3 Things You ABSOLOUTELY CAN’T MISS Around Egilsstaðir, Iceland
Recently I traveled to the east of Iceland to visit some friends. On a fine Monday we decided to take a nice touristy day and see the sights! My friend is born and raised in Egilsstaðir so she knew the whole area inside and out. Myself, I have only driven through the region but you can bet I’ll be back!
Hengifoss
Our first stop was at the beautiful waterfall Hengifoss. You can see it very well from the road right where the big lake (or river?) Lagarfljót starts. It looks high up in the mountain hill but it’s actually a nice and easy hike up there. Hengifoss is the 3rd highest waterfall in Iceland, standing 128 meters tall in a great canyon. In the cliffs where it flows you can see red lines that show different layers from volcanic eruptions.
One tip I recommend to make the trip even more fun. Bring a water bottle and fill it from the stream. The water is incredibly fresh!
The pool at Laugarfell
This is a place that you cannot miss! You drive for about 30 minutes up the road which leads to the Kárahnjúkar dam and you take a left onto a gravel road when you see the sign which leads to Laugarfell. There you will find a geothermal pool in the middle of the highlands. I’ve been to many of Iceland’s geothermal pools but this one is probably one of the best. There are two pools, the old one and the new one. From the pool you will see a beautiful waterfall as well as have an amazing view over the Icelandic highlands, glaciers and mountains.
Definitely a cannot-miss on your trip of the east!
The buffet at Skriðuklaustur
Skriðuklaustur is an old Catholic monastery. The actual monastery is actually long gone, but you can explore the ruins on the premise. The restaurant Klausturkaffi is located in the famous old house at Skriðuklaustur. From May through September they offer two types of buffets, lunch buffet and a coffee buffet. We went for the coffee buffet which starts in the afternoon. They had pies, buns, chocolate cakes, cheese and crackers – you name it! From what I’ve heard the lunch buffet is equally as good.
What a way to finish your day!
But the East of Iceland actually has numerous other things to explore. Contact the What’s On Team to help you figure out the details and book your trip!
