The Passenger ⋆ Page 47 of 305 ⋆ Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.

July 8, 2023July 23, 2023

Narfastaðir

The Narfastaðir guesthouse is a place to feel like at home. It is a simple but good hotel at a remote location close to Laugar, directly at the ring road. And thereby it is the perfect place to explore the Mývatn area just around the corner. What I really liked there is that they have a central shared living room; you don’t have to stay in your hotel room or hang out in the restaurant – you can just sit on a sofa in between other visitors, read a book, chat or watch TV.

July 8, 2023July 23, 2023

Next to the lighthouse

After an exhausting day of sightseeing and whale watching there is nothing better then a geothermal spa. Directly next to the lighthouse of Húsavík you can find the Geosea, an outdoor pool with great views on the sea. It has three pool areas with different temperatures and steam room. The little waterfall running from there into the fiord is indeed no real waterfall: it is the overflow of the spa.

July 8, 2023July 23, 2023

Whale watching

Húsavík is the perfect port for whale watching. In this area it is strictly forbidden to hunt these giant animals and tourism helps to protect them. After getting the right introduction into the topic at the whale museum in the harbor area you can get on a boat to see humpback whales and dolphins; but also puffins and large jellyfish. Different operators offer tours on various types of boats. You should play safe and book online in advance.

July 8, 2023July 23, 2023

Whale museum

Hunting whales is something deeply rooted in the traditions of Nordic islands like Iceland or the Faroes, but it is something that should be overcome as fast as possible. At Húsavík they’ve created a museum explaining everything about whales, how they’re born and raised, how far they’re travelling and how they’ve evolved in evolution. But the museum also covers the sensitive topic of hunting whales.

July 8, 2023July 23, 2023

Ásbyrgi canyon

A canyon with high rocks surrounding it, with an endless amount of birch trees, a beautiful green lake, a dry-fallen waterfall and a lot of hiking paths. That is Ásbyrgi. Geologists name glaciers and over time moving waterfalls as the creators of this special landscape. The legend says it is the hoofprint of Odins horse Sleipnir that created the valley. Believe what you want to believe, but having a short hike through the valley is something you shouldn’t reject.

July 8, 2023March 17, 2024

Three waterfalls

If you forget that you’re on Iceland you might think that there is water on the moon: on the way from Egilsstaðir to the Mývatn lake you need to have a detour along the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. It is the second-largest river of the island and runs in this area through volcanic remains only allowing a tiny little piece of life. And in between all these stones a gorge opens up creating three impressive waterfalls: the Selfoss, the Dettifoss and the Hafragilsfoss.

July 7, 2023July 23, 2023

1001 Nótt

The Hótel 1001 Nótt feels like the best hotel you can find on the island. It is located outside of Egilsstaðir and every room has giant glass windows to the outside world. On one side of the building there are the mountains and a large forest in front, on the other side it is the wonderful lake – both ones are amazing. Next to the hotel there is a waterfall and you can also use two hot tubs.

July 7, 2023July 23, 2023

Geothermal infinity

One of the highlights on Iceland is what they make out of geothermic energy. In different places you’ll find amazing spas that are operated in summer as well as in winter times – because the necessary energy is taken from the earth. At Fellabær very close to Egilsstaðir they’ve created a very relaxing place, the Vök baths. In addition to the pools on land with good views on the Urriðavatn lake they’ve built two floating infinity pools with water up to 41 degrees Celsius hot.

July 7, 2023July 23, 2023

Stuðlagil

An island with massive volcanic activity also produces are lot of basalt structures: lots of columns and fields of octagons. A perfect place to discover them is the Stuðlagil canyon east of Egilsstaðir. It is a small detour from the ring road but one absolutely worth to do. The canyon was hidden under water until the Kárahnjúkavirkjun barrier lake was created in 2006. When the water was gone the beauty of the canyon was discovered and found its way into an aircraft magazine – and thereby started to attract many tourists.

July 7, 2023July 23, 2023

Puffins

Puffins are cute birds and easy to recognize with their colorful beaks. They bread on cliffs in the far north and in fact 60 % of them bread on Iceland. Their population is continuously shrinking and therefore they are officially classified as a vulnerable species. Puffins are hunting fishes and crabs and fly over winter into the south: to the Mediterranean Sea and the north of Africa. If you’re visiting Iceland you’ve got different options to see them and you’ll be astonished how close you can get to them.