The Northern part of Iceland is almost in the Arctic Circle, but don’t let that scare you. I recommend a visit to the north for anyone going to Iceland. If you missed my recap of the first half, check that out and then come back.
Husavik is the place to go if you want to go Whale Watching. We visited for a morning walk and spent some time in the harbor, but the time of year wasn’t the best for whale watching, so we skipped it this time. We enjoyed coffee and gift shop wandering. We also spent some time at the Whale Museum in town learning more about those gentle giants. The town is little, but it’s definitely worth a stop.

Our base while in the north was Akureyri. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I was saying it correctly. It is the second largest town in Iceland and a great place to stay while exploring. The town is very colorful, much like Reykjavik, and very walkable. We strolled through downtown and enjoyed the beautiful art on the walls. There are lots of restaurants to chose from and beautiful views of the surrounding hills. We were near the ski hill, but there wasn’t enough snow left from the winter to test out the Icelandic slopes.

While staying in Akureyri, we were able to find a guesthouse called Skjaldarvik that offered horseback rides with beautiful views of the water and surrounding landscapes. We spent a few hours with our guide and a few other girls visiting from Spain. It was the best and I would definitely recommend it. The horses were incredible and we formed instant attachments.

After the ride, we were invited into the guesthouse for beer and coffee cake and hot chocolate. The staff at the guesthouse is from all different countries, so the conversation was fantastic. Hearing the different reasons people were drawn to Iceland made me even more grateful to be there.

I am getting to the end of our Iceland pictures and will be sharing the rest of them next week. Are you convinced yet that this needs to be on your travel bucket list?