Iceland Day 5: Akureyri to Myvatn

From Myvatn …

Breakfast is at the Lamb Inn at 7:30a and we’re back on the road at 9:00a. Our first stop is an overlook above the fjord for a scenic view of the town of Akureyri.

After a 45-minute drive we’re at the Goðafoss waterfall. Here the Skjálfandafljót River plunges from 39 feet high and nearly 100 feet wide into a pool of turquoise water. Legend has it that lawspeaker Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi tossed Norse idols into the waterfall after deciding Iceland’s religion should be Christianity.

After Goðafoss we’re back on the bus for the quick drive to the seaside town of Húsavík. We pickup some lunch supplies to eat on the bus while we’re driving. On the way to the Dettifoss waterfall we stop at an overlook at Kópasker above the fjord with birds nesting in the cliffside. We’re here to see Atlantic Puffins. And we’re in luck! They’ve just arrived up north for the breeding season before heading south again in September.

About an hour drive inland and we reach the Dettifoss waterfall. The water flows from the Vatna Glacier via the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. This one is big! The waterfall is 330 feet wide and drops down 144 feet. And it’s powerful! The water flows over the falls at an average of over 250 cubic yards per second.

About 30 minutes down the road we reach the Lake Myvatn region. The lake was created by a volcanic eruption 2300 years ago, however, it’s a shallow lake averaging less than 10 feet of depth. During the winter months the lake freezes solid, but we visit the nearby high-temperature geothermal area called Námafjall. Sulfur fills the air.

We end the sightseeing portion of the day with a visit the Myvatn Nature Baths for a healing dip in geothermal waters heated 8,000 feet below the surface … and there is a swim up bar!

Tomorrow is whale watching!