Secret Stops on the Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is famous for its trio of top tier attractions: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area and Gullfoss waterfall. We’d recommend you spend time at all three of them, but we’d also like to let you in on a secret. There are plenty of other visitor attractions within this extraordinary area and it’s worth devoting some of your precious vacation time to visiting at least some of them. While in some cases, they’re now firmly on the tourist trail, compared to the main attractions, they receive fewer visitors. If you’re keen to spend time giving these underrated gems the attention that they deserve, here are a few suggestions of places you might want to investigate on a day out from the Black Sand Hotel.

Brúarhlöð Canyon

Iceland’s full of canyons but they can be tucked away in inaccessible locations and hard to reach. Brúarhlöð Canyon is another of the Golden Circle’s overlooked gems yet it’s relatively straightforward to find. This narrow gorge is located on the Hvitá River, the same waterway on which you’ll find Gullfoss, yet it receives a tiny fraction of the visitors seen by the area’s headliner waterfall. But here too, geology’s the star: the water that flows down the river has eroded the bed and banks, carving out chunky pillars and squat cliffs from the breccia. The water squeezes through the narrow gap, sometimes at speed, making this as much an option for adventurous types seeking a white water rafting trip as it does hikers looking for a trail surrounded by unspoilt nature.

The Cave People – Laugarvatnshellar

Across the world, people have turned to caves as a place to live where it was necessary to seek refuge from attack or inhospitable climates. The Laugarvatnshellar caves in the heart of the Golden Circle were unusual in that they were used by people who made them into a home. The origins are unclear, but one theory suggests that the caves were first used by Celtic monks right at the start of Iceland’s settled history. What we do know, however, that they were lived in until relatively recently. After centuries being used to shelter sheep from the elements, a couple called Jón Þorvarðsson and Vigdís Helgadóttir moved into one of them in 1918 and lived there for four years. Today, the cave has been renovated and staged so that visitors can get a feel for what their lives might have been like. A guided tour takes just 25 minutes so it’s easy to insert this into your itinerary.

Brúarfoss and other waterfalls

If you’ve enjoyed Gullfoss waterfall, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a handful of others in the Golden Circle area which are worth checking out. Brúarfoss is starting to appear on tourists’ radar, and is especially memorable for the colour of its water which is a vivid blue. To the west of the region in the Mosfellsdalur valley, it’s worth seeking out Helgufoss and Tröllafoss. The first is a popular spot for swimming and known for its moss-covered lava; the latter is further off the beaten track and ideal for solitude seekers. Travel to the salmon-rich Laxá í Kjós River to hunt down Þorufoss, located a few minutes from the 36. Width compensates for height at the spectacular Faxi falls, where water pours over a single drop on the River Tungufljót.

Kerið

This crater is thought to have been created around 3000 years ago, though there are some conflicting reports which puts its age as considerably older. Sometimes it’s incorrectly described as an explosion crater but in fact scientific studies indicate that it’s more likely to have formed when a volcano’s empty magma chamber caused it to collapse in on itself. Regardless, at around 55 metres deep, and 170 metres across, it’s an impressive sight. Many visitors choose to loop around the rim though if conditions permit it’s also possible to walk down to the lake’s edge. The red colour of its rocks reflects the presence of iron, while the bright blue of the mineral-rich water which fills this depression pops against its surroundings. The bold green of the vegetation that carpets the sides adds to the overall effect. Though it’s not quite the hidden gem it perhaps once was, Kerið doesn’t receive the amount of visitors seen by the big three attractions so we figure it still deserves a place on this list.

Friðheimar

On the face of it, a tomato farm seems an unlikely contender for a visitor attraction but this is one of the most fascinating stops on the Golden Circle route. Iceland’s climate with its cold, dark winters and less than sultry summers is hardly ideal for growing such a crop. But Icelanders are resourceful and, fortunately, blessed with an abundant supply of cheap renewable energy. Here at Friðheimar, geothermal heat has been used to heat greenhouses making tomatoes a successful crop. You can not only tour the greenhouse to see how it’s done but also enjoy lunch here – be sure to order the tomato soup and follow it up with some equally yummy tomato ice cream. Like Kerið, it forms part of some guided tours, so strictly speaking no longer a secret spot, but nevertheless it’s not a most-visited attraction.

Efsti-Dalur

It’s a crazy thing, but despite Iceland’s notorious weather, locals go big on ice cream. If you’re looking for an excuse to indulge, then this is it. But rather than visit an ice cream parlour in Selfoss or Reykjavik (or better still as well as) why not call in at this Golden Circle spot? Efsti-Dalur has its roots in dairy farming but has diversified to welcome tourists with the promise of some of the best ice cream in the area. Whether you opt for vanilla, chocolate or a seasonal flavour, it’s the ideal way to experience the creaminess of the milk that comes from the farm’s own cows. Efsti-Dalur also runs horse riding tours in June, July and August, so if you’re here in summer this is also a reason to head over here.

Secret Lagoon

Geothermal baths are a popular diversion both on and off the Golden Circle route. Within the region, the most visited is currently Laugarvatn Fontana but if you’re a fan of history then you’ll want to consider a dip in Secret Lagoon. This spot, also known as Gamla Laugin, is the oldest swimming pool in the area and a rustic spot to take a soak. Its water is fed from a nearby hot spring and you can watch Litli-Geyser erupt periodically while you are relaxing in the warm water. Soon, there’ll be another geothermal spa to choose from, this one more luxurious. Laugarás Lagoon, set to be the Golden Circle’s answer to the well-received Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon, is scheduled to open in 2025. It’ll be a secret stop until word gets out, so book a stay soon at the Black Sand Hotel to try it out before others know about it.