Best Road Trip

Kárahnjúkur

Highlands

The Kárahnjúkar area lies just north of Vatnajökull National Park, and is famous for a controversial dam that was widely protested. But as well as this monolithic structure, our panel said that there are also many beautiful canyons to be explored in the area, such as the dramatic Hafrahvammagljúfur and Dimmugljúfur. “The dam is a crazy piece of architecture,” said the panel. “It’s so enormous, it’s breathtaking—maybe not in a good way.” Added another, mysteriously: “See if you can find the secret pool.” It’s in the Highlands, so it’s a summer-only drive—check road.is for the road conditions.

Runner-Up:

Hellisandur & Hellisheiði Eystri

Driving from the north, this trip is a great detour from the beaten track. Turn off Route One towards Vopnafjörður, where “There’s a rustic swimming pool, a turf-house museum, and a nice café in the village,” said the panel. After that, if the road is open, you can continue across the Hellisheiði Eystri mountain pass. “On a clear day, the view makes the old gravel road well worth it. And after the adventure, you’ll be back on Route One.”

Runner-Up:

Öxi

This mountain road used to be part of Route One. “They realised that was a bad idea,” said one panellist, “as in the Winter it’s almost always closed.” But in the Summer, it’s a beautiful drive, with very few dwellings or intrusions on the route—”just glorious mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and valleys at each end.”