Traveling the Ring Road of Iceland: Visiting the Diamond Circle Day 1

The lesser known Diamond Circle is a must see when taking the trip around the Ring Road of Iceland.

While researching what to see in Husavik, we stumbled upon a treasure in North Iceland.  While the Golden Circle draws visitors for quick trips near Reykjavik, the Diamond Circle draws those seeking true Icelandic adventure.

Both first and last on the circle is the magnificent Godafoss.  Godafoss sits on the edge of the Ring Road, and will have a post of it's own.  It's story and striking features create a strong comparison to  to Gullfoss in the south.  It's a waterfall unlike another, and well worth the visit.

Husavik sits as the next stop as you head north around the Diamond Circle.  As this was our reason for traveling north, we spent some time here. (Click to read.)  It's the perfect spot to spend the night and grab what you need.  If you do not want to spend the night in Husavik, continue north around the Diamond Circle.  There you'll find camp 66 degrees north.  Located directly on the edge of the Artic Ocean, this was the furthest spot north we stopped.  Where you stay simply depends on where you are on the circle.

We spent one night in Husavik and started for Hverir first.  Making our way toward Lake Myvatn, Hverir was the first stop.  Located on private property, Hverir is a geothermal swamp area.  The area was one of the heaviest to carry the sulfur smells that come from the heating sources within the earth.  

Continue on, and you'll come to Grjotagia.  Grjotagia is a series of underground magma streams which bring heat to the area.  At various times the temperatures in the cave raise and fall depending on what the magma is doing under the earth.  At one point, this was a popular place for bathing for locals.  Now a tourist spot, it's heat is an alluring source of interest for tourists.

Back in the car, it was a short drive to the krater Hverfjall.  Hverfjall stands alone in the area and is easy to spot.  Part of a series of eruptions from thousands of years ago, the krater sits at the edge of the surrounding area.  On a good day in Iceland, it offers amazing views of the surrounding landscapes.  On a rainy day, as we had, it sits as an ominous reminder of the creation of Iceland's geography.

We then followed the maps we had picked up and found some added rosettes.  Dimmuborgir was an amazing stop we had not anticipated.  A geographical living maze, the landscape here provided some excellent hiking.  Visitors are given the option to stay on the paved paths, or make their way onto jagged hiking paths with incredible views.  We opted for the jagged hiking path and it did not disappoint.  We saw only four others along the trail, with amazing views along the way.

We then made our way to the edge of Lake Myvatn.  We found a few hikes and were pleasantly surprised with a panoramic view of the lake when we pulled off to a random site.  You could easily spend another day hiking the different paths around the lake.  It was clear Iceland was doing work to make the lake easily accessible and well equipped to handle visitors. 

We then added Alderjayfoss to our list of waterfalls we went out of our way to find.  Located just off the Diamond Circle, it's about an hour drive from Godafoss.  Traveling through fields and hiking over a ridge, it was well worth the find.

Another pass at Godafoss and we were done with our first day on the Diamond Cicle.  Day 2 would prove to be another worthwhile adventure!

Start planning your trip to Iceland!

Husavik

Hvammstangi

Aukreyi

National Park

Lava Tunnel

Golden Circle

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