The Golden Circle and Reynisfjara are wonderful, but Iceland rewards travellers who venture beyond the coaches. These are the places where you can breathe, often without seeing another soul for hours. For many visitors, it is precisely these remote corners that become the most treasured memory of the whole trip.
The Westfjords — Iceland as it used to be
The Westfjords are the most remote part of the country, and traffic is thin. Some roads are winding gravel, but the payoff is scenery few visitors ever witness. Towns such as Ísafjörður and Patreksfjörður make good bases, with accommodation, fuel and famously warm locals.
- Dynjandi — the crown jewel of the region, a wide, tiered waterfall that fans out like a bridal veil. A short but steep path climbs past a string of smaller falls.
- Rauðasandur — an endless beach of red-gold and pink sand that shifts colour with the light and the tides. The gravel road down is steep but worth it.
- Hornstrandir — a roadless nature reserve ruled by the Arctic fox, reached only by boat from Ísafjörður or Norðurfjörður in summer. There are no services, so you carry everything yourself.
The best window is June to September. Outside that, snow closes the high mountain passes, and distances take far longer than the map suggests, so give yourself plenty of time.
The Diamond Circle in the North
While the Golden Circle heaves with tour groups, the Diamond Circle around Lake Mývatn and Húsavík stays far calmer. From Húsavík you can also join some of the world's finest whale-watching tours.
- Goðafoss — an elegant, horseshoe-shaped waterfall right beside the ring road.
- Dettifoss — Europe's most powerful waterfall, thunderous and raw.
- Ásbyrgi — a horseshoe canyon carpeted in birch.
- Mývatn — volcanic craters, pseudo-craters and the Nature Baths, a quieter alternative to the Blue Lagoon.
Askja and the interior
Inland lies another world entirely. Askja is a vast volcanic caldera holding Víti, a milky crater lake you can bathe in. You reach it by 4x4 along F-roads that usually open only from mid-July to September. Never attempt it in a small car or without experience — the river crossings can be dangerous, and there is no phone signal or help nearby. Other interior jewels include Landmannalaugar, with its rainbow rhyolite mountains, and Kerlingarfjöll, with steaming geothermal slopes.
Seyðisfjörður and Stuðlagil
In the East sits Seyðisfjörður, a colourful arts town with a rainbow street and old Norwegian timber houses, and the arrival point of the ferry from mainland Europe. Not far away is Stuðlagil, a spectacular basalt-column canyon with turquoise glacial water, only fully revealed after a dam reduced the river's flow. You can view it from either bank — the western side needs about an hour on foot.
Wild geothermal bathing
Iceland is full of natural bathing spots if you know where to look, and little beats soaking in warm water under a starlit sky.
- Reykjadalur — the "Steam Valley" above Hveragerði, where a warm river runs through the hills. Hike about an hour up and pick a spot by temperature.
- Tiny pools like Hrunalaug and Landbrotalaug — please tread lightly on fragile ground, leave no trace and respect private land.
Vestrahorn and Stokksnes
Near Höfn rises Vestrahorn, a jagged peak mirrored in the black sands of Stokksnes. It is one of the most photographed places in the country yet oddly serene, especially early in the morning. A small fee is paid at the on-site café, which maintains the area.
Practical tips for the road
Carry plenty of fuel, as petrol stations are sparse off the main routes. Check road status on vegagerdin.is and the weather on vedur.is before you set off, and leave your travel plan with safetravel.is. Always respect the land — the marked trails, the closures and the silence that make these places so special. Pack food, warm layers and sturdy boots, because the weather can turn fast and shops are few this far out. That is how we keep these gems intact for the generations to come, and enjoy Iceland at its very best — quiet, clean and untouched.