An ever more popular destination for tourists, Iceland cannot be reduced to the ten or fifteen sites whose photos are constantly circulating on the Internet. The Eastern region, renowned for its majestic fjords, will seduce those in search of hidden beauty and tranquillity, closer to nature and off the beaten track.
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Iceland, a trendy destination? Euphemism. In 2010, this island country of 370,000 inhabitants welcomed 450,000 tourists a year. In 2019 they were two million. At a run, most chain the spots to the four corners of the country, hoping to see as much as possible.
Why scatter? What if we took our time in the East – Australia – discovering nuggets less mainstream. Mountains, fjords, waterfalls, Icelandic horses, reindeer, moors as far as the eye can see, black sand: a concentrate from Icelandminus the swarms of tourists, an hour’s flight from Reykjavik.
The fjord of Borgarfjörður eystri deserves a little. One hour drive from Egilsstaðir, main city from the east, it is home to the locality of Bakkagerði.
One hundred and thirty inhabitants, most fishermen or sheep farmers. Caught between towering mountains and the North Atlantic. Nature grabs you in the gut. It’s raw, austere, isolated. Authentic. Visit the Lindarbakki, last traditional house of the village, built in 1899, and its interior like a doll’s house.
For folklore, we do the ascent of Álfaborg, home of Borghildur, Queen of the Elves. From the top, the panorama is fabulous. Next door to the Blábjörg resort hotel-restaurant, the KHB Brugghus distillery produces beers and spirits. There’s even a pub upstairs!
10 minutes by car, the port is the ideal spot to observe colonies of puffins, from April to August. Your peepers want more? Descend to Seydisfjörður then Mjóifjörður, one of the beautiful fjords of the region. Inland, the Stuðlagil canyon is famous for its basalt columns. For once, that’s touristy.
You don’t leave Iceland without bathing in hot springs and climbing riding an Icelandic horseproud descendant of those brought by the vikings a thousand years ago. To Egilsstaðirthe Finnsstaðir equestrian center offers one-hour outings in the great outdoors and is accessible to beginners.
For the dip, go nearby to the geothermal siteVök Baths. The outdoor pools at 37, 38 and 41 degrees placed on the water of Lake Urriðavatn are fed by a natural hot spring, just to remind you that the island matters. 130 active volcanoes. No doubt, the East is really a big bowl of Iceland.
We liked
Relax in the hot springs of Vök Baths while sipping a drink. Then eat there.
We liked less
Tourists at Stuðlagil and the viewing platform from which the basalt columns cannot be seen.
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Destination Iceland: surrender to the beauty of the East Fjords
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