute climb from behind the N1 petrol station at the harbour. The trail starts on the…
The South
Boardwalks from Landmannalaugar's info hut lead to a geothermal hot pool flanked by volcanic hills. It's not officially a 'bathing area', but visitors are…
Heimaey
Shockingly, three out of four of Heimaey’s babies once died of tetanus, due to water deficiency and contaminated soil. In the 1840s an island woman,…
The South
Roughly translated as 'bottleneck', the Stútur crater sits on the Norðurnámshraun lava field and is signposted off the F224 road. Two fairly steep trails…
Reykjanes Peninsula
These strangely shaped cliffs and hardened volcanic ash layers were formed in an eruption in the early 1900s. The formations are named tuffs, and consist…
The South
The Hekla Center is part of the Leirubakki compound (camping, hotel and restaurant). It details the explosive history of Hekla in a deliberately dark…
Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant
The South
The sleek shell of Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant is one of the few plants that provides 30% of Iceland's electricity. A multimedia exhibition and…
Sudurnes Science & Learning Center
Reykjanes Peninsula
This scientific learning centre has a fascinating exhibit about Polar explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot, whose ship Pourquois Pas? wrecked near here in 1936 …
The Golden Circle
The little farmhouse in the bottom of the rift, Þingvallabær was built for the 1000th anniversary of the Alþing in 1930 by state architect Guðjón…
Reykjanes Peninsula
To the northeast of Keflavík's harbour sits the larger-than-life Giantess, a giant troll character from Herdís Egilsdóttir’s children’s books. A local art…
Reykjanes Peninsula
In a long red warehouse by the harbour, Duushús is Keflavík’s historic cultural centre. There’s a permanent exhibition of around 60 of Grímur Karlsson’s…
The South
On the other side of the building that contains Draugasetrið, the Elves Museum involves trolls, elves and Northern Lights, and is a good bet for young…
The South
Around 8km west of Fljotsdalur HI Hostel you'll find this lesser-known waterfall dropping some 45m from the cliff above, fed from the Merkja River. It…
Icelandic Museum of Rock 'n' Roll
Reykjanes Peninsula
This museum delves into the history of the awesome Icelandic music scene, from Björk to Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men. Admission includes a walking…
The Golden Circle
The 1937 Ljósafoss Power Station catches the outflow of lake Úlfljótsvatn and turns it into electricity. In 2016, an elaborate state-of-the-art multimedia…
The South
Þjóðveldisbærinn is a reconstruction of Stöng, exactly reproducing its turf-covered layout and its neighbouring church. Staff here wear period dress and…
The South
The informative Þjórsárstofa, in a large white building, has an excellent display about the nearby attractions (crashing waterfalls and an atmospheric…
The South
Just behind Húsið á Eyrarbakka, this small maritime museum has displays on the local fishing community. Its main exhibit is the beautiful 12-oared fishing…
Reykjanesfólkvangur Reserve
Just to the north of the Seltún hot springs, this lake is an old explosion crater filled with gorgeous teal water, caused by a combination of minerals and…
Hveragerði Stone & Geology Exhibition
The South
One of Iceland's largest private collections of stones is owned by the Thor family and you can view their crystals and other geological artefacts in an…
Heimaey
Housed in the city library, this interactive folk museum tells the story of Heimaey from the era of marauding pirates up to the 1973 eruption and beyond…
The Bridge Between Two Continents
Reykjanes Peninsula
A walkway over a canyon, which was formed when the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates shifted. These plates drift apart around 2cm a year…
Heimaey
The bitumen-coated Stafkirkjan is a reconstruction of a medieval wooden stave church (the exact design of the Holtdalen stave church in Trondheim, Norway)…
Heimaey
Helgafell (226m) erupted 5000 years ago. Its cinders are grassed over today, and you can scramble up here without much difficulty from the football pitch…
The South
High above town, Vík’s 1930s church has stained-glass windows in spiky geometrical shapes and awesome village views.
Reykjanes Peninsula
Overlooking the ocean, this impressive sculpture in the shape of an abstract anchor is worth a closer look.
Heimaey
Sheltered by an extinct volcano, green and grassy Herjólfsdalur was the home of Vestmannaeyjar's first settler, Herjólfur Barðursson. Excavations have…
The South
Impressive turf houses and old farmhouses built into an enormous freestanding rock, in front of the Eyjafjöll Mountains. Local farmers would keep their…
Reykjanes Peninsula
The first lighthouse in the area was built in 1878, but sadly it wasn't to last. A severe earthquake in Valahnúkur at the beginning of the 20th century…
Reykjanes Peninsula
There are two gigantic sculptures in front of the terminal building at Keflavík International Airport – Magnús Tómasson’s Þotuhreiður (Jet Nest) resembles…
