Adventures in East Iceland – is this the new Golden Circle?
Accessing Iceland’s wild Eastern Fjords has always required a long drive, internal flight or long sea voyage. But this wild realm will soon be within easy reach…
Saddling up
Land of elves and eiders
Energy and life
A land apart
Hiking with the hidden folk
The following day, the weather continued to gyrate between balmy sunshine and Arctic-driven howler – perfect conditions for an invigorating hike at Borgarfjörður Eystri, the most northerly of the Eastern Fjords. Following sheep trails deep into the mountains of Dyrfjöll, walking guide Arngrimur Vidar led me to a valley jumbled with boulders and laced with jade-coloured pools.
“Welcome to the trolls’ kindergarten,” he said. “This is where they throw around their megablocks.” We slid down scree and edged across scraps of icy snow before entering the surreal labyrinth, known as Stórurð. If ever there was a candidate to make it onto East Iceland’s alternative Golden Circle, this was it.
Stórurð had all the hallmarks of an Icelandic icon – rugged and spectacular, yet enigmatic and otherworldly. As I scrambled among the lichen-fuzzed boulders, leaping streams rimmed with emerald-coloured moss, I wondered what other highlights might make it onto a must-see circuit of the east.
From puffin islands, basalt mountains and black-sand beaches to waterfalls, fishing villages and the Eastern Fjords themselves, this part of Iceland promises rich rewards for travellers. There’s a Golden Circle in East Iceland for anyone that wants to explore.
The author travelled with Discover the World on a seven-night tailormade trip exploring the East Fjords, including opportunities for bird watching, hiking, horseriding and Superjeep tours.
All images (unless otherwise stated) by William Gray
Main image: Black Wooden House at coastline in East Iceland (Shutterstock)
