Leaving Siglufjordur and continuing onwards, enjoy the tranquility and serenity of the countryside, and next make your way to the capital of the north - Akureyri. Here you ́ll be joining morning whale watching excursion out on Eyjafjordur fjord which is known for being visited by various types of whales. The most common in the the fjord nowadays are humpback whale, minki whale, harbour porpoise and some types of dolphins.
Head east out of Akureyri and towards Lake Myvatn. Stop at Godafoss waterfall, or ́ ́falls of the gods ́ ́. Back in the year 1000 when Iceland converted to Christianity, local chieftains would dump Pagan symbols and statues down these falls, thus giving them the name.
Once in Lake Myvatn enjoy a walk in the lava maze called Dimmuborgir, and around the pzeudo- craters at Skutustadir. Just take care not to disturb the trolls which reside there. Explore the very active geothermal field of Namaskard, filled with bubbling mud pools and screaming steam vents. Heading further East you ́ll turn off the main road and head up towards the most powerful waterfall in Europe, the Dettifoss waterfall. This mammoth of a waterfall is impressive and you ́ll literally feel the ground tremble as massive amounts of glacier meltwater come tumbling into the narrow ravine below. Then head back to Lake Myvatn for your overnight stay.
OK, the above itinerary is mostly what happened tomorrow - 3.g. the whale watching and Akureyri which is why I couldn't find the pictures:)
Because I am stupid and like to push things to the limit, I decided to drive to the other side of Godafoss waterfall because a guidebook said this was a more interesting side and not touristy. Big mistake. This meant a 30 minute drive along a gravel road which wasn't very good. I did see some Icelandic geese along the way, but, again, very isolated road and no options if I got a tire puncture. I believe Godafoss is where they filmed the beginning to Prometheus.
I made it without incident (both ways) and was rewarded with a rainbow and some beautiful views. A few other people showed up after I did, but I enjoyed being the only one around while it was possible.
The Falls are really amazing with a lot of water volume. I did eventually get back to the side everyone goes to (the "developed" side) and I believe it is actually better. If nothing else, the road is paved and the overlooks are amazing.
Back to Lake Myvatin and enjoyed driving by the Lake and seeing the unique lava build up.
I stopped at a place where I could walk along lava craters. Across the street from the parking lot was a wonderful place for ice cream.
On to Namaskard which had some thermal mud pots. Not the most exciting stop of the day.
More exciting was Dettifoss which was pretty amazing. Here you were further away from the falls, but one overlook was high up and very windy.
As I was walking to the viewing area there were cowboys herding Icelandic ponies - unfortunately no photos.
After coming back to the hotel, I changed and went to the Myvatn thermal baths for a lovely soak. This is the entrance:
These are the baths:
Then I had a really nice dinner at Fosshotel Mývatn which is where I spent the night.
Comentários