1. It boasts an Icelandic elephant At Vopnafjörður fjord in Northeast Iceland there’s a large elephant standing out in the ocean. It’s actually called ‘Ljósastapi’ in Icelandic, but has been dubbed ‘The Elephant’ for years due to its shape. It’s a large pillar of rock just a stone’s throw from the beach and on one of Vopnafjörður’s many popular walking routes.
2. Because of the turf houses It’s not too long ago since Icelanders stopped living in turf houses and Bustarfell Manor was home to Icelandic families until 1966. Bustarfell Manor is one of Iceland’s best maintained turf houses and has been turned into a museum to give visitors a chance to turn back the wheels of time and take a look just 50-years into the past. The museum’s uniqueness is largely dependent on its ability to have captured the changes in farming and living among its residents dating back to 1770. Next to the museum is a café for visitors to sit down and relax while enjoying the beauty and tranquility of nature.
3. Its Pre-historic past Once you’ve reached Bustarfell Manor Museum you can take a hike up to Þuríðará river and visit the Álfkonusteinn (e. Fairy Rock). Folklore tells the story of a missus who lived at Bustarfell Manor and went out and into the Fairy Rock to help a fairy in labor. She was given a golden-laced woven cloth for her assistance and that cloth is now preserved at the National Museum of Iceland. The Þuríðará river runs through the Þuríðargil canyon and back in 1980 mineralized fossils were discovered in the canyon. The sedimentary strata in the area dates back to the Tertiary Period and the findings are thus considered a key to the unknown history of Iceland. The findings may possibly suggest that Iceland was in fact, at some point, connected to either North America or Europe.
4. It has lake monsters Egilsstaðir is sometimes dubbed as the capital of the East, but it’s also home to Iceland’s second largest lake, Lagarfljót and thus home to the Lagarfljót Monster. With approximately 2,300 inhabitants, Egilsstaðir may not be a large town but if you’re travelling the East Coast, it’s quite central with easy access (if weather permits) to other towns and villages on the East Coast. Mountains, waterfalls, hiking trails and geothermal pools are just a few of the things the East Coast has to offer with Egilsstaðir right in the center of it all. Unlike many of the smaller towns in Iceland, Egilsstaðir has an International Airport (one of only four) and it serves as a backup for the International Airport at Keflavik.
5. Iceland’s largest and only (real) forest Atlavík Bay is a romantic camping site with walking paths in every direction. The camping site sits at a riverbank by Hallormsstaður village where you can rent both boats and horses. Hallormsstaður village is named after the Hallormstaðarskógur forest, the largest (and really, the only) forest in Iceland. Lagarfljót river is a part of the third largest lake in Iceland (53 sq.km or 13,096 acres) and legend has it that the river is home to a monster similar to the world-famous Loch Ness monster.
6. Hidden gems and canyons Prestagil canyon is a beautiful outdoor area in Mjóifjörður fjord. Its name translates to Priest’s Canyon and for a good reason too. Many years ago, a giantess that lived in the canyon lured priests in the area into the canyon.
Mjóifjörður fjord is a hidden gem on the East Coast and access to it over the wintertime is very limited by road. It’s then not much of a surprise that the poor priests were tempted into the canyon by the Giantess – they had no place else to go!
7. Hengifoss waterfall The hike up to Hengifoss waterfall takes two to three hours and is quite challenging, rated 4 out of 5 in difficulty. At 128 meters (420 ft.), Hengifoss is the third highest waterfall in Iceland and has been called the superstar of the many waterfalls of East Iceland.
8. Skálanes Culture Centre At the mouth of Seyðisfjörður fjord stands a renovated Icelandic farmhouse, now a Nature- and Cultural Center by the name of ‘Skálanes’. The center, which is a place for accommodation, strives to be self-sufficient and is in the early stages of developing a smallholding. Wherever your interests may lie, anyone who enjoys peace, tranquility, or nature, will be sure to enjoy his/her stay at Skálanes. It’s a place where the pace of life slows down, and you breathe the air of learning and observation.
