Selfoss is the largest town in south Iceland, a practical, growing river town straddling the Olfusa where the Ring Road crosses the water, and the natural gateway to the Golden Circle. It is not a place people visit for its own monuments so much as a comfortable, well-serviced base with real supermarkets, good restaurants and easy reach of Iceland's most famous sights: Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss all lie within an hour. In recent years the town has gained a handsome new old-town square of reconstructed historic Icelandic timber houses, giving it a genuine centre to stroll and eat in. Approach Selfoss as a hub rather than a destination: sleep here, stock up here, and fan out each day to waterfalls, geothermal valleys, black beaches and the Golden Circle loop. It is only 45 minutes from Reykjavik, so you can arrive quickly and settle in. The surrounding Arborg countryside is dotted with geothermal greenhouses, horse farms and hot springs, and the weather, while changeable, is often kinder than the exposed coast further south.
A full, walkable day in Selfoss, free for everyone. Set your pace and start time.
Grab a cinnamon snail and coffee, and pick up picnic supplies for the Golden Circle before the day trip.
Walk the Almannagja rift gorge between the tectonic plates; go earlyish to beat the tour coaches from Reykjavik.
Strokkur blows every few minutes; keep to the paths, as the ground and water are scalding hot.
Take both the upper viewpoint and the lower path; the spray is heavy, so a waterproof layer helps.
A quick rim walk around the red crater and its aqua lake; there is a small cash-or-card entry fee.
Stroll the reconstructed timber houses and the riverside before dinner.
The town's oldest house serves refined Icelandic cooking; reserve, and consider the tasting menu.
A newly built quarter of reconstructed historic Icelandic timber houses gathered around a walkable square, now the town's most pleasant place to stroll and eat.
The town's oldest house by the bridge, now a refined restaurant plating modern Icelandic dishes like slow-cooked lamb and local trout; the tasting menu is the way to go.
The historic suspension bridge over the wide Olfusa river that gave Selfoss its start; a short riverside walk gives the best view.
The UNESCO-listed rift valley where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart and Iceland's parliament was founded in 930; walk the Almannagja gorge, part of the Golden Circle.
The steaming valley that gave the world the word geyser; the reliable Strokkur erupts every few minutes, so have your camera ready and mind the boiling ground.
A vivid red-rock volcanic crater cradling an aqua lake, a quick and photogenic stop just north of Selfoss with a small entry fee and an easy rim walk.
A beloved yellow-house cafe with a garden, famous for cakes, soups and hearty mains, a Selfoss institution for a relaxed meal.
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Iceland