6 Best Sights in The Highlands, Iceland

If you've seen postcards of Iceland, you might already be familiar with the beautiful symmetrical form of this 1,682-meter (5,518-foot) table mountain. Standing alone in the vast Ódáðahraun lava field, Herðubreið (meaning “the broad-shouldered”) is a national favorite and dubbed "Queen of the Icelandic Mountains."

The star attraction of the Kjölur route, the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range features steaming hot springs and a span of beautiful rhyolite mountain slopes topped with several dramatic glacier-speckled peaks, the highest rising to 1,477 meters (4,846 feet). The area is popular with hikers and has great trails of varying lengths and difficulty, with steps and trails climbing the slopes to give access to dramatic, other-worldly panoramas. To reach the mountain cluster, turn off Route 35 onto Route F347 and drive for 10 km (6 miles), where you'll reach the Kerlingarfjöll Mountain Resort. You can hike along a canyon from here to reach the mountains, or continue on a rough gravel road for 5 km (3 miles) to reach a parking lot in an area known as Hveradalir.

As the old Icelandic saying goes, distance makes the mountains blue. Rising on the horizon as you drive north, Bláfell is a magnificent 1,204-meter (3,950-foot) mountain steeped in myth, legend, and tales of hidden treasure. A trail off the main road leads to the Fremastaver mountain hut, which makes an excellent base for those planning to climb the mountain—it's a long but rewarding hike.

From the Sigurðarskáli mountain hut, the 12-km (7½-mile) round-trip hike up to Hveradalur (meaning “valley of the hot springs”) takes nine hours. Not an easy hike by any measure—there's an unrelenting 2-km (1-mile) steep climb—it makes a memorable episode for the more determined explorer, with rewarding views of a spectacular glacial lagoon and a mountainside steaming with countless hot springs.

On the Eyjafjörður exit via F821, 25 km (15 miles) west of the main Sprengisandur route, Laugafell is a mountain oasis with a steaming hot spring on its northwestern slopes. Close by are naturally heated mountain huts with sleeping-bag accommodations and a fantastic geothermal pool to relax in.

A short climb to the top of this Highland mountain will reward you with sweeping views of the rugged glacier-cut realms the region is famous for. A 2-km (1-mile) marked trail leads up to Virkisfell (1,109 meters) from the back of the Sigurðarskáli mountain hut.