Have you ever been to the middle of nowhere? Iceland’s interior highlands are where man has never made his home and is still a rare visitor.

Here, nature is still at its rawest, with glaciers, deserts of black sand, barren glacial moraine, steaming hot springs, active and spent volcanoes and strange oases of vegetation.

The nature wonders

Highland favourites include the area around Mt. Askja, where you can bathe in a naturally warm lake called Viti (Hell), and Kverkfjoll, a high-temperature geothermal field on the rim of Vatnajokull, where the heat creates fantastic but ever-changing caves formed in ice.

The geothermal area Landmannalaugar, with its multicoloured mountains, steaming lava fields and countless hiking opportunities is another big highlight here.

How to go here

In general, the Highlands area is most accessible and visited by tourists in the summer. For self-drive fans, it is beautiful to drive around in the highland area, but it can be difficult to visit the biggest nature attractions regarding the surroundings and routes. This is the reason why the most tourist uses local tour operators to explore this area.