Hands down, this is my favorite place in North Iceland!

Legend has it that Ásbyrgi canyon was formed with Sleippnir, Óðin's, gigantic 8-legged horse placed one of his enormous hooves down on the earth. Scientifically, this place is a horseshoe shaped glacial canyon but I think the folklore sounds much more interesting.

Even the drive into the canyon makes you feel like you're being transported to another world. In my opinion, summer and fall are the best times to visit. During summer, you can see the canyon valley covered in vibrant green because all of the trees are in bloom. During fall, the golden colors of the leaves changing is awe-inspiring.

From the parking lot, you will find many different paths to choose from. Roaming around here is quite fun and easy to navigate. Their are bathrooms and picnic tables close by and during the summer you can camp overnight in the designated area.

There are a few special places to visit here, if you are short on time. One is botntörn (bottom pond). Whenever I have visited this pond, it has always been still and serene. It's like a little oasis within an oasis. Another spot is when you walk up the stairs to the view point that shows you most of Ásbyrgi.

If you have a lot of time on your hands and you enjoy a hike, you can hike up to the top of the high rock walls here to get an insanely gorgeous view of the canyon. Please be careful because the one part of the hike is quite steep.

Some believe that elves live here. You might not see them, but you might feel their presence, so please be respectful of this land because you don't want to anger an Icelandic elf!

The accompanying website has all of the routes possible for you to take in this area.