Nature & Norse Gods

OVERVIEW

Visit the extraordinary natural and geological wonders around Husavik and discover the Norse legends behind them. While stopping at the coastal cliffs on the Tjörnes peninsula, you will see an abundance of seabirds, the most photogenic being puffins. You will observe a different sort of natural wonder in the lowlands of Kelduhverfi, a dramatic landscape that spans two tectonic plates. The occasional movement of the plates has left deep fissures in the earth’s surface. Another geological sight awaits you at Asbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon that was probably formed when an ancient river flooded catastrophically. The explanation according to Norse myth is that Odin’s eight-legged flying horse simply left a hoof print. Following lunch at a cluster of volcanic columns known as Echo Rocks, you will hike to Dettifoss waterfall, a cascade so powerful that it is nicknamed “The Beast.” Iceland’s geothermal activity will be evident at the steaming and bubbling mud pots at Námaskarð.

HIGHLIGHTS

• View the natural and geological wonders near Husavik and hear legends about them.
• Observe nesting puffins and cracks in the earth’s surface from shifting tectonic plates.
• Hike to Europe’s most powerful waterfall, which is aptly nicknamed “The Beast.”
• See bubbling, steaming mud pots that geothermal activity heats beneath the earth.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.