Egilsstaðir: Young Money

The Eastfjords of Iceland are beautiful and fun to visit; with a rich history, a mild climate (it sometimes even gets ‘hot’ there during summer—‘feels like 35°C’) and heaps of natural beauty and majestic mountain ranges one could spend weeks there cavorting between fjords and running up steep mountain hills.

Established in 1947, Egilsstaðir is likely Iceland’s youngest rural municipality. It lies inland, on the banks of lake Lagarfljót (where Nessie’s cuz, Lagarfljótsormurinn, likes to hang out) and serves as a service hub for surrounding towns like Reyðarfjörður, Seyðisfjörður, Neskaupsstaður, etc. With its population of around 2500, this young town is the largest municipality in the East and quite unique for its youth and lack of local history (even though the area it stands is rife with history).

You will stop there while in the East. It has a nice and large tourist centre (with free coffee!), a pool, a camping ground, a gas station, some museums and shops; everything you could ask for in small town Iceland.

There is a charm about Egilsstaðir’s newness, and the fact that it connects you to some of the most beautiful and unique places in Iceland ensures that any serious tourist to Iceland will pay a visit. Stop there, even camp overnight there, but by all means move on to see the rest of the magnificent East.

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OUR CAMPER IS EXPLODING WITH JOY