9. Climb the seven peaks By climbing the seven mountain peaks near Seyðisfjörður fjord, taller than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), people get the chance to earn a badge as a ‘Seyðisfjörður Fjord Mountaineer’. Guest books and stamps are on the top of every mountain so there’s no cheating. Picking up a leaflet to collect stamps in can be done by the harbor.
10. It has WWII history During World War II, in 1944, German fighter planes sunk a British oil tanker called ‘El Grillo’ in the Seyðisfjörður fjord on the East Coast of Iceland. Thankfully, there were no casualties, and this was also the only instance in which WWII fighting reached the shores of Iceland. El Grillo still lies on the bottom of the ocean, free from oil (it was all pumped out in 2002), and a magnificent dive site. For those PADI certified advanced open water divers – this is a dive worth looking into. Not only is it a chance to do a dive in Iceland, but also a chance to experience history.
11. Petra’s rock collection Surrounding the Stöðvarfjörður fjord is a beautiful mountain range that harbors a collection of rocks and minerals of various colours. Petra, a local woman, began to collect these rocks and minerals and is now the proud owner of the largest rock and mineral collection of its kind in the world.
Petra welcomes guests during the summer months from 9am until 6pm every day.
12. You can stay in an old French hospital Across from Fáskrúðsfjörður fjord en-route to Stöðvarfjörður fjord, stands an old but graceful house built in 1903. The house was originally used as a hospital for French sailors, but was moved to Hafnarnes bay in Fáskrúðsfjörður fjord in 1939 and used as an apartment building. It’s now been moved back to its original location and been beautifully restored as a hotel.
13. Hike into the wild Austurstræti (East Street in English), is a new 100-kilometer-long (62 mile) walking trail from Lón on the east coast of Iceland, all the way to Fljótsdalur, a valley situated in the highlands north of Vatnajökull glacier. It will take travelers approximately one week to walk the trail from one end to the other. There are huts and campsites along the way. This is a magnificent area. Due to its isolation it is much less travelled than most other parts of Iceland. For more information see East.is
From glaciers and volcanoes, vast highland expanses and deserts completely untouched by humans to narrow fjords flanked by mountains and high sea cliffs crowded with birds, East Iceland is a world of its own.
1. It boasts an Icelandic elephant At Vopnafjörður fjord in Northeast Iceland there’s a large elephant standing out in the ocean. It’s actually called ‘Ljósastapi’ in Icelandic, but has been dubbed ‘The Elephant’ for years due to its shape. It’s a large pillar of rock just a stone’s throw from the beach and on one of Vopnafjörður’s many popular walking routes.
2. Because of the turf houses It’s not too long ago since Icelanders stopped living in turf houses and Bustarfell Manor was home to Icelandic families until 1966. Bustarfell Manor is one of Iceland’s best maintained turf houses and has been turned into a museum to give visitors a chance to turn back the wheels of time and take a look just 50-years into the past. The museum’s uniqueness is largely dependent on its ability to have captured the changes in farming and living among its residents dating back to 1770. Next to the museum is a café for visitors to sit down and relax while enjoying the beauty and tranquility of nature.
3. Its Pre-historic past Once you’ve reached Bustarfell Manor Museum you can take a hike up to Þuríðará river and visit the Álfkonusteinn (e. Fairy Rock). Folklore tells the story of a missus who lived at Bustarfell Manor and went out and into the Fairy Rock to help a fairy in labor. She was given a golden-laced woven cloth for her assistance and that cloth is now preserved at the National Museum of Iceland. The Þuríðará river runs through the Þuríðargil canyon and back in 1980 mineralized fossils were discovered in the canyon. The sedimentary strata in the area dates back to the Tertiary Period and the findings are thus considered a key to the unknown history of Iceland. The findings may possibly suggest that Iceland was in fact, at some point, connected to either North America or Europe.
4. It has lake monsters Egilsstaðir is sometimes dubbed as the capital of the East, but it’s also home to Iceland’s second largest lake, Lagarfljót and thus home to the Lagarfljót Monster. With approximately 2,300 inhabitants, Egilsstaðir may not be a large town but if you’re travelling the East Coast, it’s quite central with easy access (if weather permits) to other towns and villages on the East Coast. Mountains, waterfalls, hiking trails and geothermal pools are just a few of the things the East Coast has to offer with Egilsstaðir right in the center of it all. Unlike many of the smaller towns in Iceland, Egilsstaðir has an International Airport (one of only four) and it serves as a backup for the International Airport at Keflavik.
