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Selasetur Íslands
The towns prime attraction is the harbourfront Icelandic Seal Centre, where you can learn about conservation of seals, historic seal products and traditional folk tales involving seals. There’s also a helpful tourist information desk located here, happy to explain where to find the
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Hljómskálagarður Park
Hljómskálagarður Park sits on Tjörnins southeast corner and has a section dedicated to sculptures by five Icelandic women: Gunnfríður Jónsdóttir (1889–1968), Nína Sæmundson (1892–1962), Þorbjörg Pálsdóttir (1919–2009), Ólöf Pálsdóttir (b 1920), and Gerður Helgadóttir (1928–1975); a
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Natural History Museum
In the town’s main shopping arcade, the Natural History Museum has a comprehensive collection of minerals (lignite from when Iceland was covered in forests) and taxidermied animals – including a giant blue whalebone more than 100 years old and a polar bear shot by local fishermen w
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Vindbelgjarfjall
The steep but relatively easy climb up 529m-high Vindbelgjarfjall, on the lakes western shore, offers one of the best views across the lake and its alien pseudocraters. The trail to the summit starts south of the peak, near the farm Vagnbrekka. Reckon on about a half-hour to reach
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Karl og Kerling
Two rock pillars, Karl og Kerling (‘Old Man’ and ‘Old Woman’), believed to be petrified trolls, stand on a gravel bank west of the river, a 2km return walk from the Vesturdalur car park. Across the river is Tröllahellir, the gorges largest cave, but it’s reached only on a 5km cross
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Námafjall
Vaporous vents cover the pinky-orange Námafjall ridge, which lies 3km past Bjarnarflag (on the south side of the Ring Road). Produced by a fissure eruption, the ridge sits squarely on the spreading zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. As you travel the Námaskarð pass and tumble down its
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Reykjavík Zoo & Family Park
This childrens park in Laugardalur gets packed with happy local families on sunny days. Don’t expect lions and tigers; think seals, foxes and farm animals in simple enclosures, and tanks of cold-water fish. The family park section is jolly, with a miniracetrack, child-size bulldoze
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Laxá
The clear and turbulent Laxá (Salmon River), one of the many Icelandic rivers so named, cuts the western division of Mývatn, rolling straight across the tundra towards Skjálfandi (Húsavík’s whale-filled bay). The Laxá is one of the best (and most expensive) salmon-fishing spots in
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Þingeyrar
Around 19km before you reach Blönduós, a quick 6km detour along Rte 721 leads you to a precious stone church, Þingeyrar, sitting quietly and photogenically on Hóp lagoon. The current structure was erected in the 1860s, but 800 years earlier the site hosted a district þing (assembly
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Kerið
Around 15.5km north of Selfoss on Rte 35, Kerið is a 6500-year-old explosion crater with vivid red and sienna earth and containing an ethereal green lake. Björk once performed a concert from a floating raft in the middle. At the time of research, local property owners had (controve
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Húsavíkurkirkja
Húsavík’s church is quite different from anything else seen in Iceland. Constructed in 1907 from Norwegian timber, the delicately proportioned red-and-white church would look more at home in the Alps. Inside, its cruciform shape becomes apparent and is dominated by a depiction of t
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Sea Ice Exhibition Centre
Housed in a 1733 merchant’s house, the centre’s small but informative exhibits look at the formation and types of sea ice, weather patterns and early Icelandic settlers. You’ll also come face to face with the polar bear that visited the region during the summer of 2008 (as with all
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Heklusetrið
The Hekla Center is part of the Leirubakki compound (camping, hotel, restaurant, petrol). It details the explosive history of Hekla in a deliberately dark building with flashing lights and multimedia exhibits. You’ll learn that the volcano is long overdue to erupt. The centre also
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Laki
Although the peak called Laki (818m) did not erupt, it has loaned its name to the 25km-long Lakagígar crater row, which stretches northeastward and southwestward from its base. Laki can be climbed in about 40 minutes from the parking area. From the top there are boundless 360-degre
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Systrafoss
At the western end of the village, this lovely double waterfall tumbles down the cliffs and a sign outlines three short walks in the pretty wooded area (Icelands tallest trees grow here!). The lake Systravatn , a pleasant saunter up the cliffs above the falls, was once a bathing pl
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Bakkagerðiskirkja
Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885–1972), Iceland’s best-known artist, was brought up nearby and took much of his inspiration from Borgarfjörður Eystri and surrounds. His unusual altarpiece in the small church depicts the Sermon on the Mount and is directly aimed at this village: Jes
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Volcano Museum
The Volcano Museum, housed in the town’s old cinema, is the brainchild of vulcanologist Haraldur Sigurðsson, and features art depicting volcanoes, plus a small collection of interesting lava (magma bombs!) and artefacts from eruptions. A film screens upstairs. You can book a full-d
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Sudurnes Science & Learning Center
Sandgerði is home to this classroom-like but interesting nature centre, where there are stuffed Icelandic creatures (including a monstrous moth-eaten walrus), jars of pickled things (look out for the freaky Gorgonocephalus ), a small aquarium, and an exhibition on Polar explorer Je
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Icelandic Goat Centre
Farmworkers walk you through pretty fields with endangered Icelandic goats; coffee or tea included. The farms most famous resident is Casanova, a bright-eyed goat who had a starring turn in Game of Thrones (running from a dragon). Call ahead; at time of research the fate of the cen
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Surtshellir
Just a bit to the southeast of Fljótstunga on Rte 518, a bright yellow sign marks the turn-off to Arnarvatnsheiði along Rte F578 (rental cars not allowed). Follow the bumpy track for 7km to reach Surtshellir, a dramatic, 2km-long lava tube connected to Stefánshellir , a second tunn
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