It’s about 600 km (370 mi) from Sandvíkurheidi, between Bakkafjördur and Vopnafjördur in the north, to Lómagnúpur in the south. This marks the beginning and end of East Iceland. The population of this region is 11,500 people. From Egilsstadir, which in many ways serves as the hub of the region with its domestic airport offering connections to Reykjavík, it’s nearly the same distance to drive the Ring Road in either the southern or northern direction. The only regular passenger and car ferry to Iceland, Norræna, arrives weekly in Seydisfjördur from the Faroe Islands and Denmark.
East Iceland is, in many ways, a unique region well worth visiting. There are beautiful coastal villages nestled in the fjords, such as Seydisfjördur, Eskifjördur, Mjóifjördur, or Djúpivogur. The stunning natural beauty around Vatnajökull, from Höfn westward into Vatnajökull National Park in Skaftafell, is quite simply unparalleled. In Hérad, you’ll find the country’s largest forest, Hallormsstadaskógur, renowned for its mild weather. Then, of course, there’s the highlands north of Vatnajökull, which are truly unique in every sense. In Mödrudalur a Fjöllum, Iceland’s highest inhabited farm, not only is there a magnificent view over the vast wilderness, but you can also enjoy honest and traditional Icelandic food that actually tastes a little better in the thin air, after a long day’s journey.
Iceland 26/02/2024 : RX1RII, A7RIII : 2.0/35mm Z, FE 1.4/50mm Z, FE 2.8/90mm G, FE 2.8/100mm GM
Images & text: Páll Stefánsson
