Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mývatn and the northeast
Northeast Iceland forms a thinly populated, open expanse between Akureyri
and the East Fjords, half of which is dominated by the lava-covered
Ódáðahraun plateau, which slopes gently from the Interior to the sea,
drained by glacial rivers and underground springs. Tourists, along with most
of Iceland's wildfowl population, flock to Mývatn, an attractive lake just over
an hour's drive from Akureyri, whose surrounds are thick with hot springs
and volcanic formations - many of them still visibly active - as well as a
sublime geothermal spa that is the northeast's less-touristy answer to the
Blue Lagoon. North of here, the pleasant town of
Húsavík offers summer
whale-watching excursions, and is just a short jaunt from
Jökulsárgljúfur, a
broad canyon cut into the wilderness by one of the region's glacial rivers,
which thunders through a series of gorges and waterfalls - a superb place to
spend a few days hiking or camping.
6
The eastern half of the region has far less obvious attractions; indeed, the only real
access to this mix of mountains, lava desert and boggy lowlands is along the coastal
road between Húsavík and
Vopnajörður
. However, it's a great place for purposeless
travel, bringing you close to some wild countryside, breezy coastal walks, and small,
isolated communities - plus the chance to reach the mainland's northernmost tip,
which lies fractionally outside the Arctic Circle.
Away from Mývatn and Húsavík, services are thinly spread, though most settlements
have at least a bank, a supermarket and somewhere to stay; elsewhere, there are
farmstays, a few hostels, and limitless camping opportunities. The northeast's
weather
is much drier and often sunnier than southern Iceland's - and this far north it barely
gets dark for three months of the year - though winters are bitterly cold, with heavy
snowfalls throughout.
GETTING AROUND THE NORTHEAST
By bus
SBA-Norðurleið (
W
sba.is) and Sterna (
W
sterna.is)
run year-round buses along the Ringroad between Akureyri
and Egilsstaðir, stopping en route at Mývatn. SBA also runs
through the year along the northeast coast from Akureyri
to Þórshöfn, via Húsavík and Raufarhöfn; and in summer
only from Mývatn to Húsavík via Dettifoss and Ásbyrgi.
Reykjavík Excursions (
W
re.is) runs summer-only buses
several times a week between Reykjavík and Mývatn via
the Sprengisandur route (see p.309); and to Mývatn from
Landmannalaugar (see p.117).
By car
There are few fuel stations between towns and
it's best to top up the tank whenever you can. The main
roads are sound, though not always surfaced and
sometimes closed at short notice by snow. Minor roads
in the area, while not necessarily needing four-wheel-
drives, may only be open for a month or two in summer,
so you'll need to find out their condition by asking other
visitors or by contacting local information centres before
tackling them.
Tours
Fjallasyn (
T
464 3941,
W
jallasyn.is) offers tours
of the entire region - including Mývatn, Dettifoss,
Melrakkaslétta and Langanes; they're based in Húsavík but
can organise pick-ups from elsewhere.
Mývatn's ducks
p.249
Whale watching in Húsavík
p.260
The Ásbyrgi to Dettifoss hike
p.263
Hvalreki!
p.264
