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,…
Must-see attractions in The South
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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…
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…
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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
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
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
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…
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…
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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
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
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
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
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
Twenty-six kilometres northeast of Árnes along Rte 32, take a short (1km) detour along a signposted track to this delightful waterfall. The azure falls…
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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…
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The South
High above town, Vík’s 1930s church has stained-glass windows in spiky geometrical shapes and awesome village views.
