Iceland review - 2015, Page 84

82 ICELAND REVIEW
Iceland is a spectacular place to visit, but you’ll find the next level
of spectacular in East Iceland, where the fjords bedazzle and the
open space soothes away stress. On the opposite side of Iceland
to the capital, East Iceland is a beacon of peace and open space,
but is also pleasantly easy to get to.
THE MAGIC STARTS HERE
As tectonic forces rip Iceland apart down the middle, the oldest
rocks are found in the far east and west of the country, meaning
that the East Fjords are geologically among the oldest parts of
Iceland—still only 12-or-so million years, but decidedly weathered
and full of character.
Ice Age glaciers were responsible for carving over a dozen fjords
into the eastern shore, most of which are now home to a hamlet,
village or town—and usually connected to the outside world by
roads once driven never forgotten. How could you forget hairpin
bends past raging waterfalls, near-vertical mountainsides on three
sides and a view of the coast usually only achieved by helicopter?
There’s a lot more to the region than that, and Visit East
EASE INTO EAST ICELAND
Make your way out east for a taste of a different kind of Iceland—
where the scenery’s just a bit more scenic, and life’s just a little livelier.
THE PEACEFUL EAST
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Lake Lögurinn. Reindeer on Snæfell.
The heart of Seyðisfjörður. The view from Hellisheiði over Hérað and Héraðsflói Bay.