It’s 1:30am in early July and the setting sun is painting pink streaks across a dark-blue sky. It’ll rise again in an hour or so, but I’m trudging towards my tent. Arctic terns circle overhead and the air is chilly but the campsite buzzes with life: late arrivals pitch tents and wool-clad teenagers stuff their hot dogs with crunchy onions. Across the fjord, lupins have turned the landscape purple.
It’s a magical moment but I know it won’t last: Icelandic summers are famously short-lived, so when the sun is finally out, there’s no excuse not to make the most of it. This has given rise to the concept of elta veðrið or “following the weather”, where you drop everything, pack your car with road trip essentials – Gifflar cinnamon rolls, Kókómjólk chocolate milk and the outdoor game Kubbur – and chase the sun. As someone who has made many of these trips, here’s everything you need to know.
Wherever you go, you will usually camp, with dozens of campsites around the country. That might mean heading to tiny Borðeyri, which hosts grassroots arts festival Hátíðni each July, hiking through the canyon of Þakgil, sipping beers in a geothermal pool at Hveravík or going properly off-grid in Hornvík in the remote Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.
The downside of chasing the weather is that you can almost never plan ahead (ask those arriving for the recent solar eclipse only to find overcast skies). But the upside is that you sometimes stumble upon gems you never knew existed. A few years ago, that’s how I ended up in Strandir, in the Westfjords. Rain was pouring at my intended destination, so I kept driving. Luckily, Icelandic summers have one advantage: from late May to early August, the days barely end.
I followed a gravel road winding between mountains and the ocean, past waterfalls, birds and the occasional lonely house. After one turn, the view opened onto a huge derelict building in Djúpavík – a tiny settlement that grew around a herring factory that operated here from 1935 to 1954.
Almost 300 residents once lived in Djúpavík; today, there’s one family running a tiny hotel and the factory, where an exhibition space hosts annual group shows in its cavernous halls and former fish-oil tanks, where the band Sigur Rós played one of the gigs during their 2006 Heima tour. The exhibition is free and the guided factory tour is well worth the cost.
Forty minutes away, the Urðartindur guesthouse and campsite sits opposite a beautiful black sand beach, with a fully equipped kitchen, outdoor grills and clean bathrooms. I recommend starting your morning with binoculars and a coffee, taking in the dramatic mountains and watching for fulmars and oystercatchers. A few minutes’ drive from there, Krossneslaug is a geothermal pool with two hot tubs overlooking the ocean. Iceland spoils you with pools and hot tubs but Krossneslaug, open from May to late August, is one of the best. If you’re lucky, you might have the whole pool to yourself.
On the other side of the country, about a 20-minute drive from the whale-watching capital of Húsavík, the 66.12 North campsite is named after the parallel it sits on. Simple but well-equipped, ocean views steal the show here and its vastness is amazing – feeling far enough from the crowds but with plenty within reach.
In Húsavík, between the peak months of May to September, humpback and minke whales and pods of white-beaked dolphins can be spotted on boat tours through Skjálfandi Bay. For a casual meal with harbour views stop by Gamli Baukur and, for a more refined take on local ingredients, Þórgrímur at Aurora Farm Hotel has just opened. The brewery and taproom Húsavík Öl serves a fantastic selection of local beers and GeoSea Baths makes an excellent spot for watching the sunset.
Head in the opposite direction and you’ll end up in Ásbyrgi, a forested horse-shoe shaped canyon. There’s an amazing secluded campsite here, along with plenty of hikes to choose from, starting with the one-kilometre walk to the peaceful Botnstjörn pond. One thing to keep in mind while hiking or camping in the area, though: midges.
About 4.5 hours away from Reykjavík and just off the Ring Road, one of the best places to combine camping and hiking is Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park, which has trails for all abilities. From the campground, you see the snowy peaks of the Skaftafellsjökull glacier and a visitor centre offering hiking advice and coffee for the road. From here, a well-marked 4.1-km loop leads to the glacier, mostly along a paved path.
Depending on the weather and light, Skaftafellsjökull shifts colours – greyish and moody under clouds, glowing blue and white when the sun’s out. If this isn’t enough, a trail straight from the campsite will take you to Svartifoss, a waterfall spewing from basalt columns in a green valley. Continue to Sjónarsker for sweeping views of Morsárdalur, ancient mountains and glaciers in the distance. I’ve never been anywhere else in Iceland where you could visit a glacier and a forest on the same day.
Sure, you might need an extra wool layer in July or watch the weather wreck your camping plans. But eventually the sun comes out and – when it does – nowhere quite does summer like Iceland.
Five Essential Stops On Your Summer Icelandic Adventure
Hátíðni Arts Festival
Summer in Iceland sees cultural events pop up in unexpected places across the country. Usually held in early July, Hátíðni is a festival run with a ‘do-it-together’ ethos hosted in a former slaughterhouse, showcasing the best of Iceland’s grassroots and underground scene.
Strandir
The lesser-known stretch of the Westfjords, with a rich history, remote villages and far-reaching views. Explore Djúpavík and Norðurfjörður, then finish with a soak in an ocean-facing Krossneslaug.
Húsavík
Go whale-watching in Skjálfandi Bay, sample local brews at Húsavík Öl or enjoy a visit to GeoSea Baths before heading east to hike through the forested canyon of Ásbyrgi.
Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park
A classic road trip through south Iceland. Continue to Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park for hikes past glaciers, forests and waterfalls. On the way, stop at Skool Beans to refuel with coffee and bagels.
Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
Iceland’s northernmost peninsula is one of Europe’s last wildernesses. Hike through unspoilt landscapes, spot Arctic foxes in the wild or visit “the most remote film festival in the world,” the Hornstrandir Film Festival.
