Austurland, Eastern Region - Huginn & Muninn Travels Discover Iceland’s Eastern Treasures

Austurland is the region which covers most of the eastern coastline. The biggest city in Austurland is Egilsstaðir. It starts from just underneath Bakkafjörður (near road 85) and stops between Skeiðará Bridge Monument and Skeiðarársandur. A lot of wildlife can be found in this part of Iceland. It also covers a big part of the Vatnajökull national park. Let’s discover Iceland’s Eastern Treasures

Roads

If the weather allows the drive, you can, of course, just take the 1 going out of Egilsstaðir and join the coastline right before Reyðarfjörður. You can also take a few different roads driving up to other villages like Seyðisfjörður or Neskaupstaður. All the different fjords have their own roads, which means that you can’t drive over the mountains, you need to go around them. But those roads are amazing! I love the drive from Egilsstaðir to Seyðisfjörður, it also has a lot of waterfalls going down to the fjord.

Wildlife

Reindeer

Once you are in the area of Stuðlagil, and you drive the 1 clockwise, you have changes of seeing Reindeer. All the way down to Jökulsárlón, the glacier lagoon. These animals come down from the higher mountain areas during the winter time, and you have a good chance of seeing them near the more populated areas. As far as I know, it is also one of the few areas where you can find Reindeer on the menu. You have a good chance of seeing them around mount Snæfell.

Birdlife

One Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) on its nest in the cliffside.

Because the road will take you over the Eastfjords you have a good chance of seeing a lot of seabirds like the Eider or Arctic Terns. Not only can you spot the birds on the coast or in the water, but also on the mountain ridges on the other side of the road. A lot of Northern fulmar will nest in/on the rocks and can be seen flying around them in big groups.

Puffins

A Puffin floating mid air showing off its beautiful colours

Also Puffins can be spotted on this region of the island. The cliffs of the Hafnarhólmi bay have the bird spotting area called Borgarfjörður eystri. You can find a lot of puffins here during their nesting season. They are, kind of, used to people and are therefore less shy. You can come closer than in other less visited places. Personally, I haven’t visited this site because a lot of tourists know about this spot, and I like it when the animals are still a bit more cautious. But I would like to visit it next time.

Arctic fox

Also Iceland’s only native mammal can be spotted in the area, the Arctic fox. Arctic foxes are not that big and change their fur colour going from winter to summer and back. In the winter, they have their beautiful white coats and in the summer months it changes to a darker brown or almost black coat.

Seals

Grey seal in the waterline near Jökulsárlón. The upper part of its head is just above the water

The playful seals can be spotted along the coastline. You would also have very good changes of seeing seals around Jökulsárlón. I have seen them in the lagoon and near the beach. There are two species of seals that can be found permanently around Iceland, the Grey seal and the Harbour seal. I have only spotted the Grey seals. If you are lucky, you can also spot harp seals, bearded seals, hooded seals and ringed seals. They are occasionally found around Iceland.

What to do and hidden gems

The view up stream Stuðlagil canyon on the south bank looking to the south. The basalt columns, with makes it famous, are seen on both sides of the river. Which is coloured in a greenish blue.

There is, of course, a lot to do and to see in this region. Driving in this region is beautiful in both directions. If you drive clockwise, you will start in the northern part of the region. You will pass Stuðlagil canyon. This is a beautiful basalt canyon with the river Jökla. Back in the days, the river would have filled almost the entire canyon. But this changed when the hydroelectric plant Karahnjukavrikjun was built. Then the water shifted from a full, wild and sometimes dangerous river to an easier stream which can now be visited by tourists.

The light blue Seyðisfjarðarkirkja in Seyðisfjörður with the rainbowroad leading towards it. In the background you see the start of the Bjólfur Mountain.

Maybe by now you have seen enough nature and are looking for something else. If you want to see some nice Icelandic towns, go check out Egilsstaðir and Seyðisfjörður. Seyðisfjörður is a beautiful, nice and cozy village on the edge of the Seyðisfjörður (fjord). The road to it is unbelievably beautiful, and the town is filled with lovely colored houses. And it has a rainbow road leading to the church. So, if you are looking for a gasstation, groceries or a nice restaurant or a drink, check out the nearby towns.

Steinasafn Petru

The picture show a part of the collection of minerals which you can see it the garden of Petra. Surrounding the collection you see mostly pine trees and flowers.

Steinasafn Petru is just a heart-warming stop. Petra’s Stone collection is a museum and experience along the 1. It is a collection of a lady called Petra who collected rocks and minerals for a big part of her life. Eventually her house became too small and she and her family worked on making her incredible rock garden. It is heart-warming to see the love that is put into making it into the lovely museum it is now. You can enjoy her collection of not only the rocks and minerals she found but also her other collections of whale bones or taxidermy birds or matchboxes. We enjoyed our lunch, waffles with rhubarb jam and hot chocolate milk, in her sunroom.

