Ásbyrgi

What makes it special

Ásbyrgi is a horseshoe of cliffs with a wood inside it. At the foot of the innermost walls, a birch forest surrounds Botnstjörn, a small, still pond, and fulmars nest on the cliff ledges.

In spring, and after heavy rain, a thin waterfall drops from the rim into the pond. Most tour groups pass Ásbyrgi by, so away from the pond, which sits beside the inner car park, you can walk the trails for long stretches alone.

From the top of Eyjan, the rock island in the middle of the canyon, the whole horseshoe is laid out around you. Up on the rim, the Klappir trail passes potholes worn into the bare rock.

Visiting

Start at Gljúfrastofa, the visitor centre at the mouth of the canyon, where staff will talk you through the trails. It has an information desk, a small exhibition on the canyon and toilets, open during the centre's hours.

Then drive on to the car park at the far end, which has toilets too, and walk the loop to Botnstjörn first. For the view over the whole canyon, walk up onto Eyjan next, on the trail that starts north of the campground.

Near the pond, one trail has a section climbed with ropes and a ladder. If you would rather avoid them, a longer, winding path covers the same ground.

Guided or on your own

The trails are marked, and the staff at the visitor centre will set out the options for each walk.

Without a car, join a guided walking day from Akureyri. The tour leaves early, stops briefly in Húsavík, then walks from Ásbyrgi to Hljóðaklettar, further along the canyon, and on to a viewpoint over the canyon and Öxarfjörður. For a shorter day, walk the paths in Ásbyrgi and ride the tour bus on to Hljóðaklettar.

Tips

Bring insect repellent for an evening walk, because midges swarm on the canyon trails towards dusk. Near the pond, the wind gets strong at the cliff edges, so keep well back from the drop. If you drive an electric or hybrid car, there is a charging point in the car park in front of the visitor centre.