Ásbyrgi Canyon

Heading north in the direction of Akureyri and Húsavík, stopping-by at Ásbyrgi Canyon is almost a must since it can surely be listed among the most spectacular nature formations in Iceland. It is a place that encompasses both pretty unique nature values and some really breath-taking views that will certainly leave you impressed for quite a while. The famous canyon is 3.5 kilometers long and 1.1 kilometers wide and in fact one could agree that its shape resembles horseshoe (a very huge one though!). This particular shape has also been reason for a legend according to which the horse of Oddin – one of the main Norse gods – has made the canyon with its big feet. The more likely version however is that Ásbyrgi Canyon has formed thousands of years ago due to catastrophic glacial flooding which was caused by a volacanoe erruption that occured under Vatnajökull ice cap.
Ásbyrgi Canyon is a perfect place for hikers and trekkers as there are trails of various lenghts and difficulties. If you are having just a short stop at the canyon, there is trail which can be done in 30 minutes but if you are looking for a more slow-paced experienced, there are also trails that take up to few hours to be completed. One can both walk across the floor of the canyon to have some good close-ups of basalt rocks and get up the cliff from where a gorgeous and surprisingly green view will appear.