Top choice in Mývatn Region
The ‘Cowshed’, 2.5km south of Reykjahlíð, is a memorable restaurant where you can enjoy views of the lush surrounds, or of the dairy shed of this working farm (cows are milked at 7.30am and 5.30pm). The menu is an ode to local produce: smoked lamb, house-made mozzarella, dill-cured Arctic char, geysir bread, home-baked cakes and homemade ice cream. It’s all delicious.
Kitchen closes at 10pm in summer.
2.29 MILES
The giant jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally ‘Dark Castles’) is one of the most fascinating flows in the country. A series of nontaxing, colour…
24.24 MILES
The bizarre swirls, spirals, rosettes, honeycombs and basalt columns at Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) are a highlight of any hike around Vesturdalur and a…
18.21 MILES
Goðafoss (Waterfall of the Gods) rips straight through the Bárðardalur lava field along Rte 1. Although smaller and less powerful than some of Iceland’s…
1.74 MILES
Dominating the lava fields on the eastern edge of Mývatn is the classic tephra ring Hverfjall (also called Hverfell). This near-symmetrical crater…
7.66 MILES
Krafla’s most impressive, and potentially most dangerous, attraction is the Leirhnjúkur crater and its solfataras, which originally appeared in 1727,…
2.1 MILES
For superb birdwatching background, visit Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum, housed in a beautiful lakeside building that fuses modern design with traditional turf…
21.48 MILES
Spectacular waterfall Aldeyjarfoss, 41km south of Goðafoss, is well worth the journey. The Skjálfandafljót river churns through a narrow passage and into…
3.49 MILES
The magical, ochre-toned world of Hverir (also called Hverarönd) is a lunar-like landscape of mud cauldrons, steaming vents, radiant mineral deposits and…
1.11 MILES
Signposted about 100m beyond Reykjahlíð is Stóragjá, a rather eerie fissure (slightly tricky to access) that was once a popular bathing spot. Cooling…
1.16 MILES
Game of Thrones fans may recognise this as the place where Jon Snow is, ahem, deflowered by Ygritte. Grjótagjá is a gaping fissure with a 45°C water…
1.52 MILES
During the Krafla eruption of 1727, the Leirhnjúkur crater, 11km northeast of Reykjahlíð, kicked off a two-year period of volcanic activity, sending…
1.54 MILES
The lava field along Mývatn’s northern lakeshore includes the flow that nearly engulfed the Reykjahlíð Church. It was belched out of Leirhnjúkur during…
1.74 MILES
Dominating the lava fields on the eastern edge of Mývatn is the classic tephra ring Hverfjall (also called Hverfell). This near-symmetrical crater…
2.1 MILES
For superb birdwatching background, visit Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum, housed in a beautiful lakeside building that fuses modern design with traditional turf…
2.23 MILES
Bjarnarflag, 3km east of Reykjahlíð, is an active geothermal area where the earth hisses and bubbles, and steaming vents line the valley. Historically the…
2.29 MILES
The giant jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally ‘Dark Castles’) is one of the most fascinating flows in the country. A series of nontaxing, colour…