Driving the East Fjords in Iceland

Iceland’s eastern region is a magnet for those who seek solitude and tranquillity, with plenty of end-of-the-world headlands, remote hikes, and tucked-away waterfalls littering its fjord coastline. They provide good reasons for parking up the car you’ve rented from us and exploring on foot for a while.

Starting in the north and winding our way southwards along its beautiful shoreline, let’s take a closer look at the East Fjords and delve into what defines them and makes them an extraordinary place to visit.

Borgarfjörður Eystri

As late as 2020, the road to Borgarfjörður Eystri was gravel, but now it’s completely tarmacked, making reaching this once-detached destination a much easier drive. That’s good news for summer visitors who’ve rightly heard that this is one of the best places in Iceland to come in search of puffins. They congregate around the marina at Hafnarhólmi until their chicks fledge, and they fly off back to the ocean sometime in mid-August.

If you’re coming early or late in the season, it’s worth checking the webcam to make sure these comical birds are there. Terns, curlews, and shearwaters are also commonly seen. If you're planning a wider road trip across the country, it's also worth learning about Iceland Highlands driving, where the rugged interior offers an entirely different kind of adventure.

This part of the East Fjords is also an attractive destination for hikers, with a number of walking paths centred on Stórurð (the Giant Rocks) that form part of the Víknaslóðir trails. Here, massive boulders seem incongruous amid a verdant landscape littered with turquoise pools. It’s quite remote; pick a fine day, park at the Vatnskarð Service Station, and allow at least six hours for your foray into this part of the Dyrfjöll mountains. If you can spare the time, it’s well worth the effort.

For scenic views without as much walking, consider driving to Njarðvíkurskriður to admire the screen slopes that line the water. In the past, the horse track that ran alongside was a treacherous path impacted by avalanches and mudslides. It was also said to be another present danger: a monster called Naddi, which would habitually block the route.

So legend had it, the beast would ambush travellers passing after dark, and they would never be seen again. There’s a cross with a Latin inscription beside the road; some say it honours a man who escaped the monster's clutches, though the first cross on this site is thought to have been erected in the 13th century – long before the incident took place.

<h2> Seyðisfjörður

If you’re road-tripping across Iceland, your first glimpse of Seyðisfjörður will be as you drop down from the mountain pass above the port and follow the road to the water’s edge. It nestles at the foot of Bjólfur and Strandartindur, two impressive peaks, each more than a thousand metres high, that overlook the fjord. This place is also where the ferry arrives from Denmark and the Faroes.

Seyðisfjörður has an artistic side too, as famously evidenced by the street that leads to its pretty blue church. The rainbow stripes that are painted onto the road attract many selfie-seekers, so don’t expect to have it to yourself, especially in summer. If you’re a creative type, it’s also worth seeking out the Skaftfell art centre and bistro, whose colourful art is on display in the gallery that’s housed in a quaint white building. Seyðisfjörður is also home base for the LungA School, which has nurtured talent, held exhibitions, and staged an annual festival to celebrate art in all its forms.

On a hillside overlooking the town, you’ll find a cluster of smooth grey domes, which are collectively known as Tvísöngur. This art installation by Lukas Kühne consists of interconnected concrete domes, and each has unique acoustics that amplify a single part of an Icelandic five-note harmony. It’s fun to play around inside, making noises and seeing what happens; if you manage to get the place to yourself, it’s also an interesting location for meditation and contemplation. And did we mention: the view over Seyðisfjörður is also delightful?

Mjóifjörður to Eskifjörður

Moving on through the East Fjords from Seyðisfjörður, you’ll need to backtrack to the ring road at Egilsstaðir as there’s no continuous road around the peninsula. The next body of water is Mjóifjörður. There’s a tiny village with some holiday accommodation, which makes a great base if you’re looking to get away from it all and absorb yourself in the hills, waterfalls, and beaches that characterise the landscape. Bike rental is possible, though many are content to hike; pick up a trail map at Sólbrekka café.

Looping back to the Ring Road and then on to the coast, you’ll reach Neskaupstaður, a town located on the fjord Norðfjörður. Just outside the town, within the Neskaupstaður Nature Reserve, is Páskahellir (Easter Cave). Descend the steps to the rocky shore where you might see fulmars, gulls, eider ducks, and auks.

Once you reach this wave-cut cave, be sure to check out the cylindrical holes, which scientists believe are proof that there was once a forest here until lava buried it many millions of years ago. Inside the cave, you can see pillow lava, quartz crystals, and other minerals; in winter, the cave is filled with icicles. But why does it get its unusual name? Local lore suggests that on Easter morning, you’ll see the sun light up the cave.

Next up: the fishing port of Eskifjörður with its glorious views towards the 985 metre tall Mount Hólmatindur and the Hólmanes nature reserve. Iceland spar, a translucent form of calcite, was once mined on the outskirts of town. It’s been protected as a natural monument for fifty years and is the focus of one of the area’s most rewarding hikes. Don’t be tempted to chip off a piece – these days, it’s forbidden to remove any rock from the mine.

Reyðarfjörður to Fáskrúðsfjörður

Reyðarfjörður is the widest of the fjords in Austurland, and it was once the site of Norwegian whaling stations. Today, the aluminium industry is a big employer, but you’ll still find that much of the area is unspoilt and pretty, not least along the Búðarán River. Other hikes worth considering lead up Grænafell and along the Geithúsaá gorge. If you’re interested in history, there’s a fascinating museum here that tells the story of the role Reyðarfjörður played during World War Two when it hosted a British military base.

Moving on, choose the scenic route along Road 955 to Fáskrúðsfjörður instead of the tunnel you’ll encounter on the more direct Ring Road. This means you’ll have the opportunity to see the Breiðdalsàfoss waterfall and the Vattarnes Sea Cliffs before looping back close to Gilsárfoss.

If something feels a little different about Fáskrúðsfjörður, then look to its history. The first people to live here weren’t Norse incomers, native Icelanders – they were 19th-century French sailors. In fact, the northern French town of Gravelines is twinned with Fjarðabyggð, of which Fáskrúðsfjörður forms part. To learn more about this unusual connection, if you’re here in summer, it’s worth calling into the French Museum, whose collection is split between two historically significant buildings, the French Hospital and the Doctor’s House. You could also take a stroll out to the Cimetière Française, the final resting place of several dozen French seamen.

Stöðvarfjörður to Djúpivogur

From Fáskrúðsfjörður, the Ring Road hugs the coast, so follow it until you reach Saxa, overlooking the ocean. This is the site of a blowhole where the waves erupt from a cleft in the rock, dramatically ejecting any seaweed that has collected within it. Continue a little further to reach some coastal cliffs just shy of the town. These were the blank canvas for a series of petroglyphs, which include depictions of birds such as fulmar and terns as well as an Icelandic rider on horseback.

Then you’ll come to Stöðvarfjörður itself. Visitors from far afield come to this small village to admire the collection of an old lady who passed away more than a decade ago. Steinasafn Petru Stöðvarfirði (Petra’s Stone Collection represents a lifetime’s passion for rocks and stones. It’s a fascinating stop if you have a keen interest in geology or the healing properties of certain minerals. The collection can be viewed from May until the middle of October.

Follow the road as it passes through Breiðdalsvik and the black sand beach at Meleyri. Loop around Berufjörður, and soon you’ll reach Djúpivogur. Art takes centerstage here, as this is where you’ll find an installation called Eggin í Gleðivík on the quayside. It consists of 34 granite eggs, each representing a different bird species that nests in the area. The traditional wooden buildings closer to the harbour are a reminder of the history of this place as a fishing and trading hub.