Anyone reaching Iceland for the first time almost always ends up along the famous Golden Circle. It’s certainly not wrong, but heading further north offers the opportunity to undertake a route that can deliver even more spectacular scenery and a sense of immense freedom (yes, the island truly is a Master in all this). The Diamond Circle, in fact, encapsulates the essence of the place in about 250 km, crossing one of the planet’s geologically most active areas, where the North American and Eurasian plates continue to drift apart, shaping the land through eruptions, earthquakes, and geothermal springs.
Officially inaugurated as a tourist itinerary in 2020, it is a succession of scenic roads that wind between valleys carved by glaciers, lava fields, coastlines battered by the Mare di Groenlandia and canyons carved by rivers fed by the great interior ice caps. In just a few kilometers you move from the deep green of a birch forest to the ochre hues of a geothermal valley, up to the absolute black of solidified lava.
History also accompanies the journey: ancient Nordic sagas, legends dedicated to the Norse gods, and events that changed the fate of Iceland interweave with a nature that manages to impose itself over any human presence. Here, essentially, you follow the pace of the Earth.
The most beautiful stops of the Diamond Circle
The itinerary can be traveled clockwise or counterclockwise, although many travelers choose to start from Akureyri, considered the capital of northern Iceland. While it can be completed in a day, at least two days allow you to truly savor its atmosphere, also giving space to the numerous detours scattered along the route.
Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods (48 km – 40 min from Akureyri)
The name Goðafoss, translated, means “Waterfall of the Gods” and it is a plunge about 30 meters wide and 12 meters high that appears almost perfectly semicircular, creating a natural amphitheater in which the glacial river Skjálfandafljót unleashes all its energy.
The panorama changes completely depending on the observation point: both banks grant different perspectives, linked by a pedestrian bridge that crosses the river a little downstream. From here also appears Geitafoss, a more compact waterfall that completes an already extraordinary scene.
Húsavík, the Icelandic whale-watching capital (58 km – 50 min)
Overlooking the Skjálfandi Bay, Húsavík bears a character deeply tied to the sea. Colorful-roofed houses, fishing boats, cafés and small restaurants that reflect in the harbor contribute to a surprisingly lively atmosphere for a town of just a few thousand inhabitants.
Its nickname, “the Icelandic Whale Watching Capital,” perfectly captures its vocation: the cold waters rich in plankton attract numerous cetacean species for much of the year. Humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and, at times, even orcas populate this stretch of sea, making Húsavík one of Europe’s best places for observing large marine mammals.
Ásbyrgi, the canyon that according to legend bears the imprint of Odin’s horse (66 km – 55 min)
The landscape changes once again and fills with vertical walls up to 100 meters high that enclose a huge horseshoe-shaped canyon over 3.5 km long. Yes, we are talking about one of Iceland’s most unusual natural formations.
Scientifically, Ásbyrgi arose thousands of years ago thanks to a massive glacial flood triggered by the rapid emptying of a lake trapped beneath the ice. The enormous body of water carved the ground with impressive force, leaving the semicircular shape visible today.
Nordic mythology, however, prefers a much more poetic explanation: according to legend, that gigantic horseshoe would be the imprint left by Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse. At the canyon’s floor, among other things, grows one of the island’s most lush birch forests, a rather rare feature in a country characterized by vast stretches without trees. Easy trails traverse the forest to the small Botnstjörn lake, whose waters reflect the tall basalt cliffs.
Not far away also opens the Vesturdalur valley, famous for Hljóðaklettar, the “Echo Cliffs,” with twisted basalt columns, natural arches and caves born from the cooling of lava.
Dettifoss, the force of water in its pure state (63 km – 55 min)
The roar arrives long before the waterfall, vibrating in the air, crossing the ground and accompanying the last meters of the path to the viewpoint. It is at that moment that Dettifoss appears, a milky-gray expanse of water plunging abruptly into the canyon carved by the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river.
With a width of about 100 meters and a drop of 45 meters, it is considered Europe’s most powerful waterfall by volume of water. The current, fed by the Vatnajökull glacier, carries volcanic sand and glacial sediments that give the river its characteristic opaque color. The result is a primordial spectacle, dominated by a force difficult to describe.
Dettifoss has also entered cinema history thanks to the opening sequence of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, chosen to represent a planet still dominated by the forces of nature. A few minutes further upstream there is another marvel called Selfoss, decidedly lower but much wider.
Lake Mývatn and the Diamond Circle’s volcanic universe (74 km – 1h)
The last major stop holds a concentration of geological phenomena difficult to find elsewhere. Mývatn, whose name means “Lake of the midges,” ranks fourth among Iceland’s largest natural lakes. Tiny insects populate the area during the summer, but they do not pose a danger. Much more interesting is its exceptional biodiversity, considered one of Europe’s birdwatching paradises.
The entire region appears as an open-air geological laboratory. The pseudocraters of Skútustaðagígar are among the most fascinating examples. Despite their appearance, these circular rims are not true volcanic craters. They formed when incandescent lava reached swampy ground, triggering gigantic steam explosions that sculpted the landscape.
A few kilometers further on, precisely at the foot of Námafjall, opens Hverir, one of Iceland’s most spectacular geothermal areas. Fumaroles, boiling mud pools and mineral deposits colored ochre, yellow and orange transform the ground into a natural palette. Steam continuously vents from beneath the surface, reminding us how thin and unstable the crust is in this part of the island.
Continuing toward the volcanic system of Krafla, which starred in a long series of eruptions between 1975 and 1984, enormous lava fields still cross by fumaroles. Here you also find Víti, an explosive crater of about 300 meters in diameter born during the violent eruption of 1724, a landmark in the history of the so-called Mývatn Fires.
The itinerary still serves up one final surprise at Dimmuborgir, nicknamed “The Dark City” or “The Black Castles.” Arches, towers, and pillars of solid lava recall the ruins of a gigantic fortress. According to Icelandic folklore, this labyrinth would be the home of the thirteen Jólasveinar, the curious Christmas figures of the local tradition, half elves and half trolls, protagonists of the island’s folk traditions.
Those seeking a pause may also reach the small lava cave of Grjótagjá, famous for the turquoise thermal spring hidden inside. In the past it represented a corner dedicated to natural warm baths, but the intense volcanic activity of the 1970s raised the water temperature markedly, making bathing unsuitable. Today, however, it remains one of the most evocative corners of the entire region.
