Must see Eastern Iceland

This is the seventh blog post about my Iceland trip from last year. This time about the places I think that you must see in Eastern Iceland. Check my other posts for Reykjavík and Western Iceland, and the eastern part of the Westfjords and the north and the south of the Westfjords and the North. As usual, I’ll probably miss some great places so let me know in the comments!

Must see – Road 917

Coming down south on the east coast of Iceland I could have chosen to join Route 1, also known as the Ring Road where most tourists travel but why do that when you can  go up and down on a very windy gravel road, also know as road 917, it has a lot of switchbacks and hairpin bends, and it was a great drive.

Must see in Eastern Iceland - Road 917

Must see – Seydisfjordur

Seydisfjordur is a small and quirky town at the end of a long fjord. The drive to the town is great as well, and you should stop at Gufufoss to enjoy the waterfall and the view down on the town. You might have seen that road in the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.
There aren’t many hotels/hostels in town so if you are going during high season you might have a tough time to find an affordable room. One option could be to visit the town, have a coffee and then go back to Egilsstaðir and stay there. Egilsstaðir is much bigger and less scenic, but you’ll have all the amenities there and a much bigger choice of hotels.

Must see in Eastern Iceland - Seydisfjordur

Must see – Litlanesfoss  and Hengifoss

Even if you are travelling on the Ring road, you should make a detour to see these two waterfalls. The hike to both starts just off road  933. Litlanesfoss is only about 1km from the parking lot, to get to Hengifoss it’s something like 5 km, but the hike is well marked and if the weather is as nice as when I was there it’s a great hike.

Must see in eastern Iceland - Litlanesfoss
Litlanesfoss
Must see in eastern Iceland - Hengifoss
Hengifoss

Close to the falls is Hallormsstadur National Forest which is one of the few forested areas in Iceland and has a lot of hiking paths and it’s supposed to be good for birdwatching.

Going further south will take you on Road 1 along the coast and through some nice towns. The advantage of driving on the Ring road is that you can’t miss any of the nice views and attractions as inevitably there will be a car parking and a lot of tourists close by. 🙂

Must see Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

The glacier lagoon is where ice blocks falling off Breiðamerkurjökull glacier float around, break down and sometimes float down to the ocean. Smaller chunks end up on the black sand beach and are a very peculiar sight.

The whole lagoon is a surreal experience if, like me, you have never been close to an iceberg, they are quite tiny compared to those in the Arctic and Antarctic, but it’s impressive seeing them.
Sometimes you might see some seals swimming around them or sunbathing on them. You can, as well, take boat rides through the lagoon to get closer to them.

Must see in Eastern Iceland - Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon Must see in Eastern Iceland - Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon Must see in Eastern Iceland - Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

 

In the next post, I’ll tell you about Skaftafell National Park and the South of Iceland.
Don’t hesitate to let me know if I forgot something on my list. 
Share this post if you liked it or if you know somebody that is going to Iceland soon.

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