Iceland

Fly to Akureyri from Reykjavik in under an hour and the scenic north of Iceland is yours to explore. Here you’ll find diverse and striking scenery with interesting towns and villages, and plenty of opportunities to explore the great outdoors.

AKUREYRI this principal town of the north, even with 17,000 inhabitants, has a wonderful ‘ small and friendly’ appeal. Because of the town's position almost at the end of Eyjafjordur, a long fjord shielded by high mountains, the area often enjoys a pleasant summer and with all that sunshine it isn’t surprising to find Botanical Gardens here. The town’s architecture is charming, the harbour bustling and visitors can choose from a number of excellent restaurants and bars. It is also pretty good for shopping with a small pedestrian area and mall. Like Reykjavik, a church dominates the skyline and, if you can manage the many steps, the views from here over the town and fjord are lovely. 

OLAFSFJORDUR & SIGLUFJORDUR these quaint fishing towns are located at the mouth of Eyjafjordur. In its heyday Siglufjordur was Iceland's herring capital, and visitors can experience the ambience of the era in the herring museum. 

VATNSNES visit Hvammstangi's seal exhibition or see them in the wild yourself; they can be found at the tip of the Vatnsnes Peninsula (a nature reserve). On the east side, seals also haul out on the sands by the river estuary, near the monster-like sea-stack Hvitserkur. 

SKAGAFJORDUR this is one of Iceland's most prosperous farming regions, known for its very successful horse breeding. Visit the turf buildings of the Glaumbaer Museum for a little history or if you prefer something more energetic, try river rafting or horse riding in Varmahlid. 

DALVIK & HAUGANES Hauganes on the shore of Eyjafjordur offers whale watching excursions in a beautiful wooden boat, as well as sea angling. You can also visit the pretty offshore island of Hrisey from here, of particular interest to birdwatchers. Neighbouring Dalvik hosts a famous summer fish festival, one of Iceland's liveliest. 

GRIMSEY this is the northernmost inhabited Icelandic territory, approximately 40km north of the mainland – people often visit by ferry from Akureyri just to cross the Arctic Circle. Though barely 5 sq km in area, it has a thriving population of 100 people joined in summer by a million or so noisy sea birds. 

HOLAR & HOFSOS Hofsos, with its natural harbour is one of the oldest trading ports in Iceland, while Holar was an early episcopal seat, boasting the oldest stone church in Iceland.

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