5. Iceland’s largest and only (real) forest Atlavík Bay is a romantic camping site with walking paths in every direction. The camping site sits at a riverbank by Hallormsstaður village where you can rent both boats and horses. Hallormsstaður village is named after the Hallormstaðarskógur forest, the largest (and really, the only) forest in Iceland. Lagarfljót river is a part of the third largest lake in Iceland (53 sq.km or 13,096 acres) and legend has it that the river is home to a monster similar to the world-famous Loch Ness monster.
6. Hidden gems and canyons Prestagil canyon is a beautiful outdoor area in Mjóifjörður fjord. Its name translates to Priest’s Canyon and for a good reason too. Many years ago, a giantess that lived in the canyon lured priests in the area into the canyon.
Mjóifjörður fjord is a hidden gem on the East Coast and access to it over the wintertime is very limited by road. It’s then not much of a surprise that the poor priests were tempted into the canyon by the Giantess – they had no place else to go!
7. Hengifoss waterfall The hike up to Hengifoss waterfall takes two to three hours and is quite challenging, rated 4 out of 5 in difficulty. At 128 meters (420 ft.), Hengifoss is the third highest waterfall in Iceland and has been called the superstar of the many waterfalls of East Iceland.
8. Skálanes Culture Centre At the mouth of Seyðisfjörður fjord stands a renovated Icelandic farmhouse, now a Nature- and Cultural Center by the name of ‘Skálanes’. The center, which is a place for accommodation, strives to be self-sufficient and is in the early stages of developing a smallholding. Wherever your interests may lie, anyone who enjoys peace, tranquility, or nature, will be sure to enjoy his/her stay at Skálanes. It’s a place where the pace of life slows down, and you breathe the air of learning and observation.
9. Climb the seven peaks By climbing the seven mountain peaks near Seyðisfjörður fjord, taller than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), people get the chance to earn a badge as a ‘Seyðisfjörður Fjord Mountaineer’. Guest books and stamps are on the top of every mountain so there’s no cheating. Picking up a leaflet to collect stamps in can be done by the harbor.
10. It has WWII history During World War II, in 1944, German fighter planes sunk a British oil tanker called ‘El Grillo’ in the Seyðisfjörður fjord on the East Coast of Iceland. Thankfully, there were no casualties, and this was also the only instance in which WWII fighting reached the shores of Iceland. El Grillo still lies on the bottom of the ocean, free from oil (it was all pumped out in 2002), and a magnificent dive site. For those PADI certified advanced open water divers – this is a dive worth looking into. Not only is it a chance to do a dive in Iceland, but also a chance to experience history.
11. Petra’s rock collection Surrounding the Stöðvarfjörður fjord is a beautiful mountain range that harbors a collection of rocks and minerals of various colours. Petra, a local woman, began to collect these rocks and minerals and is now the proud owner of the largest rock and mineral collection of its kind in the world.
Petra welcomes guests during the summer months from 9am until 6pm every day.
12. You can stay in an old French hospital Across from Fáskrúðsfjörður fjord en-route to Stöðvarfjörður fjord, stands an old but graceful house built in 1903. The house was originally used as a hospital for French sailors, but was moved to Hafnarnes bay in Fáskrúðsfjörður fjord in 1939 and used as an apartment building. It’s now been moved back to its original location and been beautifully restored as a hotel.
13. Hike into the wild Austurstræti (East Street in English), is a new 100-kilometer-long (62 mile) walking trail from Lón on the east coast of Iceland, all the way to Fljótsdalur, a valley situated in the highlands north of Vatnajökull glacier. It will take travelers approximately one week to walk the trail from one end to the other. There are huts and campsites along the way. This is a magnificent area. Due to its isolation it is much less travelled than most other parts of Iceland. For more information see East.is
