The South
One of the South Coast’s most recognisable natural formations is the rocky plateau and huge stone sea arch at Dyrhólaey (deer-lay), which rises…
Must-see attractions in The South
The South
This 62m-high waterfall topples over a rocky cliff at the western edge of Skógar in dramatic style. Climb the steep staircase alongside for giddy views,…
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The South
Not far from Seljalandsfoss, on the road to Þórsmörk (4WD required), hides one of the most thrilling and adventurous scrambles to a waterfall along a…
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The South
Buried by white volcanic ash in 1104 during one of Hekla’s eruptions, this ancient farm once belonged to Gaukur Trandilsson, a 10th-century Viking who…
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The South
On the western side of Reynisfjall, the high ridge above Vík, Rte 215 leads 5km down to the black-sand beach Reynisfjara. It's backed by an incredible…
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The South
One of the easiest glacial tongues to reach is Sólheimajökull. This icy outlet glacier unfurls from the main Mýrdalsjökull ice cap and is a favourite spot…
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The South
From the Ring Road you'll see the beautiful high falls at Seljalandsfoss, which tumble over a rocky scarp into a deep, green pool. A (slippery) path runs…
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The South
Birdwatchers should head 3km northwest of Eyrarbakki to Flói Nature Reserve, an important estuary and marshland on the eastern bank of the Ölfusá. It’s…
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The South
Pretty much off the tourist radar (you'll likely have the place to yourself) is this hidden 20m waterfall that you can walk behind. The short trail to it…
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The South
Iceland’s second-highest waterfall, Háifoss is a magnificent 128m-high cascade that plunges off the edge of a majestic plateau into an undulating lava…
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The South
The highlight of little Skógar is the wonderful Skógar Folk Museum, which covers all aspects of Icelandic life. The vast collection was put together by…
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The South
One of Iceland’s oldest houses, built by Danish traders in 1765, Húsið á Eyrarbakka has glass display cabinets explaining the town’s history, interesting…
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The South
A walking path from Stöng farm takes you a couple of kilometres to a lovely little lush valley, Gjáin, full of twisting lava, otherworldly caves and…
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The South
The geothermal park Hverasvæðið, in the centre of town, has mud pots and steaming pools where visitors can dip their feet (but no more). Groups of 15 or…
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The South
This airy modern-art gallery puts on superb exhibitions. When it's quiet the staff are more than happy to walk guests around the gallery, offering an…
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The South
In 2011 Iceland formed its first ‘geopark’ to protect a region of great geological importance, promote local culture and sustainable development, and…
The South
Essentially displaying Iceland’s birth story, the LAVA Centre is a full-blown multimedia experience on volcanic and seismic life. Divided into multiple…
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…
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The South
One of Iceland's most active volcanoes, Hekla stands at 1491m, and has erupted 20 times since 874, most recently in the year 2000. In a 4x4, it's possible…
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The South
Sitting behind a volcanic ledge, right off the road to Landmannalaugar, hides an enormous crater. Hnausapollur erupted around 11,000 years ago, now it's…
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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…
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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…
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The South
Known as Raufarhólshellir, this 11th-century lava tube is 1360m long (Iceland's third largest) and contains wonderful lava columns. Regular one-hour tours…
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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…
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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…
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The South
This gorgeous glacier is Iceland’s fourth-largest ice cap, covering 700 sq km and reaching a thickness of almost 750m in places. The volcano Katla snoozes…
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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…
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The South
Vík’s most iconic cluster of sea stacks is known as Reynisdrangur, which rises from the ocean like ebony towers at the western end of Vík's black-sand…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The South
About 5km west of Hvolsvöllur, unsurfaced Rte 264 winds about 8km north along the Rangárvellir valley to the medieval turf-roofed farm at Keldur. This…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The South
In town, the tin-clad house Brydebúð was built in Vestmannaeyjar in 1831 and moved to Vík in 1895. Today it houses the tourist office, the Halldórskaffi…
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The South
Þjóðveldisbærinn is a reconstruction of Stöng, exactly reproducing its turf-covered layout and its neighbouring church. Staff here wear period dress and…
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The South
The informative Þjórsárstofa, in a large white building, has an excellent display about the nearby attractions (crashing waterfalls and an atmospheric…
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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…
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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…
