Northern Iceland Adventures: Sheep, Legends, and the Most Beautiful Waterfalls
Last year, I retired from my 30+ years in the mortgage industry. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we went on a month-and-a-half trip that included a Mediterranean cruise, a week in Switzerland, a Vikings-inspired cruise, and a few final days in Amsterdam. During the last cruise, we spent four days in Iceland.
From Retirement to Adventure: Our Iceland Escape
The stops in Iceland were my favorite of the entire trip. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every port, but Iceland was the one place where, the moment we left, I already wanted to go back.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about those four days, the amazing things we saw, and what we learned about this beautiful country. I decided it’s time to share them with you in a two-part series. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll be tempted to book a trip there too.
Pre-Planning Your Iceland Adventure
One of the first things to know is that excursion options in Iceland are pricey. With some pre-planning, we booked excursions and mapped out the must-see sites for each day. The weather was chilly and cloudy most of the time, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. We were in Iceland! Layers are the key!
Akureyri: Heart-Shaped Stoplights and Viking Roots
Our first stop was Akureyri in North Iceland. On the bus to the Laufas Museum, I noticed something unusual about the traffic lights. The red stop signal is shaped like a heart. I later learned that after the financial crash of 2008, the community had been through a difficult time. To spread cheer, the council decided to install these heart-shaped lights. The idea was an instant hit, and the lights grew into a symbol of Akureyri, now a permanent part of the town’s identity.
Heart shaped stop light / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content
Icelandic Countryside: Rolling Hills and Free-Roaming Sheep
Driving along the coast with rolling hills on the opposite side, we saw sheep everywhere. They were first brought to Iceland by the Vikings, who also settled there. Icelandic sheep are large and have a double-layer fleece that provides unique insulation. Because of strict laws protecting the breed, no other sheep are allowed into the country. There are so many sheep that they actually outnumber the people.
The sheep roam freely in summer, which is part of the culture. Farmers let them wander and feed on their own, then in the fall, the community comes together to gather them up. People go to the stalls placed throughout the fields, find their sheep, and bring them home for the winter.
We’d only been in Iceland a couple of hours, and I was already smitten.
Turf Houses, Eider Down, and Ancient Viking Living
At the Laufas Museum, the first thing I noticed was the houses covered in sod. We’d seen houses like that in Norway, another Viking tradition. The Vikings brought not only sheep but also their culture and a way of life designed to survive in frigid climates. The highlight of the museum was an ancient turf homestead built for a priest with a large family. With thick earth and sod walls for insulation, even the farm animals had their own room.
Laufas Museum / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content
One detail that fascinated me was the Eider nesting site on the family’s land. The Eider is a large sea duck with incredibly soft down feathers. Each year, the family collected the feathers after nesting season, cleaned them, and sold them. Eider down became their fortune, and it’s still one of the most prized bedding materials in the world.
Godafoss: The Waterfall of the Gods
From there, we went to Godafoss Waterfall. Icelanders love to tell the story that this “Waterfall of the Gods” earned its name when a lawspeaker decided the country would give up its Norse gods and adopt Christianity. According to legend, he gathered his pagan statues and threw them into the falls. The story isn’t factual, but standing before that massive, thundering waterfall, it was easy to get caught up in the lore.
Godafoss / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content
Legends, Lore, and Stories of Northern Iceland
One of the most charming aspects of Iceland was the stories tied to every place. We heard so many along the way, some whimsical, some cautionary, and some romanticized. All were a joy to listen to.
Isafjordur: Tiny Town, Huge Fjords
With day one behind us, we moved on to our next stop, Isafjordur, in the northwest of the country. Known for its icy fjords, it’s considered one of the colder areas of Iceland. With a population of just 2,600, it felt small, clean, and very welcoming.
After wandering the town, we joined a half-day tour that took us to a local farm and then to Dynjandi Waterfall.
Icelandic Fjords and Road Trip Stories
We’d been warned about the long drive, but our tour guide, “Mr. Lucky,” made the time fly. That wasn’t his real name, of course, but no one on the bus could pronounce his actual one, except him, his 10-year-old daughter who was traveling with us, and the bus driver.
As we drove through this gorgeous stretch of Iceland, he told us stories about his life, legends explaining the shapes of mountains and fjords, and even where rainbows really come from (unicorn farts, in case you were wondering).
A Cozy Icelandic Farm with Hot Chocolate, Cakes, and Cookies
After about an hour, we pulled into Gemufell Farm, nestled between towering mountains and a fjord. It was postcard-perfect.
The family greeted us with hot chocolate, coffee, and traditional Icelandic cakes and cookies. I’m not usually a sweets person, but I always try traditional foods when I travel, and these were delicious, light, not overly sweet, and very satisfying. My husband and I spent time chatting with the farm owners, learning about their crops, animals, and daily life in this idyllic setting.
Dynjandi: Northwest Iceland’s Ultimate Waterfall
From there, we continued to Dynjandi Waterfall. To our surprise, there were hardly any other people there, even though it’s the largest waterfall in northwest Iceland and one of the country’s most famous and “most beautiful”. To be honest, every waterfall we saw was billed as “the most beautiful,” but Dynjandi certainly lived up to the praise. Still, we couldn’t figure out where all the tourists were.
Dynjandi - minus the crowds / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content
As my husband and I hiked up the trails, a helicopter suddenly appeared over the mountain, carrying a large white pouch. We stopped and watched as it hovered near the waterfall, lowered the pouch to the ground, released it, and flew away.
Mr. Lucky “remembered” that construction work was underway on the trails, with crews adding viewing platforms and reinforcing paths. Usually, you can walk all the way to the top, but this time the area was roped off for safety. A park ranger told us the project was supposed to have been finished already, but here it was August 9, and supplies were still being delivered.
Even so, Dynjandi didn’t disappoint. With so few people around, we got amazing photos of the main falls and the five smaller ones below it. Watching the helicopter go back and forth was oddly mesmerizing, like a hummingbird hovering over the fjord.
On the way back, we took a different route through more stunning scenery. Mr. Lucky kept us entertained with more stories, a song or two, and plenty of Icelandic culture.
How Northern Iceland Stole Our Hearts
By the end of our second day, I felt like Iceland had already left its mark on me. Between the heart-shaped stoplights, the sheep wandering freely, waterfalls that looked carved from a dream, and the endless stories that tied the land to its people, I knew this was a place unlike anywhere else we’d ever traveled. Two days in, and I was already hooked.
And we weren’t done yet. In part two, I’ll share our time in Reykjavik, a few more breathtaking sights, and some surprises that made Iceland climb straight to the top of my list of places I’d happily return to.
-J.S. Whaldo
