Myvatn and North Iceland: A Volcanic Change of Scenery
Photo note: Unless explicitly credited otherwise, the photos in this Iceland article are our original images from our September 27-October 6, 2024 Ring Road trip.
อ่านบทความนี้เป็นภาษาไทย: เปิดเวอร์ชันภาษาไทย
North Iceland landscape from our October 4 driving day near the Myvatn region.
North Iceland changed the feel of our trip. After the South Coast, glaciers, and Eastfjords, the Mývatn region brought volcanic formations, geothermal ground, and a broader, more open landscape. The scenery felt less like a sequence of famous viewpoints and more like a whole region to explore.
Vogafjós farm restaurant receipt near Mývatn
Our trip records also include a receipt from Vogafjós farm restaurant near Mývatn. That kind of stop suited the northern section: after a day outside, a warm meal and a real table gave us a useful reset before the next drive.
Dessert with cake, cream, berries, and ice cream from our Mývatn food stop.
The menu and food photos from this stop are a useful reminder to check opening hours before arriving. Mývatn is remote enough that a restaurant meal should be planned around the driving day, not left until everyone is already tired and hungry.
Make Mývatn a regional day
We would not reduce the area to a quick stop between the East and Akureyri. Give the volcanic and geothermal sights a full day, then continue when the weather and energy allow. A regional day also gives you room to change the order of stops instead of forcing an exposed walk in wind or rain.
Mývatn works particularly well as part of a camper-van loop. You can choose a campsite based on conditions, fuel, and how much daylight remains instead of committing to a rigid hotel-to-hotel schedule. Keep a flexible food plan too: a simple meal in the van is useful when a scenic stop takes longer than expected, while Vogafjós is the sort of restaurant stop worth planning around.
Read the Hertz camper-van review and then return to the complete Ring Road itinerary.