Totally In Tents: Camping In Iceland Will Blow You Away

Camping in Iceland is a risk-reward gamble with a high ceiling and a low floor. You might find yourself sitting in the sun in a wild green valley, with gorgeous glacier views, and nicer bathrooms than your apartment. You may also find yourself being evacuated by emergency services to sleep on the floor of a nearby school due to a midsummer windstorm with gusts strong enough to snap your tent poles (a true story — but a one-off, fwiw).

With that in mind, our last camping trip was in a fancy 4×4 Lux camper van dream machine. It had heating, a fridge, a gas stove, USB ports with self-charging batteries, running water, and enough storage to bring anything you might need — multiple cases, lopapeysur, aspirational art supplies, several cases of Bríó, etcetera.
“Sites varied from a deluxe camping palace to an obscure patch of grass with a single shite-caked toilet.”

Most sites in Iceland charge 1.000-2.000 ISK per person, with additional charges for washing machines, electricity, and so forth. This isn’t an exhaustive list, as we had a locale in mind each night — but we scouted various sites in each area, looking for both good vibes and good facilities. The goals: grass, not gravel. Space between plots, with foliage for privacy. Clean, heated toilet blocks. A nice view. Bonus points for hikes, laundry, and somewhere to eat.

The standard was, for the most part, pretty high. But there was the odd mishap, like a campsite that seemingly no longer existed, and an obscure patch of grass with a single shite-caked toilet. Here are our findings: the great, the good, and the stinky.

Wild west

The first night of camping was in Borgarfjörður. We checked out Varmaland first, as it was top of the pops in the Google reviews. It fulfilled a few of our criteria — tree-lined plots, picnic benches, and a lookout across the rolling plains. It even had a pool nearby. But it didn’t feel very homely — with no obvious reception building, and nobody around, we moved on.

Varmaland

The second option was Hverinn, which won us over immediately. It’s right next to the Krauma spa, and has a diner serving hot soup made from vegetables grown onsite. You can call the amiable owners to check in, even after the diner closes. Tree-lined plots? Check. Decent toilets? Check. It was a great all-round site, and a perfect first-night spot.

Hverinn

An honourable mention goes to Munaðarnes, a charming, tucked-away campsite in a forest near Bifröst. It has a secret feeling, and good facilities — play parks, a washer-dryer, discrete camping spots, and a hike down to the river plains below. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and if the location fit better with our plans, we’d have stayed there in a flash.

Munaðarnes

True north

Further north, there are various sites around Akureyri. The pick of the bunch is the popular and well-maintained Hamrar. It sits at a wooded hiking crossroads with trails around the area. For town-avoiders, there’s also the more rural option of Vaglaskógur, a forest with several campsites. Flatagerði is a good choice, offering an opportunity to do laundry and have a hot shower in a green and pleasant slice of wilderness.

Hamrar

The incredibly picturesque Mývatn area has a couple of solid options: Hlíð, a somewhat basic site overlooking the lake, and the nearby Vogar. We chose the latter. It was pouring with rain, so Vogar’s steamy hot shower room and onsite pizza place were exactly what we needed. You could even pay using a QR code and Apple Pay, like camping in the future or something. A note: linger for a few nights around here, if you can. You’ll wish you’d stayed longer in Mývatn.

Hlið

Far east

The east has lots of options, but there were two clear winners. The first was Atlavík, a quiet little site (when we were there, at least) — on the eastern shore of Lagarfljót. The facilities are bare-bones compared to other nearby sites, but what you get in return is a variety of secluded, wooded camping spots, crunchy beach walks, and the lapping of the lake water serenading to sleep.

Atlavík

Further down the eastern coastline lies Berunes, a gorgeous little oasis in the rocky Berufjörður. Located on a historic farm, it has a hostel, and a pretty, peaceful little camping ground with hot showers and greenhouse-ish seating areas. You can see Djúpivogur just over the fjord, where there’s a nice alternative if you’re trying to cover more distance that day.

Berunes

We also did try to visit Smiðjunes, a promising outback site near Hvannagil — but in the absence of signage, the Google map pin took us to… a big patch of black sand. Who knows what’s going on there.

Deep south

Things get busy on the south coast, with lots of bigger, more crowded campsites. Going east to west, Höfn’s town site and the nearby Myllulækur are serviceable enough — but it’s best to head to Skaftafell. This is an epicentre of camping in Iceland, with loads of space, huge, well-maintained shower and toilet blocks, the Vatnajökull visitor centre, and incredible hikes to Svartifoss and Sjónarnípa starting right in the campsite.

Things get a bit patchy after that. Vík’s camping ground was rough, vibes-wise — a flat patch of grass surrounded by car parks, roads, and hotels, saved only by the presence of the awesome Skool Beans coffee bus. But perhaps the best site of the whole trip was Herjólfsdalur in the Westman Islands (main picture up top). It’s a dreamy spot with a dramatic cliff on one side, and a sprawling golf course on the other. The kitchen area has two stoves and sinks, a washer-dryer, and perfect, civilised-feeling hot showers. The owner talked about improving the facilities even further. Twelve points to Vestmannaeyjar!

By contrast, the worst site we visited was Þrastarskógur near Selfoss. It’s a pretty location, but poorly signposted, and the folks at the visitor centre didn’t know how to check in. The campground toilets were locked, except one — and the filthy scene inside was like something out of Trainspotting. Maybe they weren’t yet open for summer, but Selfoss and Hveragerði’s decent little town sites are much better alternatives.

Hveragerði

So there you have it — a quick ‘n’ dirty guide to camping around the Ring Road. The sites were so nice, it barely felt like roughing it at all, tbh. Just keep an eye on vedur.is when making your decisions, so you’re the right kind of blown away.

Thanks to Go Campers for providing a kickass van. Book one at gocampers.is.