Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.08.2019, Page 46

You don’t need to spend long on the
Diamond Circle—northern Iceland’s
greatest sightseeing route—to realise
that it’s a different world to the neatly
kempt and touristed Golden Circle.
Deep in the rugged countryside of the
north, everything is rougher, stranger
and often even more beautiful.
We started out from Akureyri,
northern Iceland’s largest town and
a good base for the Diamond Circle.
After passing through the Vaðla-
heiðargöng tunnel—note, despite
minimal signage, you have to pay on-
line to avoid a fine—and were soon
deep in the wilds of the north, a thick
mist contributing to what was an al-
ready disorienting landscape.
The old gods
and new
Our first stop was the waterfall
Goðafoss, so named for the statues
of pagan gods that Icelanders threw
into the waters after they converted
to Christianity. Looking down into the
seething torrents of the semi-circular
cascade, you could well imagine why
a near religious significance was as-
cribed to this place.
40km eastward lies Lake Mývatn,
one of the landmark sites of the Dia-
mond Circle. It’s technically just one
lake, but it’s so pocked by outcrops and
islands that it feels like many more.
We stopped at Skútustaðagígar and
walked amongst the pseudo-craters—
bizarre rock formations caused by lava
violently exploding when it reached
the lakewater. From the top of these
craters, Mývatn seemed to stretch
on forever; the outcrops like strange
boats on a misty grey sea.
Boiling and
erupting
This elemental clash between water
and lava defines much of the Diamond
Circle, nowhere more strikingly than
at Dimmuborgir. Sometimes known
as ‘The Black Fortress,’ this strange
area was formed when heavy lava
covered wetlands, causing the water
to boil and erupt through the newly
formed rock. The result is an eerie ar-
ray of calcified explosions. Extensive
pathways run through the site, allow-
ing you to hike through the twisted,
rocky forest. Over it all towers the jet-
black volcano Hverfjall, which poured
forth the lava over 4,000 years ago.
The largest town on the Diamond
Circle is Húsavík, where we checked
into the luxurious Fosshotel Húsavík
and enjoyed a pleasant meal before
heading off to explore. Húsavík is a
beautiful port town, famed for its
whale watching tours, which have
some of the highest success rates in
the country. When we visited, the town
was heavily decorated with a range of
colourful—and often bizarre—sculp-
tures and artworks. The tourist office
explained that it was for Mærudagar,
the festival of candy—and we thought
the town couldn’t get any sweeter.
Thick, pearly
silver
Before departing Húsavík in the
morning, we dropped in at the Geo-
Sea Geothermal Baths. These toasty
bathing pools look over the sea, so you
can sit in the warm seawater and gaze
out towards the Arctic circle, thinking
about the day to come exploring the
north. It was time to press on. The fog
had lifted the previous evening, but it
returned with a vengeance, cloaking
the near-empty road in a thick, pearly
silver haze.
Having seen the dramatic power of
lava to shape the landscape, now we
were to see the power of water and ice.
Our next stop was Ásbyrgi, a vast can-
yon with rock walls over 100 metres
high. Scientists believe it was carved
out in a mighty flood from the Jökulsá
glacial river, thousands of years ago.
It’s a magical place to visit, with the
canyon cradling a lush green wood
where you can walk, emerging every
Distance from
Reykjavík:
388 km
How to get there:
Start at Akureyri
and choose your
own adventure
Acommodation
provided by:
Akureyriback-
packers.com &
Fosshotel.is
Car provided by:
Hertz.is
46The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 13— 2019
All That Glitters
A road trip around the otherworldly Diamond Circle
Words: Felix Robertson Photos: Art Bicnick
Travel
“Were
the earth
flat, this is
surely what
the edge
would look
like.”
A relaxation break at GeoSea A viewpoint at the Ásbyrgi canyon
View this QR code
in your phone
camera to visit our
recommended
tour booking site
Glittering caves on the DIamond Circle