Mývatn, Askja, Northeast Iceland

Iceland's North and Northwest offer some terrific landscapes and easy access to the highland.

There are many pseudo craters along the shores of the Mývatn near Skútustaðir. Salmon anglers have their own territory and even ornithologists will certainly like this place because of the large amount of birds breeding there.

There are also many things to see around this lake: Dimmuborgir, the Mývatn Nature Baths, Höfði (not the house where Ronald Reagan and Michail Gorbatschow met but a small peninsula at Mývatn), Námafjall/Hverarönd, and Hverfell.

A bit further away are located Krafla, Dettifoss, Selfoss and Hafragilsfoss, and even more waterfalls if you go towards Ásbyrgi.

What you shouldn't miss under any circumstances is Askja! Either you rent a 4WD or book a tour with one of the tour operators to get there. The Icelandic highland is just amazing. Some of the camping sites there have even toilets with flush!

I can recommend a whale-watching tour in the North near Húsavík but also visiting the whale museum in this town should be part of your itinerary. If you want something extravagant you should visit the Icelandic Phallological Museum. It's not a joke. This museum really exists! It was originally located in Reykjavík.

It is getting more lonelier along the North coast but a visit in Ásbyrgi should not be missed. If you have a 4WD you can also visit Hljóðaklettar: echo rocks.
The Hraunhafnartangi is located on the most northern point of the Melrakkasletta at the Atlantic coast: a lighthouse which is just two or three kilometers away from the Arctic Circle.