After Ísafjörður, our last port of call in Iceland brought us to Akureyri, at the base of Eyjafjörður fjord in the north of the country. We booked a full-day shore excursion with Saga Travel and started the day by driving out to Lake Mývatn.

Dimmuborgir: The Dark Castles

This is an area shaped by considerable volcanic activity over the years, and it’s created the kind of natural beauty that’s all around here. We walked through Dimmuborgir (translated as “Dark Castles”), one of the lava fields in the area — fascinating structures in this dramatic, huge lava field, with rock pillars, caves, and formations everywhere you look.

Namafjall Hverir: Boiling Mud Pots

Our next stop was Namafjall Hverir, a geothermal area where sulfuric gases and steam “melt” the clay to create boiling mud pots. Super interesting, if a bit sticky from the sulfur. They’ve built walking structures around some of the mud pots so you can get a good look without any danger. The contrast between the lava field, the views over Lake Mývatn, and then this area was striking — so much natural beauty packed into one day.

Godafoss Waterfall

From there we drove back through the glacial valleys to Godafoss waterfall — even more beauty, and a completely different landscape for the day. A roaring sight to behold, with the falls over 30 meters wide and more than 12 meters high. The flat surrounding landscape makes the waterfall even more spectacular, since it’s the focal point without distraction. Walking paths make it very easy to visit.

And then made our way back to the ship with beautiful vistas along the way.

Quick Tips for Akureyri

• Book a full-day excursion if you can — the highlights here (Mývatn, Dimmuborgir, Hverir, Godafoss) are spread out enough that a guided day trip, like the one we did with Saga Travel, makes the most sense.
• Wear shoes you don’t mind getting a little sulfur on — Namafjall Hverir’s boiling mud pots come with some sticky, sulfuric air.
• Budget real time at Godafoss — the walking paths make it easy to get close, and the flat landscape around it makes the falls even more dramatic.
• Pace yourself across the day — this port’s shore excursions can covers a lot of ground and a lot of contrast, from lava fields to waterfalls, so it’s worth finding one that allows time at the stops rather than just a quick glance.

Next up: Kirkwall, Scotland.