Iceland's North: From Mývatn to Bólstaðarhlíð

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The day opened in the restless volcanic country north of Mývatn, where steam rose from Krafla’s ochre ridges and dark lava fields. From the gray bowl of Hverfjall, the route descended toward Mývatn’s green pseudocraters, quiet water, and sheep-grazed slopes. Goðafoss brought a sudden wall of white water and mist before the drive turned west beneath low clouds and shifting shafts of sunlight. Horses gathered in luminous pasture as rainbows touched the mountains, while empty roads crossed broad valleys and moss-covered plains. Near the eastern end of Vatnsskarð, the stone monument at Arnarstapi recalled poet Stephan G. Stephansson and the Icelanders who emigrated to North America. The final frames held the mountains, streams, grazing horses, and lingering brightness of a Skagafjörður summer evening.

Iceland's Sunny North: From Mjóifjörður to Mývatn

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The day began beside the still blue water and steep, snow-streaked walls of remote Mjóifjörður, where a rusting landing craft rests on the shore and sheep wander across the quiet road. Climbing out of the fjord brought a chain of waterfalls, dark basalt ravines, and wide views back toward the sea. In Seyðisfjörður, the rainbow street, blue church, timber houses, and calm lagoon added a bright human interlude. Beyond the pass, the landscape opened into volcanic plains and distant rain showers before the immense drop of Dettifoss appeared beneath a vivid rainbow. Evening light then followed the lupine-covered shores and cliffs of Tjörnes, before the journey ended among the mineral colors, bubbling mud, and rising steam of Hverir near Mývatn.

Mývatn on Stan Grams Photography

Iceland's North: From Mývatn to Bólstaðarhlíð

Iceland's Sunny North: From Mjóifjörður to Mývatn