Goðafoss & Lake Mývatn Shore Excursion from Akureyri

Goðafoss, the 'waterfall of the gods', is a horseshoe-shaped fall on the Skjálfandafljót river, about 12 metres high and 30 metres wide, right beside the Ring Road. The name is tied to a well-known story about Iceland's conversion to Christianity around the year 1000. Paths on both banks give different views of the curve.

Lake Mývatn is a shallow lake in North Iceland, formed about 2,300 years ago by a basalt lava eruption. The name means 'midge lake'. It lies right on the Ring Road, about 100 kilometres east of Akureyri, which makes it the natural base for the Diamond Circle. The lake and most of the sights around it are free to visit, and it takes a full day to see the main ones.

Skútustaðagígar is a group of pseudo-craters on the south shore of Lake Mývatn, formed when lava flowed over wet ground and steam explosions pushed up crater-like mounds. An easy loop path runs around them.

Dimmuborgir means 'Dark Castles', and it fits: a maze of black lava towers, arches and small caves, left behind about 2,300 years ago when a lava lake drained away and the crust collapsed into castle-like shapes. Hollow rock chimneys that once cooled the lava from below can be walked between and, in places, through. Five marked loops, from about 600 metres to 2.3 kilometres, let you choose a short stroll or a longer walk.

Námaskarð and Hverarönd, often just called Hverir, is one of the starkest landscapes in Iceland: bare, cracked ground in shades of grey, yellow, pink and orange, with steam vents hissing and mud pots bubbling on every side. It sits at about 400 metres above sea level beside the mountain Námafjall, a few kilometres east of Lake Mývatn. The smell of sulphur reaches you before the sight does. The ground is hot, so stay on the marked paths.