Fjadrargljufur Canyon

The scale registers first. The walls stand up to 100 metres high, and the Fjadra river winds along the floor of a gorge about two kilometres long. The rock is palagonite, cut by glacial meltwater through the cold periods of the Ice Age, roughly two million years ago. A path runs along the eastern rim, with viewpoints stepping out above the bends. The last platform faces a waterfall on the western wall. In late May the woolly fringe moss along the rim is bright green. The canyon also has a screen record: Justin Bieber filmed the video for "I'll Show You" here, and the opening episode of Game of Thrones season 8 used it for the dragon flight.

• Toilets and food at the trail head — the car park has toilets, a food truck and a coffee stand.
• Expect company — the canyon is heavily visited, and a viewpoint to yourself is unlikely.
• Stay on the marked path — the canyon was closed to visitors in 2019 after the flow of people began to damage the ground.
• The climb comes first — the path rises from the car park before it follows the rim, and the waterfall view is at the far end.

Cars come in off the Ring Road, not far from Kirkjubæjarklaustur, and the trail starts at the car park. Everything after that is on foot: a prepared path climbs the eastern rim to a line of viewpoints and ends at the platform opposite the waterfall. There is a second car park for those who would rather not walk up the trail.

Better: a clear day in late spring or early summer. In late May the woolly fringe moss on the canyon walls is bright green.

Avoid: low cloud and heavy rain, which take away the long views along the gorge. The walk itself still works in the wet.

The panoramas are what the viewpoints are for, and they need clear air; the moss colour is the reason to time a visit for late spring.