Hvannagil

Another lesser known spot is Hvannagil or The Golden Valley (tourist name). If you want to drive up closer to the valley, it is wiser to go with a 4X4 because of all the loose rocks. Hvannagil is near Stafafell and mostly reachable by using the 1. The last 10 to 15 minutes are on an unnamed non-paved road, but it’s a gorgeous drive with good weather. You drive alongside a riverbank, past what looks like a campsite or holiday homes, up to an area with loose rocks and pebbles. The hills of the Golden Valley are beautifully coloured. You walk over or through a dried up river bed and can continue to multiple walking trails. We haven’t tried them yet, but would love to on a good day. It is a great stop if you have the time, even if you do not have the time to do the walking trail.

Viking Village Prop Movie set

If you drive further south you will pass magical colored mountains which look like they are covered in dark velvet. And if you drive just a bit further, you will pass the exit to Vesturhorn or Vestrahorn. You will have to buy a ticket at the café to get to the Viking Village Movie set. This was used in The Witcher for example. With the ticket you can drive, almost, all the way to Stokksnes. Here is a lighthouse, a radar tower and some neat geological formations. Here you can spot seals and seabirds. Halfway between The Viking Village and Stokksnes is a viewpoint of the Vestrahorn mountain. If you are there right before or right after low tide, you can get the reflection of the mountain in the water. Because the water is on black sand, you have a natural mirroreffect.

The tops of Vestrahorn Mountain are covered in a thick mist. With a thin layer of water remaining after low tide you can see the reflection of Vestrahorn.

Jökulsárlón

If you are near the borders of the eastern region, you will come across Jökulsárlón, the glacier lagoon. This beautiful lagoon is the melting water of the glacier tongue Breiðarmerkurjökull. Also, the icebergs that are floating in the lagoon are broken off of this glacier tongue. If you are looking for an icy tour, you can book a glacier lagoon tour or you could go for an ice cave tour. The famous Blue Ice Cave is a few kilometers away from the lagoon, depending on the tour your tour operator will bring you to the cave. The water of the lagoon ends in the sea and takes the floating icebergs with it. Some of these icy formations will be pushed back to the beach, which is, of course, black sand. This beach is called Breiðamerkursandur, but it is also known under the tourist name Diamond Beach. Keep in mind that at high tide the ice can’t strand on the beach.

Discover the eastern treasure, Múlagljúfur Canyon

The picture shows the view into the Múlagljúfur Canyon. You can see the top of Rótarfjallshnúkur and the waterfall Hangandifoss underneath it . Green velvet moss covers the canyon walls and a snowy blanket covers the top of the mountain.

One of the lesser known, but gets more fame nowadays, is the Múlagljúfur Canyon. It was probably known by hikers because it is a fantastic hike to a beautiful green velvet canyon. The first part of the hike is an easy one with a beautiful view on the glacier tongue. We are inexperienced hikers, so we forgot the waterbottles and mid-hike snacks. The hike took us about 2.5 hours to go all the way and back. There are 2 ”plateaus” to stop and have a nice view before you hike the final few hundred meters. Getting to the end was very satisfying and so worth the effort. You get a beautiful view, if the weather allows, all the way to the ocean. You can see Jökulsárlón and its icy tongue and, if you look closely, you can even see some icebergs.

Hot pots

After a nice day of exploring, you can feel yourself longing for some relaxation. That is where the hot springs come in. There are a few to be found in this region. There is also the Laugarvellir Hot Natural Pot, which is a natural hot spring with a warm waterfall within unpaved roads. If you are not planning on driving a longer way to your ”spa” you can also visit the Vök baths. Most natural hot springs are around 38 degrees and sometimes have algae growth in them. If you don’t mind that, you will have a great time.

The sign of the Vök baths. It is sat on the parking lot so there is grass and cars behind it.

Waterfalls

Of course, there are a lot of waterfalls in this region. A lot of them are not next to the road. I personally have only visited a few here, but there are a lot more. Like a lot more. I have visited two waterfalls in Skaftafell Nature Reserve, Hundafoss and Svartifoss. Also the two waterfalls on the Mulagljufur Canyon hike are really cool, but mostly because of the area they’re in. Another fun waterfall to visit is the Nykurhylsfoss. But pay attention if you visit this one, it is the living place of the Nykur. You will also come across a lot if you drive from Egilsstaðir to Seydisfjordur.

If you need help looking for the perfect visit to this area, send me a message and together we can make a memorable holiday. Discover Iceland’s Eastern Treasures with Huginn & Muninn travels.

Would you like to know more about the different regions of Iceland, check out the other pages like Suðurnes, Southern Peninsula.