Dalvík – Whale Fjord Dives

Grímsey Island (Arctic Circle)

Hjalteyri Wrecks

Litlaá (Freshwater River Spring)

Nesgjá (Akureyri)

Strytan (Big Strytan & Little Strytan)

North Iceland celebrates Arctic char, trout, lamb and dairy from its fjords and lakes. Try Mývatn’s geothermal bread, Akureyri’s fish and chips, plokkfiskur (fish stew) and skyr. The region’s microbreweries and cosy coffee houses are a welcome highlight after cold dives in Eyjafjörður. Local ingredients and simple preparation let the pure Icelandic flavours shine through in every meal.

Hótel Kea

Sigló Hotel

Hótel Akureyri

Grímsey Guesthouse

North Iceland is the only place on Earth where recreational divers can explore living hydrothermal chimneys. Off Akureyri, Strýtan rises from 65 m to 15 m, venting 72°C alkaline water and supporting bizarre thermophilic bacterial mats and tiny invertebrates on a magnesium-white cone. Little Strýtan is a shallower, equally otherworldly version. The region also has Nesgjá, a Silfra-style freshwater fissure with 30–50 m visibility between lava cliffs, and Litlaá, a spring-fed lagoon of crystal water and green algae. Hjalteyri holds herring-era wrecks, Dalvík offers steep walls and the chance of humpbacks at the surface, and Grímsey on the Arctic Circle has kelp, cod and occasional blue sharks. Guided, cold and current-prone, this is Iceland’s most geothermally unique diving.

North Iceland – Eyjafjörður & Hydrothermal Vents