Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [194]
Birders unite! Western Mývatn offers some of the best birdwatching in the region, with over 115 species present – 45 nesting. Most species of Icelandic waterfowl are found here in great numbers – including nearly 10,000 breeding pairs of ducks. Three duck species – the scoter, the gadwall and the Barrow’s goldeneye – breed nowhere else in Iceland. Other species frequenting the area include eider ducks, mallards, whooper swans, great northern divers, black-headed gulls, arctic terns, golden plovers, snipe and whimbrels. The area’s bogs, marshes, ponds and wet tundra are a high-density waterfowl nesting zone. Off-road entry is restricted between 15 May and 20 July (when the chicks hatch), but overland travel on this soggy ground is challenging at any time.
For a bit of background, swing by the Bird Museum ( 464 4477; www.fuglasafn.is; Borg; adult/child & senior Ikr800/400; 11am-7pm mid-May–Aug, reduced hr Sep–mid-May), housed in a beautiful lakeside building that fuses modern design with the traditional turf house. Inside you’ll find an impressive collection of taxidermic avians (more than 180 types from around the world) including every species of bird that calls Iceland home, except one – the grey phalarope. Designer lighting and detailed captions further enhance the experience. The menagerie of stuffed squawkers started as the private collection of a local named Sigurgeir Stefansson. Tragically, Sigurgeir drowned in the lake at the age of 37 – the museum was erected in his honour. The museum also houses a serene cafe and lends out high-tech telescopes to ornithological enthusiasts. Don’t forget to take a look in the small water feature at the centre of the exhibition hall – see the boxed text for details on the spongy green surprise that lurks inside.
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NORTHERN MÝVATN (MÝVATN TO KRAFLA)
As the lakeshore road circles back around towards ReykjahlíÐ, the marshes dry up and the terrain returns to its signature stretches of crispy lava. Travellers who continue along Rte 1 (Iceland’s Ring Road) towards Krafla will discover a wicked world of orange sky and the gurgling remnants of ancient earthen cataclysms.
The lava field along Mývatn’s northern lakeshore, Eldhraun, includes the flow that nearly engulfed the Reykjahlíð church. It was belched out of Leirhnjúkur during the Mývatnseldar in 1729, and flowed down the channel Eldá. With some slow scrambling, it can be explored on foot from ReykjahlíÐ.
If you are hiking directly to Krafla from Mývatn’s northern crest, then you’ll pass the prominent 771m-high rhyolite mountain Hlíðarfjall (also called Reykjahlíðarfjall), just before the halfway mark. Around 5km from ReykjahlíÐ, the mount can also be enjoyed as a pleasant day hike from the village, affording spectacular views over the lake on one side and over the Krafla lava fields on the other.
Along the Ring Road (Rte 1)
Northern Mývatn’s collection of geological gems conveniently lie along the Ring Road (Rte 1) as it weaves through the harsh terrain between the north end of the lake and the turn-off to steaming Krafla. Car-less travellers will find plenty of paths for exploring the area on foot.
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THE YULE LADS
Most Christmases involve one fictitious Santa, but Iceland has 13. And they’re all real.
Born to Gryla, a wicked trolless, the Yule Lads grew up in Lúdentarborgir. Tired of their mother’s constant nagging, the bearded bachelors decided to find their own place, and chose the ‘Dark Castles’ of lava at Dimmuborgir nearby.
During the 13 days before Christmas, one Yule Lad leaves the rocky fortress each night to spread holiday cheer. Before bed, Icelandic children leave their shoes on the windowsill. Those who are well behaved will find a little gift inside when they wake up; troublemakers get potatoes (literally).
Sceptics can meet the Yule Lads in the flesh during their annual soak at the Mývatn Nature